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comedy special

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Teaser for Eric Andre’s “Legalize Everything” Points Out the Absurdity of the Recently Cancelled Show “Cops”
June 12, 2020
News
comedy special, cops, eric andre, legalize everything, netflix, stand up

The works of Eric Andre over the last few years have been so outlandish and absurdist that one might forget about his stand-up, which is also wonderfully outlandish and absurd. That’ll all be put on display in his upcoming special Legalize Everything coming to Netflix on Tues. Jun. 23rd and you can see how bombastic Andre can get with just himself and a microphone.

This teaser was just released in promotion of the special and just happened to be so timely with all the mass protests again police brutality as Andre satirically paints a picture of how insane the long-running show known as Cops really is. We’ve seen Eric Andre do this bit for so many years, one might wonder why the reality docu-series Cops only got its run ended only now, in June of 2020. Watch it here, and, obviously, set a reminder for Jun. 23rd for Legalize Everything.

Yvonne Orji’s First HBO Special “Momma, I Made It” Premieres This Saturday
June 5, 2020
News
comedy special, hbo, stand up comedy, yvonne orji

Though the last episode of Insecure didn’t feature any Molly, you’ll get plenty of Yvonne Orji this weekend as the Insecure star will be premiering her very first hour comedy special, Momma, I Made It, at HBO. The special itself will cut between very personal stories and stand-up from Orji and her embarking to Nigeria to reconnect with her family and heritage. Yvonne also sees how well she can blend in Nigeria as a Nigerian-American.

See a bit of it for yourself in this promo, then look for the premiere/release of Yvonne Orji: Momma, I Made It! on Sat. Jun. 6th at 10PM on HBO (then streaming on HBO GO/HBO NOW).

Eddie Pepitone’s Latest Hour Special “For The Masses” Due Out on Jun. 23rd
May 28, 2020
News
comedy special, eddie pepitone, for the masses, stand up comedy

Last year, we bore witness to the furious comedic majesty that is the words, bits, rants, asides, meta commentary, and righteous yelling that is the stand-up of one, Eddie Pepitone for his latest special, For the Masses. We don’t want to get into too much detail as the release of the special and album is just about a month away.

We will say that this special and, well, Eddie Pepitone might be one of the comedic voices you’d most like to hear right now. Undeniably funny, incredibly self-aware, but oh-so cathartic, Eddie Pepitone always manages to spread joy while screaming his thoughts/tweets on the top of metaphorical mountain. For The Masses, directed by Steven Feinartz, captures that spirit.

We’ll keep you in the loop as the release looms closer, but mark done Jun. 23rd for the premiere/release of For The Masses from 800 Pound Gorilla.

Nate Craig Releases Hour Special Version of His Fantastic “Preferred Customer”
May 27, 2020
News
all things comedy, comedy special, nate craig, preferred customer

Nate Craig’s 2018 album Preferred Customer was one our favorite comedy albums of all 2018, which automatically put it in our 100 Best of 2018 list.

Not only is it a finely, finely sharpened hour of personal, observational stand-up that’s exceptionally delivered by Craig, but the extended opening to the hour, a special sort of greeting, is still something to behold, even two years later.

Just yesterday, Craig released via All Things Comedy the hour special version of Preferred Customer, shot live at Dynasty Typewriter,  so you can see Nate look as sharp as he is with his entire set list. In fact, for your convenience and delight, Nate put the whole thing on YouTube for you stream whenever you’d like, free of charge or borrowing anyone’s streaming service password.

Without further adieu, please enjoy Nate Craig: Preferred Customer here.

Hannah Gadsby’s “Douglas” Is a Very Satisfying Follow-Up to Her Historic Special “Nanette”
May 26, 2020
News
comedy special, hannah gadsby, netflix, stand up

If you’re reading this, you have no doubt watched Hannah Gadsby‘s lighting rod, milestone hour special Nanette, which debuted on Netflix in 2018, rippling the very fabric of comedy and amplifying the conversation about sexual violence against women.

The follow-up to that hour is saddled with a unique sort of anticipation that even stands apart for Chappelle’s grand return to stand-up comedy a few years ago. There was so much debate about whether Nanette could even be considered a comedy, an opinion almost exclusively voiced by men who probably felt attacked or rudely awakened in some way by Gadsby’s show. Thus, the expectations for the new special are kilometers higher (Gadsby makes a great point of not bending too much to American whims in Douglas) than they were before.

So, how do you follow your own historic comedy special? Well, just make another damn good special. That’s exactly what happened with this new hour Douglas from Gadsby.

