Five YouTube channels that have us hooked

Push the flatscreen aside and make way for the laptop. Thanks to its new “channel function,” YouTube is no longer just about one-hit viral vids, and gut-busting webisodes are fast becoming comedy currency. Even celebrities like Jerry Seinfeld and Zach Galifianakis are creating innovative online series. Here are five channels we love to watch:

Culinary comedy: My Drunk Kitchen

Why tune in: We love Hannah Hart’s “one for the pot, one for the cook” philosophy. Even when she forgets the cheese in a grilled cheese, she offers some slurred words of wisdom (“the whole point of brunch is to get drunk in the morning”).

Think of it as: Nigella Lawson with a pinch of Chelsea Handler.

The artistes: Nanalew

Why tune in: Shawna Howson and Tessa Violet, from Cambridge, Ont., film music video spoofs and short abstract films to get you thinking.

Think of it as: Tina Fey mixed with Taylor Swift.

Dad director: Patrick Boivin

Why tune in: French-Canadian filmmaker Patrick Boivin hit fame with adorable videos starring his infant son as Iron Baby or battling a backyard dragon Kill Bill–style. But not all of his 226 shorts are just for laughs; some are moving and provocatively beautiful.

Think of it as: Quentin Tarantino with a Woody Allen bent.

The cool nerd: Vsauce

Why tune in: A London-based YouTube employee, Michael Stevens, solves some of life’s biggest and coolest mysteries, such as why we have two nostrils.

Think of it as: Bill Nye meets MythBusters.

Musical scientists: CDZA

Why tune in: New York musicians create musical experiments like Human Jukebox, which covers artists from Bach to Gaga. Another video covers Ace of Bass using five upright basses.

Think of it as: A chamber ensemble meets cover band.