Idea Channel is Ending 

Idea Channel community, This has been an *incredible* five years. We’ve appreciated coming to the comments section every week to see discussions, banter, and insight from all of you. You have made everyone at Digital Studios a more learned and a more curious group of people. What Mike said was right--this is YOUR community much more than it is his or Idea Channel’s or ours. We hope you continue to listen, share your ideas, and engage with each other as we see what internet culture continues to bring us. #zhaif4laif

That awkward moment when you just subscribed last week...

Here's an idea: it's okay to mourn a RU-vid channel

Mike, in my mind this was an OG edu channel that popularised a format, set a very high bar and brought public media to a whole new demo on RU-vid. I'll miss your ideas terribly and anxiously await more Content™, wherever that may be. ❤️

Here's an idea: Are we reaching the end of what was a golden era for RU-vid? With the RU-vid algorithm now preferring quantity over quality (as discussed on a recent video on Veritasium2) are we going to see a decline in production of quality videos like idea channel? My subscription list is filled with channels from pbs digital studios and other similar channels (anything by the Green brothers for example) and I hope that the ending of idea channel isn't the start of a trend away from high quality educational videos towards endless fidget spinner like videos. Don't make me go back to television 😢

Here's an idea: This sucks.

6 seasons and a movie tho

"Why?" You haven't really answered this.

i feel like i'm being broken up with

This is the first video I get after subscribing....

Uh just a word of warning: if you type "no" with a bunch of o's --- the spam filter REALLY likes those. Thinks they're delicious. No word on if alternating Os and 0s helps.

Since he won't say it. Very likely this is caused by PBS not receiving proper budget.

I'm about to ramble my adoration because more than any television show, book series, movie franchise, media format, whatever else that has ever ended, this is one that I will remember. I am not an active community member but as one of the many subscribers that simply tune in each week, it has truly been impactful and a pleasure. This has been an initial seedling in what I have transformed into my own personal media experience garden. This is the channel that introduced me to a new type of educational media that has engaged me like no other and likely will continue through my entire life. Because of this channel over time I have regulated my media diet and curated my experience on the internet to filter out hedonistic entertainment (which certainly has its place) in favor of the curious and intellectually engaging. I have become engaged in world news, politics, economics, I read long form articles regularly, I am subscribed to many podcast covering a broad range of topics. All because I was initially engaged in lifelong learning and thinking from PBS Idea Channel.

You guys were the first you tube channel that introduced me to the analysis and critique of the world around us, you gave me the passion of knowledge, you helped me be better and know more in every video...... We'll miss you

You didn't really answer why you were shutting it down, though. I mean, if you just straight up told us PBS was withdrawing support, or finances were too tight, or you'd been offered a better deal elsewhere, or you were getting tired of doing it, then I'd understand - but in the whole video, not one clear point on why it was shutting down.

Damn, this comment section is like a funeral...

Is this channel going to be deleted? I was recommended this channel but I haven't kept up much, but I would like to at least have the option to get somewhat caught up on what I missed.

I literally scream "NOOOOOO" when I saw this on my notifications. 😓😓😫

Welp, there goes one of the best RU-vid channels.

Maybe I have missed an episode in which this happened, but could we meet the rest of the Idea Channel team in these last few episodes? I'd love to meet the personalities and people who made this show happen over the past 5 years. It has meant so much to me and I am endlessly thankful to everyone involved.

Sad to see this channel go! It's truly been one of the most interesting and inspiring channels on RU-vid.

Here is an Idea, don't end.

It's certainly our loss. As you said, we need more channels like Idea Channel now more than ever before on RU-vid. Having a channel that keeps that consistent sense of integrity, professionalism and intelligence isn't always easy to find, and I have a lot of respect for Idea Channel as it has always sustained those traits. All the best in whatever your next project might be Mike.

To be honest I didn't really understand why Idea Channel is ending...

So long and thanks for all the fish.

Won't somebody please think of the dooblie-doo!

Soooooo, in response to the question of "Why?" you responded with "We aren't canceled; I'm shutting it down." I fear that is the answer to the question "Who is responsible?" and it leave me wondering "Why?"

This is the one video I wish was Clickbait. ☹️☹️☹️

It sounds like you're taking what I call "Watterson's exit," after the creator of Calvin & Hobbes. Yes we the viewers want more, but you are tired of this and want to move on to other things before this show gets stale. If so, then I respect that, and am interested in your future projects, whatever they are.