This time around, Hannah shows just how masterful she is at managing expectations. In fact, she even “shows her hand before playing it” by offering up an outline of her hour and giving notes to her critics all before she gets it started. Layered into that is her explicit message that she’s letting all of us know what she’s going to do, therefore taking comedy’s crucial element of surprise away, and still presenting an exquisite hour of comedy. To pull off comedy without the surprise really shows how undeniable your persona, writing, delivery, and command of the audience really is (i.e. how great of a comedian you really are).

The weaving of clever, yet still subversive observations on America, some of the best art history jokes that comedy has ever or will ever have, a continuation of the great, fiery teardown of the patriarchy, enlightening material on autism altogether are so arrestingly delivered by Gadsby that it doesn’t matter that you might know what’s coming during this whole performance. Nanette turned the notion of tension on its head and Hannah has now moved on to deconstructing and turned the concept of expectation on its head for Douglas.

If you’re to draw a divide between American style stand-up and the more solo-show, narrative-based hours of the UK and Australia, Gadsby has successfully made a blend of the two. Douglas absolutely takes the baton from Nanette in form and content, but Gadsby makes a comedy special that is hysterical throughout that answers her critics on her own terms even though she absolutely doesn’t need to.

Hannah Gadsby: Douglas is now streaming on Netflix and you really ought to go watch it as soon as you can.

First Look at Patton Oswalt’s Latest Special “I Love Everything”
May 8, 2020
News
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Though the title of Patton Oswalt’s last special, Annihilation, might seem more apropos of our current moment, we’re actually very glad that something created by Patton called I Love Everything is coming out in less than two weeks. Actually, we’re glad that Patton’s latest hour is coming very soon.

Oswalt’s Netflix special I Love Everything is due out on Tues. May 19th and you can get your first glimpse of the special here and see the bit of love that Patton has for wallpaper.

Jamel Johnson’s New Special “Friend or Foe” Made Without an Audience Because of COVID-19 Pandemic
April 28, 2020
News
comedy special, friend or foe, jamel johnson, stand up

In addition to being one of the comedians that you should be watching as they make their ascension, Jamel Johnson is so self-realized in his comedic persona that we could truly hear him rant about anything for quite awhile.

That notion really got put to the test with Jamel’s brand new special Friend or Foe that, because of that damn pandemic we’re all living through, was made completely without an audience. Johnson did shoot this 1/2 hour special with a two-man crew and proper social distancing of course at one of LA’s most beloved indie venues, The Lyric Hyperion.

It will never not be strange to hear stand-up without a live audience laughing, but, for our money, Jamel’s passionate rants about the socio-political minutia of life are just so damn funny that they transcend a completely empty room.

Interestingly enough, Jamel’s special actually stands out from any other sort of special that was done with little to no audience. Drew Michael’s HBO special was set up to seem like he’s in his own head as he’s telling his own jokes along with some staged scripted scenes and Harland Williams’ Force of Nature was shot in the middle of a desert. Both were conceptual adventures in to what might happen at outer limits of stand-up comedy.

Johnson’s Friend or Foe, on the other hand, is a half-hour special that was made out of what the circumstances have afforded him. There isn’t really any tailoring of any of his material to the times or for the strange conditions in which the special was produced. Jamel is just standing alone delivering the his material out a sheer, undeniable need to. While defying the art form of comedy in so many ways, an unfazed Johnson rolling through his material with no audience (with the same sort of vigor he would normally have in the before times) somehow speaks to the tireless drive of being a stand-up comedian. The image of Jamel yelling about the small stuff in an empty room is, in of itself, a pretty great over-arching joke that, for us, had us busting up laughing the whole way through.

Jamel Johnson: Friend or Foe is out now on Vimeo for $5. Go get and enjoy it here already.

First Look at Jesus Trejo’s First Hour Showtime Special “Stay at Home Son”
April 27, 2020
News
comedy special, jesus trejo, showtime, stand up comedy

Jesus Trejo‘s very first hour special is coming in the not so distant future (perhaps when a good majority of states in the U.S. have loosened some of their precautionary measure that flattened). Still, whether you’ll be staying in or out congregating outside, Trejo’s debut hour stand-up comedy special Stay at Home Son on Showtime will be premiering at the end of May and you should watch it.

We had the esteemed privilege and luck to see Trejo work out this hour in LA, often little bits here and there enjoying the start contrast between Trejo’s gravel-y voice and his playful observations and personal stories.

Get a sense of what’s to come from Stay at Home Son with this clip.

THEN, look for the premiere on Wednesday May 29th  at 9PM on Showtime.

