A Love Letter to Dropout.tv 

Thank you for the kind words brother! Very well-researched video. 🥰

Here's the best part of Dropout that they don't advertise : they pay their whole staff above industry standards. Significantly. Performers and crew. They go out of their way to create the best work environment. They even pay people to audition. This year they did some generous profit sharing with everyone who was paid even just once by them (even people who auditioned and didn't get a gig got a share of the profits). They don't advertise this because they don't want to turn doing the right thing into a marketing gimmick, but that's REALLY the kind of company I have no problem paying a subscription to.

seeing the queer rep on the dropout shows is so refreshing and realistic. the truth is most queer people have nerdy interests, and having a good sense of humor is a great way to become accepted in hostile environments i remember being a gay little 13 year old in a homophobic school and realizing "man ive gotta learn to make some jokes or this isnt gonna go well"

Another important point: Droupout does put A LOT of stuff on RU-vid for free, to the extend where I, personally, don't HAVE to pay for subscription, but I WANT to pay for it. And I just can't get over how great "Burrow's End" was... everyone played the perfect role, from momma Brennan to juvenile Izzy and DM Aabria.

Would also love to point out Dropout not only supported the WGA strike but actively participated in it, even going so far as giving speeches and possibly even playing D&D at a protest? Love them

i decided i will always be subbed to dropout when jacob told sam’s mom that sam (the ceo) paid jacob’s rent for a while no questions asked when he was going through a hard time

I hope Dropout won't do the mistake and think that bigger productions are automatically better. they can stay affordable as long as they remember that the talented cast is what makes the shows good.

there’s this one recent game changer episode wherein the players have to get 2nd place, and one of the “challenges” is to give sam the best compliment they can, and Brennan just thanks him for having built and protect a safe space for his favorite people in the world to be creative and yeah. that’s sticking with me i think

Dropout only has 17 full-time employees?? Judging by the quality of their content, I would not have expected a number that low. Massive props to everyone involved for creating so many fantastic shows.

Talking about how they are all friends and you didnt mention that Lou Wilson was the officiate of Brennan and Izzy's wedding? I absolutely love these people. My two most used services are RU-vid and DropOut.

I'm so glad you put this out. I remember having to defend Sam Reich during the Sag-Aftra strike. There were some people saying Dropout was behaving the worst of the streaming programs because they kept making new content, but Dropout was the great exception. Their workers were well-paid and felt repected. It's run by a man who would much rather be a game show host than a money grubbing fat cat. Nothing Sam Reich does seem to be exploitative of his workers, and hearing that he's behaved even better than I knew has honestly made me very happy. I didn't even know about the profits sharing. Thanks for this beautiful love letter.❤

I'm nonbinary, and I'm always pleasantly surprised (and relieved) to see how effortlessly Dropout is inclusive to gender nonconformity, without making it feel performative and not defining those cast memebers by their LGBTQ identities alone. Incredible video, so happy the algorithm brought me here. I have since subscribed, sent my friends this video, and watched a few more of your videos. I can't wait to see more from you, keep up the great work!

To me, Dropout is so successful because you can tell these people are genuinely friends and like each other, having such comfortable energy. It's so much easier to watch because of the chemistry, mainstream media simply as actors doing acting things not a community like Dropout has

It's worth mentioning is that Game Changer also work to create spin-off content. Both Make Some Noise and Play It By Ear are spin-offs, having originally been Game Changer episodes. I've also seen some other episodes where I think "that could be its own show and I'd watch it." So it can serve as a breeding ground for new ideas, or a live-test of them.

One of my favorite moments of excellent equality is the reveal of the Arthur Auegfort mini far into season 1 and Lou going “he’s black?” And Brennan being like yeah! And then Lou’s face holding the same sort of impressed satisfaction to see representation and not have it be performative as the audience was a special tiny interaction that set a tone for me and my love of this group.