You're a little late for April fools. In the words of Lokkir from Rorrikstead "This isn't happening! This can't be happening!"

I will miss you dearly.

"Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened." Typing this as tears roll down my face.

Long time lurker, very infrequent commenter, just here to say it's been fun and looking forward to whatever comes next.

I had always assumed that Mike would be the Mr Rogers for Millennials. A constant comrade in the struggle to better understand the world we inhabit. While the world will go on, it will be a little less bright without Idea Channel.

I just realized I haven't heard anyone say "link in the doobley-doo" in a very long time.

We should take Idea Channel and push it somewhere else!

Oh no. Please no. Your content has been a shining beacon of quality among a sea of clickbait. I wish you all the best, and thank you for everything.

Well, RIP the show. When a good thing's going it's a shame, but not as much of a shame as trying to keep it alive on life support (a la military shooters). Go out in style, like the first half of Death Note, not the second half. I'll be pressing F to pay respect, unironicly. F

I was curious today. "Hey.. what happened to the Idea channel, where's that guy, haven't seen in awhile". and I find this. 😢

Oh maaaaan! I need to back up 350 videos. :(

Please put together a *long* list of recommended replacements. This channel is more than just the content, but the community, style, I don't know.. texture?, w/e. Where do we go now that you're leaving?

Did anyone else find Mike's explanation of why to be a little cryptic? I still don't understand why IC is ending.

Here's an idea: it is possible for full grown men to cry.

So long and thanks for all the fish

Thank you for making this show

I saw this in my feed and thought, "This is clickbait. It's going to be an episode about clickbait. Ya got me." And then it wasn't. Somehow that feels appropriate. Gonna miss the show, dude. It's a pity too, considering the Patreon launch wasn't that long ago and splitting up topics and comments into separate videos had all the earmarks of a channel seriously amping up production for the future. Hope that all is well and this isn't the result of any negative goings-on, either professionally with the show personally for yourself or staff.

This channel was one of the few original channels to post and dissect atypical but thought-provoking and well researched topics in an engaging way. This news saddens me since as of late, I've been turning to videos of lesser depth and quality when it comes to edutainment, and knowing this series is coming to a close only means I'll most likely attempt to compensate this loss elsewhere. Thank you for helping me not just learn about miscellaneous topics--but helping me on my journey of self discovery when I realized that there's a community out there also interested in quirky and abstract ideas. It's been an entertaining journey.

I don't post comments very often, but I feel compelled to say something. I've followed Idea Channel for a few years. I was sent here through the episode you shared with Extra Credits. I've always found the analysis of Mike and the audience to be fantastically thought provoking and deeply insightful. This community has been a mainstay of my RU-vid viewing since I found it and my time online will be less interesting for its loss. Mike, I hope to find your nest project sooner than I found this one. To the community, I hope find a group of people as interested in meaningful discussion as this one. Thank you for your maturity and ideas. I'll see you again. -Ed. (I don't know why I put my name on it. I guess it just felt right)

Well that was unexpected.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Mike, you've been such a big part of my life and many others and it's been an honour being a part of this community. Thank you for the years of idea channel and for helping us think in better ways. Question for Q&A: what's been your favourite idea channel episode and what's an idea that you most wanted to do and didn't end up making it?

Then, Game/Show, now Idea Channel I'm slowly dying inside.

I do not consent.

Please do a time-lapse of your hairline from episode 1 til the end we deserve it!

well this was a depressing start to the day.... amazing channels like this end, but prank vlogs somehow last for decades

I'm so upset. I literally just found this channel (as in this is the second video I'm watching) through an old Vsauce2 video and I come to find out it's ending. 😩

it was a pleasure to watch your videos goodbye forever

The hardest thing to lend Is a Bye to a dear friend A good-bye But it must be good For the trust that stood and still stands Over the dust and sand of modern philosophy Laugh and laugh again While you draft away Your final scenes Be the mozart of this requiem And light the might of those who fight by you Who defend this truth That the internet has yet To show the threat it poses To those in high horses Who smell of dry roses You will be missed, and take it as a gift But please don't you borrow on this sorrow For tomorrow down the lists of history the shift of this story will know glory That there is nothing as delightfull As the crisp in the morrow

what the... FIVE YEARS!? this is so sad, this channel has really made me think and views things differently on a weekly basis... thank you for participating on who i am and how i think

That rates an ugly cry. :( i love you guys don't go...

Been having kind of a bad week for personal reasons, and this just made it worse. Despite pronouncing gif wrong, idea channel was both an inspiration and a beacon of light in my life. I'm gonna miss you dearly, and I wish you the best.