Patton Oswalt’s Latest Special “I Love Everything” Due Out May 19th on Netflix
April 10, 2020
News
comedy special, i love everything, netflix, patton oswalt, stand up comedy

(via Variety)

Over the last several specials that Patton Oswalt has released, Patton has always served up a very handily crafted, great hour of stand-up. He has managed, with the exquisite sincerity that he injects into his comedy, to make the arrival of his hours a moment to both laugh heartily and gain perspective on the human condition whether he’s talking about strangely named roses or the passing of his late wife, Michelle McNamara. From Finest Hour to Tragedy Plus Comedy Equals Time to Talking for Clapping to Annihilation, Patton really displays the healing power of comedy both for himself and to those listening and watching intently.

Essentially, it’s always a good time when Patton’s latest hour is about to be released, which is called, “I Love Everything” and is coming next month on Sun. May 19th to Netflix.

Get Your First Look at Middleditch and Schwartz’s Improv Specials Coming to Netflix
April 7, 2020
News
ben schwartz, comedy special, improv comedy, improvisational comedy, long form improv, netflix, thomas middleditch

When it comes to televised improv, all that most people have seen or known about is the short form improv institution that is Whose Line Is It Anyway? 

Yet, Middleditch & Schwartz might just get to that status very soon. The duo made up of Thomas Middleditch and Ben Schwartz have toured together around the globe as, perhaps, one of the most successful long form improvisational comedy acts of all time, creating hysterical scenes and having a solid, surprising narrative arcs seemingly out of nowhere.

So, Middleditch & Schwartz are about to make television history with a full-fledged long form improv (scenes get improvised just off a suggestion versus short form improv that relies on very specific games that have very specific rules to improvise through) comedy special. That comes after reaching milestones like having continuously sold-out performances at Largo, touring everywhere, and playing Carnegie Hall.

Seeing how they’ll make that translate into a comedy special given the ephemeral nature of improv will undoubtedly be fascinating (and probably why they’re releasing three performances of them). You can get your first look at what that might look like with this trailer here, then look for them to drop on Tues., Apr. 21st on Netflix.

Tom Segura Set For Two Netflix Comedy Specials, One in English and One in Spanish
February 19, 2020
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comedy special, netflix, tom segura

Tom Segura Set For Two Netflix Comedy Specials, One in English and One in Spanish

Arguably, doing comedy in another language other than your native tongue could be the highest mark of fluency in that language. Not only do you have to understand speech, grammar, pronunciation, slang, idioms, etc., but you have to be able to play with them in a way that’s particularly obtuse for comedy (oh yeah, you already have to be funny too). 

This is happening more and more these days with the likes of Gad Emaleh, Rafi Bastos, Carmen Lynch, and, of course, Eddie Izzard (he’s done some of his hours in at least three different languages if not more)

Tom Segura is indeed already one of the funniest comedians working today and has been bilingual for pretty much his whole life. So, it stands to reason that, in addition to a brand new English language stand-up special, that he would eventually do one in Spanish, which he is currently crafting right at this very moment.

The English special is set for Netflix streaming on Mar. 24th and the Spanish one will come out later this year. We’re so curious as to what that might be, sound like, feel like (though we’re sure Segura’s cutting observational humor will still shine through). 

HBO Line-Ups a Comedy Special with Yvonne Orji
February 14, 2020
Uncategorized
comedy special, hbo, yvonne orji

HBO Line-Ups a Comedy Special with Yvonne Orji

HBO just continues adding on to their growing list of intriguing stand-up specials. They already have the very intriguing The Golden One on deck from Whitmer Thomas.

Now, they’ve added an hour special from Yvonne Orji AKA Molly from Insecure. Apparently, there is footage shot in Nigeria, her birthplace, which will be intercut with her upcoming live performance here in America at HBCU, Howard. Our best guess is that it’ll be somewhat like Gulman’s HBO special The Great Depresh in switching Orji’s material and then remote segments getting more personal about her life, especially in Nigeria.

So, it’s pretty clear now that HBO has taken to a more high art/solo show-esque path with their comedy specials compared to their competitors and we’re pretty on board for that.

Ben Schwartz Announces Middleditch & Schwartz Specials to Premiere on Netflix
February 7, 2020
Uncategorized
ben schwartz, comedy special, long form improv, netflix, thomas middleditch

Last year, Ben Schwartz and Thomas Middleditch took what very well may be one of the the most successful improv groups of all time, Middleditch + Schwartz, and taped multiple performances for the purposes of a comedy special. Long form improv on TV is a rare thing to see, but leave it to Ben and Thomas to figure out how to really make it work.