To add to the inclusivity conversation: i work as a dungeon master for those living with disability, primarily autism. The modular/fluid nature of the game allows me to not only adapt to the sesibilities of my players but their capabilities. Ive done over 700 hours of Dnd past year and a half. I can confidently say, its more theatre than it is a game. Many people will try to claim ownership of dnd and the 'proper' way to play (as they do with almost anything nerdy). But the proper way to play, is whatever gives your table a fun experience.

I subscribed to Dropout for Dimension 20 for their fey regency series, and I accidentally ended up also loving all of their other shows. Play it by Ear is an all-time fave of mine that really deserves all the love and attention in the world. Full-length musical improv comedy is such a strange, niche intersection of my personal interests that I couldn’t not fall in love with it.

it's cool to see a streaming service, or ANY group, doing things in such a way that somebody basically gives them a free half hour promo sheerly out of appreciation

Just recently got into their stuff and it's been such a joy to discover. What really sold me was seeing an episode of Game Changer (I won't spoil which one) where the game wound up being an elaborate rouse to celebrate one cast member who had gone through a particularly difficult year. It was genuinely moving and heartfelt, but in the most chaotic way imaginable, and that's pretty much their content in a nutshell.

I signed up to Dropout primarily for Game Changer and Play it By Ear and it is still a bit of a hard sell for ongoing content if you're not into D&D (I bounced off D20) but I'm finding plenty of other shows to watch on there too, some good some bad. The fact that they have almost all College Humor content going back years and years means there's pretty much always something to watch, especially if you only have 30 mins or less in your lunch break. Their newest show "Very Important People" is incredible, and I appreciate that on alternate weeks they do a behind the scenes video with the folks behind making the outfit. I think if it came out alongside the main video, they may not get as many views and, as pointed out in the video, they value their crew just as much as the cast, so having their videos be promoted and scheduled at the same level as the main videos is super cool.

i subbed to dropout only less than a week ago after seeing so many incredible clips from “make some noise” and “game changer”. i was skeptical of dimension twenty, but i gave it a shot. i plowed through season one. i’m officially a huge fan of this streaming service. what a gift to humanity it is.

Riz Gukgak was the first time i saw a character being AroAce actually be part of their arc instead of just being trivia about the character or something that is explained in a PSA of sorts and then barely referenced. Also Adaine actively saying that shes Ace questioning was so cool!

As a consumer, it's so rewarding knowing that my $6 per month is going directly to the artists who make the entertainment I love. Dropout is a beacon of hope for the future of "content" and I hope that more creator-owned platforms emerge to build a democratized media landscape driven by passion and talent rather than profit.

Someone may have mentioned this so I'm sorry if it's repetitive but the main cast (Lou, Ally, Emily, Murph, Siobhan, Zac) are actually in five campaigns- excluding continuations in the same setting- Fantasy High, Unsleeping City, A Crown of Candy, Starstruck (based on a stage play/comic book made by Elaine Lee- Brennan's mom) and Never After!

The Onion did predate CollegeHumor, bringing material from its Madison, WI alt-weekly newspaper onto the web by the mid 1990s, but CH could make the claim to be "the premier digital-first comedy brand" -- and often did, when pitching themselves to potential advertisers.

Love dropout soo much. Like one of my favorite little notes that really tickled me was in any show when someone is introduced at the top of the show their pronouns are part of their quick onscreen nametag, its soo effortless how inclusive they made that. Also with how absolutely dope as shit D20 is because it very much feels like the players have worked out with the DM what they want their arcs to be so that the stories for minority players doesn't feel like its rehashed by people that arent part of community with those people. Like it feels like the gm and the team has put in a decent amount of effort in story and world crafting to research as much as possible to add stuff that isn't part of the straight white hegemony without making it fetishistic

Really wanna sell Total Forgiveness to people who haven't watched it. It's gut-wrenching at times, but the end makes it all worth it, and honestly, it had me in tears from laughter, awkward pain, and ultimately wholesome joy.

Good to see that my friends and I aren't the only ones to appreciate Dropout.