I'm very disappointed that the channels going to close. But it's nice being told before hand. It's almost like a great TV show finally getting its series finale. When the PBS Game show closed it was so abrupt. It was here's the less video goodbye. But the way that you did it, giving us a heads up and telling us how many episodes are left. shows that you have great respect for your audience. Thank you for all your hard work that you have done. I really appreciate your videos and wish I would've found him earlier two years just doesn't seem like enough time to watch your content. Whatever you do I hope you have great success. I'm not a big fan of social media so I subscribed to your personal channel. I hope update that channel to let us know your next move. Have a great day and thank you again for all your hard work.

Man, never think actually you could miss a RU-vid Channel, thanks, for all. Cheers and the best of luck

Public information and learning is so important, why did this have to end??

My immediate reaction was: "This better be some clickbait.." But then I realized I haven't watched the videos here as fast anymore (first video when turning on YT), neither was I as engaged in the content and topic selection as much as, say, a year ago. This can be attributed to me changing or the concept loosing its drive. I am supremely interested in those last three episodes. And actually completely content with Mike's Twitter personality for the time being. When thinking about Idea Channel, I began forcing myself to remember "It's not just Mike, its a team. Also: Teleprompter, he does not have superpowers." - So this video felt quite Mike-centric. Was it all Mike's brainchild, thus his desicion to end it, thus him being the focus of this announcement? I wish you (plural) the best of luck with figuring things out. And Mike, - even if its still some time till then - have a great, well deserved vacation!

So... You didn't really give us a reason. A lot of words but no definitive answer. Just be honest: are you tired of the format? It seems like that's the only thing one can extract from what you said; it wasn't cancelled, it wasn't money, it wasn't the community or lack of ideas... Either that or you can't stand someone you have to work with to make the show happen =P And that's fine. Very very sad, but fine. Understandable (though you could have been more straightforward). I'm excited for what you'll do next :)

So I just randomly had the thought, "I wonder if Idea Channel is still doing stuff." And this is the first video I run into. It sucks but it's understandable that such a great channel with quality content will be ending soon. At the very least there is a ton of content archived within the channel to look through.

NOOOOOOOOOOOO. THIS IS MY FAVORITE THING ON THE INTERNET. MIKE RUGNETTA IS MY PATRONUS AND HOW CAN I ENJOY THE INTERNET EVER AGAIN?!?!

The "Why" section doesn't really answer the question it poses. You just mention that it was your idea and then list bunch of things you were worried about, but not the actual reason that led to your decision, unless it was hidden between the lines and I just missed it.

This has been one of my favorite spaces on RU-vid for a long time now and I'll be so sad to see it go. On a totally personal experience note, I found the show as I was finishing grad school and it was this glorious wave of relief to see that there was space for these kinds of weird but thoughtful, interesting, nuanced conversations beyond my classrooms, and it meant a lot to me at what felt like a really strange, intense moment in my life. I've got a lot of feelings about how dang much the internet's gonna miss this show, by which I mostly mean, "how much I am going to to miss this show." Thanks for five years of brilliant episodes. You're good people, Mike. Can't wait to see what you do next.

This video is only 6 hours old, and there are already 1,300 comments on it, so I doubt mine will really be read, but I still felt the need to comment regardless, if nothing else but to know I did. I just took a moment to look back, I knew I had followed Idea Channel for quite a long while, I knew I followed it before it really blew up, but I was surprised just how long I had been following. I've been subscribed since around the 4th or 5th video this channel posted 5 years ago. I've literally watched hundreds of Idea Channel videos apparently. And for the most part its been a fantastic journey! But I'll be honest with you, the last 6-9 months or so? I really have not been watching regularly. I dont know what it is, maybe there was a subtle shift in the format somewhere, maybe I've changed these past 5 years, or maybe the internet has just changed a lot in the past 5 years, but for whatever reason I just kinda stopped watching. I would still see them pop up in my subscriptions, and from time to time if the title caught my eye I might watch, but that had just become so rare lately. I in no way thought that this had become bad! Just... not as interesting I guess? I know that over the past 5 years I have not nearly been as active in this wonderful community as I could have been, or should have been. Overall I have loved Idea Channel, and I felt it had a fantastic run, but I guess I may be one of the few not to be crushed over the fact that its ending? Mike is such a fantastic person, and I have no doubt he'll go on to do absolutely fantastic things for the world. I dont want to say that Idea Channel was holding him back per-say, but I do feel that it may have limited his creative freedoms. And now (after a well deserved vacation, and maybe some introspection) he is free to move on to other projects! In the end, well done Mike and everyone on the team that worked to make Idea Channel so fantastic! Thats all from me, -Jaryth

The Idea Channel team have done a phenomenal job over the last 5 years. Thank you all so much.

