Since its inception, MTV has been at the forefront of pop culture and TV — our goal was to bring that same mentality to the digital space. In an effort to grow our YouTube audience and create an original digital series, Basic to Bougie was born. The show utilizes linear show (Wild N’ Out) talent, is comedy-based, and is focused on food trends that people can’t seem to get enough of. After shooting/producing season 5 remotely during quarantine, we were very excited to have the cast and crew back in the studio thrones for season 6 (working under strict regulations re: Covid compliance).
Our main strategy involved pairing trending food topics with recognizable MTV talent (fan favorites Darren “Big Baby” Brand, Tim Chantarangsu, and Justina Valentine). The food topics chosen were those with the highest SEO returns that would not only play well with our audience, but also the comedic talent involved. The hosts are presented with three versions of a “basic” dish (ex: hot dogs) and three versions of a “bougie” dish (ex: caviar). After tasting everything, the hosts must then try to rank the foods in order from least to most expensive.
Six seasons in, and the fans still can’t get enough Basic to Bougie! Since premiering and rolling out one episode per week starting December 6, 2021, this season of Basic to Bougie has already earned a total of 2,350,854 views on YouTube as of 1/23/22 (note: episode 608 will premiere on 1/24/22). The endlessly positive reviews in each episode’s YouTube comments proves that Basic to Bougie certainly satisfies the comedy world’s taste buds!