Back when Sam Reich bought the company, he had to let a lot of people go. I remember seeing a compilation of tweets by (ex-) staffers with a tone like "I just got let go. Yay :-)". Sam Reich seems to be really well respected and trusted by the employees, which is a refreshing site to see. Also reminds me a bit of what just happened with Second Wind a few months ago, although they apparently couldn't get the rights to the name "Escapist".

Ive been meaning to get DropOutTV but never committed since im very on and off with TV lately but you sold me.

Bro's got that extra Monsters Inc. door in the background. (Loved this, love Dropout.)

I had really come to love what College Humor had become by the time it went under, especially the cast they had. When they first formed Dropout I subscribed just because I wanted to support those people and it was affordable. I actually didn't watch a lot of the early Dropout content (mostly D20). I had seen some of D20 before, but was never ready to commit to watching a couple hour long episode each week. I'd watch Game Changer and Um, Actually when new episodes, but that wasn't keeping me coming back each week so much as binging a few episodes at a time every few weeks. I did watch Escape from the Bloodkeep, and some of Fantassy High, and enjoyed it, but the season that really drew me in was Starstruck. Since then I've become a full on D20 fan, and I watch all the new Dropout content. I feel even better about paying the monthly fee than I did when I started. I'd gladly pay $10 for what they give us and how well they treat everyone who works there.

Rick Perry and the rest of the production crew absolutely deserve ever ounce of praise. The bear, guys. The bear.

The “Hilda Hilda” bit on first watch actually made me suffocate

I’m new to dropout, I stumbled over a couple of shorts of Brennan being “competitive” and I was sold. It’s the only streaming service I’m happy to pay for.

So proud to be associated with this really cool company. (They have cool merch, too 😉)

I almost exclusively watch dropout now because the content just makes me feel better? Everyone's friends and nice?? Everyone is cool to each other???? I am so happy it's here, affordable, and so entertaining

Great video. Actually just went and subscribed at about the 12 minute mark. I'd been on the fence about it for like a week, leaning towards doing it. But with this glowing recommendation, I'm in baby.

Sometimes I go months without watching but I always stay subscribed. I love dropout and I want to support them.

As a person who is not American and had no idea what college humor was, ı was introduced to dropout with game changer short videos. I have never seen such an amazing advertisement. When I subscibed the platform I only did it for game changer alone . İts still my favorite but I also like um actually and dirty laundry. I still have absolutely no idea what are they doing on dimension 20 but I wanna watch it because some of my favorite.. Crew? Are there. Brennan especially 😅 But I think the big part of their sucess comes from the fact that most of the crew are so lovable. Trapp, jess, brennan, izzy, lou, zac... Watching them feels like they are my friends 😂

I have been watching college humor/dropout for a little over a decade, and I'm glad to see love for them! Brennan is one of my fav comedians period, and watching Dimension 20 helped me appreciate and get back into D&D after some bad experiences in high school.

a quick thing, the intrepid heroes (emily, murph, zac, ally, siobhan, and lou) feature in 5 campaigns spanning (including the now premiering junior year) 8 Dimension 20 seasons. Fantasy High Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior Years, Unsleeping City 1 & 2, Crown of Candy, A Starstruck Odyssey, and Neverafter. I have no idea where the "3 campaigns" thing came from

great vid!! a lot has happened with college humor-you did a good job condensing it and making the info digestible. i’ve been addicted to game changer & make some noise ever since they started because the improv is just unbelievably good!!! Dropout is doing everything right so far. it’s awesome to have seen their transformation.

I'd been on Dropout watching Gamechanger and then Dirty Laundry for a while; my friends introduced it to me one time when I was at their house and I kept popping on and off the service because... literally where can you watch game shows today! LITERALLY WHERE. NOTHING SCRATCHES THAT ITCH. It was Dungeons & Drag Queens that made me finally peek over into the massive and intimidating backlog of D&D content. A man cannot be expected to resist Bob the Drag Queen. I was surprised and relieved to realize it was mostly split up into different campaigns and I could pretty much pick anything without having to start at the beginning.

