Netflix reportedly wants to get a bite of Hot Ones

Sean Evans' sauce-based interview program Hot Ones is that rarest of internet phenomena: Something that, basically, everybody likes. Whether you're drawn in by Evans' brand of hyper-researched, thoughtfully posed questions, or just there to watch very famous people pre-load themselves for some extremely rough bathroom contemplation sessions, the show is an amazing trove of fascinating human moments from the normally inhumanly composed. And now, it sounds like Netflix wants to get a bite.

This is per Bloomberg News and Variety, which both report that the streamer has approached BuzzFeed—which owns Hot Ones production company First We Feast—about the possibility of producing live versions of Hot Ones, which normally streams, in its pre-recorded form, on Hulu. (As well as its long-time home on YouTube) Leaving aside our lingering questions about why so much of Netflix's live programming choices are focused on uncomfortable eating—we're still recovering from watching Joey Chestnut eat so many hot dogs—it's an undeniably interesting way to get the streamer some of that Hot Ones heat without disrupting any of its existing deals. Negotiations are reportedly still in the "This part is kind of boring because the sauce isn't hurting the famous person yet" stage, i.e., very early.

Hot Ones got a big, but ultimately unsuccessful, push for Emmy recognition this year; it also featured an 8-minute sequence in which Evans shoved bird-meat in his mouth while staring into Donald Duck's animated eyes, which felt like a real power move. The show has previously had one spin-off, Hot Ones: The Game Show, which ran for only a single season on TruTV; turns out we really only want to watch famous people (or ducks) consume the terrible, fiery sauce.