Looking forward to what Mike does next, but my heart hurts for the end of idea channel. Each episode has stemmed numerous conversations among my friends. It has introduced me to so much. Thank you for all the ideas.

Oh, I wish this was just an Idea... You will be missed! This channel really made me think about.. well things I never thought of or just made me really ponder common known ideas. Thank you for these five years. Can't wait to see what will be next!

Damn, I just subscribed to this channel not too long ago. I was so wrapped up in getting through all the videos that I honestly didn’t even realize the channel was closed 😔

I miss this channel

I would like to first say that you owe us nothing as far as responsibility goes. At least not to me. I have enjoyed every one of your videos (even ones whose premise I had initially thought was lame). I absolutely respect whatever decision you've come to regarding this channel, but I will say that it comes with a not insignificant feeling of loss. This channel has been one of the bright spots of RU-vid, where intellectualism and asking questions for the mere sake of asking them has been embraced and proliferated like no other channel I have encountered. These videos showing up in my feed have been a wonderful reprieve from intellectually bleak uploads, and have given my mind new expanses to raom and explore. I would like to thank you for the time you've given us (and also marvel at what a short amount of time 5 years is these days). Please know that your curiosity and efforts have not only been appreciated, but loved.

What are you going to do afterwards? What is going to happen afterwards? What channels are like this one?

I forgot it existed till now... now im sad about something i didnt realized whats gone

This blows....I know this is not a really profound reaction to this situation but it really captures my feelings about this. While I never really added to the conversations in the comments, (since english is not my first language, and writting long and thoughtful comments take a while for me) I always enjoyed them greatly. It was so nice to see that something notoriously bad as a youtube comment section could be a hive of great ideas and excellent conversations. Thank you and your team for all the fantastic work over the years. I hope that you all find success in your future projects.

Mike, you've been a wonderful host. Thank you for helping give us the great show known as Idea Channel.

ill miss you guys... less smartness on the internet now =(

I still miss this show. "Here's an idea:", in Mike's voice, is gonna be with me for a long time.

WE NEED DISCORD FOR THIS CHANNEL

Will the videos that are still on the channel be here? because I still have old episodes to watch.

NOW THERE'S AN IDEA.

I swear to god if you're going into the dying land of TV or some RU-vid Red bullshit this is gonna be tragic.

Please keep the channel and videos available. I am a teacher and sometimes use these to spark class discussion. Plus, I'd love to go back and rewatch.

I've been watching, and subed to you for years. I'm happy about the memories and idea's this has sparked in me. Being a teen and changing all the time Idea channel was calmly there to offer me to ponder and think a little more. From my perspective I feel like I should say... Thank You... And God Bless. Thanks for watching :)

I think this is being handled in a good manner.

I just found out about your amazing channel last month. Ive enjoyed all the places you've taken me and opened me up to new trains of thoughts and new things to look up and explore. Good luck on your future endeavors and you will be missed greatly. I hope to see you on RU-vid soon. Much love

I'm amused by the fact that he presented the end of his channel so casually in sharp contrast to high-emotion channel-ending videos of other youtuber's channels.

It's impossible to overstate how much I respect you.

I was afraid that this might happen, though I'm glad to hear that it was ended on your terms and not necessarily at the very, very tiny hands of national budget cuts. Whatever comes next, I can only hope that it's as fascinating and thought-provoking as what's been done here. Lord knows I'll be there to find out!

The great thing is : all these videos are still available. Whenever someone mentions a piece of pop culture, I have a couple of cool ideas about it, and two cool videos and comment sections to recommend ;)

Are you planning on taking down the channel entirely? In my opinion you should keep it up for late newcomers and for those who'd like to go back to some of the older videos.

Man, my eyes are watering just from reading the title. I didn't know I would be this sad.

top 10 saddest anime deaths

This series will be missed. Thanks for all the entertainment and thought provoking content that you gave me over the years. I wish you and your team the best in all future endeavors.

Revisiting the video about violence makes me realize how instrumental this channel was for my leftist radicalization and I feel like tearing up just rewatching this. I miss idea channel. Does anyone know what the people behind idea channel are doing today I really want to support.