Dropout is one of the only subscriptions I pay for just because I genuinely love the cast and crew behind the company and want to support them. It has been a joy to see them get better and better each year and I can't wait to see what is coming in the future!

Ive been paying for dropout since they thought they might have to shut down in 6 months and its the best I've ever felt about spending money, let alone on a streaming service

i’m fairly new to dropout, i’m a huge drag race fan so i joined to watch dungeons and drag queens and had every intention cancelling my subscription when it ended, but i got hooked and started watching other seasons of d20 and then exploring the rest of their content, now i never want to leave. so glad i decided to check them out

Recently, there was a behind-the-scenes clip floating around of Brennan talking about how it was an honor to come to work. When I saw it I felt like I could burst into tears. Most everyone I know has a terrible job. Most folks have jobs that don't treat them with any dignity or respect. To know that things don't have to be that way is both hopeful and depressing. So much of Dropout's business model and content is like a guidebook for a better world a utopian proof of concept and while I'm sure that things at Dropout are by no means perfect, it's so encouraging (and entertaining!) to see funny, creative people acting thoughtfully together.

I really appreciate how, I living in a third world country with a very devalued currency, can perfectly well afford it as it becomes the actual equivalent of what 5/6 dollars represents instead of the actual amount. I pay what in usd is 3 dollars and I’m pretty sure they loose money in other countries but they don’t geoblock content because of it

My favorite value of dropout is the freedom to explore and embrace what comedy and improv brings out : drama, anger, sadness, complexity. Vic's ex step grandmother? Absolutely stunning, riveting, terrifying. I'm so glad that a production made and let this happen, to me it speaks of the trust and freedom given to the artists (actors, makeup artist, editors, crew)

I fucking love drop out and thank you for the full break down of their history!

The whole cast and crew are so endearing that I'm so happy to support them and will watch literally anything they make even if it's not particularly my thing because I fully support who they are and what they're doing.

Excellent video. Glad to see the Dropout folk getting the praise they deserve. I don't often laugh outloud to myself to stuff online but Dropout consitently gets me cracking me up.

The moment I knew dropout was the real deal was the writer and actor strikes. They posted publicly about how they were technically already compliant and could have kept running their projects but instead they encouraged their staff to strike in solidarity and paid them during the strike! It was a huge deal to me

I love seeing other people appreciate my favorite things, dropout is truly one of a kind. Thank you for sharing that and researching the subject so well!

Dropout is the ultimate disproval of the Conservative "Go woke Go broke"

Can't wait to see your take on Watcher.

I'm ridiculously happy that they spent a little on advertising, because it was advertising that made me aware they existed, and now it's my favorite streaming service. Winning out, barely, over Nebula, only because I genuinely watch more Dropout. Knowing all of this makes it even better.

Awesome video. I algorithmically got recommended this video due to watching a good amount of content related to Dropout, and I gotta say this was a real treat. The content and message itself I totally agree with, but your presentation of it, the editing, all of it really was really nice and enjoyable. I'm excited to watch your other content now, too. Keep up the solid work my man.

Dropout is the most used streaming service here in our house. It's so much fun for all. Also the values are very important.

great video!! dungeons and drag queens was my gateway drug into a dropout subscription and ive been obsessed ever since, thank you for vocalizing the praise I and so many others have felt over the years!!

In the words of Brennan Lee Mulligan I’m glad that I pay for a “really big dumpling” every month to be subscribed to Dropout. I subscribed for the Dimension 20, and to be honest that is my main focus. But shows like Game Changer and Um Actually make my nerdy little heart happy. Not to mention Im a queer marxist with ADHD so I feel seen. Its nice to see the pronouns mentioned, and the super casual way they just have queer characters in dnd, and just queer people in general in the cast. It never feels like theres a token POC character or actor, or a token Queer character/actor. They’re all relatable people that I would want to be friends with irl. The community is positive and the jokes are constant. Out of all the things I’ve subscribed to in my short time on this earth I love Dropout the most.

What I love about Dropout is that their whole team cares about what they’re making. There’s so much love and joy in the content.