During his appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers last night, Schwartz announced that there will be three different specials capturing three different performances by Middleditch + Schwartz coming to Netflix soon. 

These specials could be very well break new ground for long form improv, largely a discipline in comedy that only gets seen live and we personally, really can’t wait to see what the two have cooked up together in the moment.

Maria Bamford’s Weakness Is The Brand Is the First Great Comedy Special of 2020
February 4, 2020
Uncategorized
comedy dynamics, comedy special, maria bamford, stand up comedy, weakness is the brand
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If comedians ever reached a status from which they could be officially considered “national treasures”, such a designation should be bestowed on one Maria Bamford. Her latest hour special, Weakness Is The Brand, is by far her most conventional special (it’s in one location and it’s a traditional theater), but it shows that Bamford’s strangely beautiful comedy wares are something to truly revel in.

Bamford not only is a master of her stand-up comedy craft, but so in tune with her comedic voice that she can make her act work anywhere (as evidenced the previous Special Special Special where Maria performed in front of her parents at her house) or anyhow (whether she’s touching on mental illness or the idea that she’s a mental illness comedian or anything else). On Weakness Is The Brand, there’s an even more freewheeling Maria that, if you can imagine, that’s more delightful as she jumps back and forth around the fourth wall and joyfully leans into her act outs/voices. The self-awareness of her persona, her material, the audience, the viewer, etc. that she expresses throughout the special is remarkable and pretty damn funny as well.

On top of all of that, there’s a touching original song with her husband Scott Marvel Cassidy that leaves us feeling hopeful and elated like we do with every Maria Bamford special that we can remember.

Maria Bamford: Weakness Is The Brand is now available from Comedy Dynamics on almost platform that you stream comedy specials.
January 22, 2020
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comedy special, david huntsberger, dynasty typewriter, taping

As an endlessly curious mind, David Huntsberger and his comedy really dig into and questioning the human experience, especially when it comes to the science of it all and the limits of what we know about the universe. So, you can only imagine that he’s going to do something really trippy in taping a comedy special (FYI, he’s going to do “something” really cool with “VR”). 

You really ought to see what Huntsberger got cooking for the taping of his comedy special at Dynasty Typewriter this Sunday. Tickets are $15 in adv. and $20 day of. 

However, we can get you in for free so long as you e-mail us at thecomedybureau@gmail.com about wanting to go to David Huntsberger’s stand-up comedy special taping.

Watch “Whitmer Thomas: The Golden One” Trailer
January 21, 2020
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comedy special, golden one, hbo, trailer, whitmer thomas

HBO’s latest comedy special will continue their exploration of pushing comedy specials into, well, new territory. Whitmer Thomas, a comedian that charmingly wears his heart so prominently on his sleeve, has such an hour for HBO with The Golden One and will be blending original songs, original stand-up, and intimate vignettes of his personal life and family that 110% wonderfully informs all of his comedy. 

Having seen Whitmer start at open mics here in LA, we’re truly marveling at seeing that this is where he has evolved to comedically. So, we’re very excited to see what he carefully and lovingly crafts with an entire HBO special.

Get a peek of all of this in Whitmer Thomas: The Golden One’s trailer here, then look for it to premiere on Sat. Feb. 22nd at 10PM on HBO.

“Whitmer Thomas: The Golden One” Will Premiere as an HBO Special on Feb. 22nd
January 10, 2020
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comedy special, golden one, hbo, whitmer thomas
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Whitmer Thomas took lots of risks and pushed himself to make one of the more truly unique hours of comedy we’ve seen in recent years with The Golden One. At the time that we saw it at The Satellite, he weaved deeply personal stories and original, satirical dark pop songs with, at the time, anime visuals playing in the background. It was otherworldly, yet clearly grounded with the heart of Whitmer’s stories.

We can’t wait to see what he did with the backing of HBO, which really had a hell of a 2019 for going experimenting with the concept of comedy specials (My Favorite Shapes, The Great Depresh, Live in Crenshaw). Thankfully, we will only have to wait until Feb. 22nd.

“The Jay Larson and Friends Christmas Special” Gives You Two-Christmas-Specials-for-One
December 23, 2019
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comedy special, dan soder, debra digiovanni, holiday special, jay larson, jesus trejo, lara beitz, nick thune, suzanne santo

When it comes to making a holiday TV special, you could just have a bunch of great comedians/storytellers share their holiday memories/do bits (and some stripped down version of a Christmas standard) or you could have jaunty recipes and tips for the perfect holiday party.