Dropout was the best part of 2023 for me. Discovering the Intrepid Heros was like finding a gang of friends I didn't know i was missing. Peppermint Preston and both Boggies now live happily in our home.

my badge of honour is being part of the dropout pre-registry

I just love that Dropout make it so easy to subscribe for people on global scale. No region restriction, pricing stay the same for so many years, and I can watch on any device I want without any limit (unlike Netflix now control how many screen I'm allow to have). And I have to travel across country for work a lot, it's such a blessing that I can access my account anywhere. But mostly bc the casts and content are just lovely and very entertaining. Literally grow up with the Collegehumor casts and seeing them still active and having fun bring me joy everytime

I fucking love Dropout, especially the way they represent queer folk so well!

I stumbled across dropout with Game Changer. The whole crew was so funny I decided to check it out, then I found Dimension 20, with my favorite DMs being Brennan and Abría, “Um… Actually” which is the closest thing I’ve seen to Jeopardy for nerds. It’s genuinely so refreshing to see a cast and crew where legitimately everyone is bouncing off of each other at the top of their game. Everyone is hilarious, and no one is the same. They all have their own style and it keeps every show super refreshing!

I genuinely love this streaming service. It's affordable, comforting, funny, and just overall something amazing to have in a world that's as weird as the one we live in. I hope they understand what they've made and how important it is to just exist the way it does.

Been subscribed to Dropout for 5 years now, never been disappointed or tempted to drop my subscription like I have with every other service off and on over those same years.

There are 3 people living in my house and 3 dropout subscriptions…none of us feel bad about giving $6 a month to a service that we love that does this much special stuff, it’s brilliant

I don't know why I waited so long to sign up for dropout. I have always laughed and loved clips i get on TikTok for the game changers and watched Dungeons & Drag Queens. I finally got it last month and have been loving it. Finished the dungeon and drag queens, watched so much of Game Changers,Um Actually, and Play It By Ear. Getting into Demension 20 now that I kinda know whats going on. Been loving everyone and everything I've seen. Best subscription I'm paying for

I’ve been subbed to Dropout since 2021. Other streaming services have come and gone in that time but dropout always remains. It’s my favorite and I love supporting them. Hilda! Hilda! All the D&D podcasts you mentioned are my favorites. If anyone is looking for a new one I just got hooked on sitcom D&D. I love it.

Reasons I like dropout: a) The chemistry among the cast is off the charts, everyone gets along well and bounce off each other, and most guests are able to mesh in beautifully b) They put a lot of effort in representation in a way that doesn't feel like pandering or like they're just gonna magically forget after June ends c) Brennan d) They actually pay their talents well e) They don't actively make the platform worse by locking things into more expensive tiers, and post content on RU-vid for free along with encouraging stuff like password sharing

I just got this video recommended again, I watched it when it first came out which inspired me to get Dropout and I've been loving it ever since!

There are so many things to say about Dropout -- all of them good -- but I'll leave it at two: 1. They've figured out that the best talent isn't found within the small group of lucky people who have made it in Hollywood. Sure, they may be better entertainers than the average person, but most of the funny people of this world are not working on the next blockbuster. Way more of them are minor RU-vidrs, improv class goers or simply that one hilarious person in your friend group. 2. They've figured out that you don't need a highfaluting script endlessly doctored by clueless execs to create an intriguing scene. After all, you can have a lot of fun with your non-comedian friends playing a simple roleplaying game. Dropout's taken that idea and that feeling and simply put some very funny people in a room with mics and cameras. 90% of the output you get from that is better than 90% of what you'll find on lineal television.

The vibes are awesome from these guys ive never seen a streaming service where it feels like a labor of love not profits, collage humor walked so dropout could run, and sam seems to be a very genuine person, the moment everyone started talking about how sam no questions asked helpped them is so heart warming This is the only workplace I'd belive actually feels like a family

The various fan animatics got me to finally subscribe last year. It is definitely the best source for improve comedy with how little the CW cared about the WLIIA revival. Its also insane how much CH permeates the comedy landscape. Almost every alumni has worked on something you've heard about in the mainstream.

Dropout is the one subsrciption of not only streaming but any subscription i dont second guess ever buying

this is such a great video essay! you pointed out all the things i love about dropout in such great detail. Thank you for putting this together - I'll definitely be using this video to convince my friends to get dropout

I gotta say when college humor first began their movement into becoming a streaming service I had a really bad feeling about the idea, but after a few years they've really shown themselves to be exceptional

EXCELLENT video, but would’ve loved you to show the connection of D20 and NADDPod

thank you, you just convinced me to sign up! about to start watching as soon as the video is done

I also enjoy that it's a return to an acting ensemble/troupe format. Quite literally The Dream as a performer but SO few companies do it

great video! at the core of dropout’s ethos is care. that’s really all it boils down to. care for the cast and crew, care for the consumer, care for the art they’re creating, for the cultures and communities they foster, i could go on. and unsurprisingly, their care is what makes the company work. it’s what keeps the same cast and crew coming back, the community thriving, and the company viable for years to come. a beautiful and exemplary experiment 💛💛

I've always been a huge fan of college humor. Even today I still watch their old videos over and over again. And now I'm ready to subscribe to Dropout. Thank you for this video.

Thank you for this video! I was on the fence about dropout, but now im on my way to get a subscription!

Mentopolis has to be my favorite series of actual play tabletop. It's even more impressive for a d20 series as it's one of the few that doesn't use detailed battleboards nor minis. It all takes place in the theatre of the mind. I'd really like to see Hank Green & Alex Song-Xia back at the table soon.

Absolutelt amazing video my dude! Came across my feed as a Collegehumor OG fan, and now you've got a new subscriber! Your script writing and delivery is awesome! Can't wait to see more.

A much deserved video essay. Love Dropout and what they’re doing. So glad their platform is getting the support it deserves

What's amazing about smaller apps that value their viewer base is that most of us who start with a password shared, end up paying for it (if we can afford it) just to support them.

I'm so glad you mentioned Hallmark movies because it reminded me that Vic was in one!! I work in a clinic and it's on in the waiting area, one day I was passing by and stopped in my tracks!

i love dropout too

Iirc the quote from Brennan about Emily at 9:28 was from a conversation between Brennan and Emily's husband 😂

I see a lot of people in here praising Dropout but.... Eh there is no but, they seem pretty great from what i've seen. I hope they keep making good stuff and having fun while doing it without losing themselves in the process

I just need Dropout to like. Upgrade their damn website and app. The content is amazing, but the website and app are so clunky (no autoplay, the website doesn't maintain my watch list, the hecking captions option doesn't carry over between videos lmao)

6:54 there are 5 intrepid heroes campaigns, 7 (going on 8) if you include the second seasons of unsleeping city and fantasy high: Fantasy high, FH sophomore year, Unsleeping city, UC2, Starstruck, A Crown of Candy & Neverafter

I’m not even much of a musical theatre guy but play it by ear and the Karaoke night episodes of game changer and make some noise are some of the most impressive performances I’ve ever seen. I don’t even know how a person can learn to be that good at that.

Hi! The best moments imho to Emily utterly destroying Brennan are from A Crown of Candy and Starstruck Odyssey. Iykyk. I hope you’ll humbly agree

It's really cool. They're amazing at taking feedback too. Pretty much all of the spinoffs happened because fans were requesting more of a specific thing. I once joined in a discussion chain under a clip from one of their shorts channels, where people were talking about Dropout as a service specifically. I said that I recommended getting it and that it works well, but that the one thing I thought it was missing was the thing that the youtube video player has where you can speed up or slow down what you're watching. My ADHD ass just can't focus on 1.0 sometimes, 1.25 speed is a godsend even if the audio can get a bit janky. Couple weeks later, and the player suddenly has that feature. Literally no one else was complaining about that to my knowledge. If others were requesting it, we have to have been very few. Someone just went, oh yeah, easy and made it happen. Really putting the service in streaming service.