Thanks to Jay Larson, we could have our Mid-Century Modern Gingerbread House (a real thing that Larson makes in this special) and eat it too (i.e. enjoy the comedic stylings of Jesus Trejo, Debra DiGiovanni, Dan Soder, Lara Beitz, and Nick Thune and music of Suzanne Santo). Always the crafty, clever one, Larson made an all-in-one sort of half-hour holiday special that celebrates (and subtly roasts) this time of year. 

Please enjoy it at your leisure, for free, here.

Fortune Feimster’s First House Special “Sweet & Salty” Will Premiere at Netflix
December 11, 2019
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comedy special, fortune feimster, netflix

Fortune Feimster’s First House Special “Sweet & Salty” Will Premiere at Netflix

The clever, yet honest, and oh-so-charming comedy of Fortune Feimster was worthy of an hour special for years (she killed at Last Comic Standing almost 10 years ago). Finally, she’s getting her due with a Netflix special called Sweet & Salty due out Jan. 21st.

We’re glad to see Fortune is Netflix’s queue for stand-up specials coming up, which will further heat up the rivalry between all the other streaming services like HBO Max and networks’ slate for comedy specials.

Maria Bamford “Weakness Is the Brand” Trailer Promises a Wonderful Bamford Special at the Top of 2020
December 10, 2019
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comedy dynamics, comedy special, maria bamford, trailer, weakness is the brand

For us, Maria Bamford is not only one of the funniest, most honest, poignant comedians of our generation, but, probably, of all time. She also happens to be one of the best human beings around (her commitment to fostering community still astounds us to this day) and that undoubtedly gives the beautiful colors that run throughout her celebrated comedy.

Come Tues. Jan. 28th, we’ll be getting a brand spanking new hour from Maria called Weakness Is the Brand. From the looks of the trailer, it looks like it’ll be a straightforward special, but given the scope of her last two specials, The Special Special Special and Old Baby, we wouldn’t be surprised if she does something “special” yet again. If not, Maria’s material is more than enough to make a great hour for you to relish (again, see the trailer).

Maria Bamford’s Weakness Is The Brand will be available at several streaming services via Comedy Dynamics on Jan. 28th and you can pre-order it here.

Tiffany Haddish’s Black Mitzvah Is a Triumph of Positivity and Self-Realization
December 7, 2019
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black mitzvah, comedy special, netflix, stand up comedy, tiffany haddish
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Tiffany Haddish’s latest hour special, Black Mitzvah, dropped on Netflix earlier this week and it’s perhaps the perfect holiday treat as far as comedy specials are concerned. 

Though not specifically aimed at the holiday season, the hour captures a still vibrant and unapologetic Haddish through finding her place in being Jewish as well as dealing with her rocketing to genuine stardom (all while being the same she-ready Tiffany you’ve known and loved for years now). In fact, she even gets truly vulnerable in examining that one off-night she had for New Year’s that got blown way out of proportion (cough cough, double standard against female comics, cough) with her signature mirth and levity. 

Yet again, Haddish does a rare thing that you see thing in stand-up these days by celebrating life and celebrating yourself, even at life’s inevitable low points. Her closing “dance” number is a pretty great illustration of this. If you haven’t given Tiffany Haddish’s Black Mitzvah a watch already, make your holidays better by doing so soon.  

Mel Brooks: Unwrapped Trailer Promises a Never Ending(?) Mel Brooks Interview
December 4, 2019
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comedy special, hbo, mel brooks, mel brooks unwrapped, mockumentary

For decades, a BBC interviewer by the name of Alan Yentob has been interviewing/playing along with the masterful shenanigans of the brilliant, truly legendary Mel Brooks.

This mockumentary comedy special spans generations all the way up to present day Mel Brooks who still seems just as sharp as ever (no matter what your age is when taking in his work).

We can’t wait to see what Brooks and Yentob had hidden up their collective sleeves for all these years (must be pretty big sleeves, right?)  with Mel Brooks: Unwrapped coming to HBO next Friday, Dec. 13th.

Enjoy a delicious taste of what’s to come with this trailer.

Ali Wong Will Stay at Netflix for Her Next Two Specials
December 3, 2019
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Ali Wong Will Stay at Netflix for Her Next Two Specials

Apparently, HBO had their sights set on Ali Wong, who shot to fame with two Netflix specials Baby Cobra and Hard Knock Wife, in the ongoing war for comedy prestige with Netflix.

Yet, Netflix prevailed, presumably as they were going to dole out more cash (and we wouldn’t be more surprised if they’ve got some other lovely things lined-up for Wong). 

In any case, this means that we all will be getting an Ali Wong special next year and another one in the perhaps not so distant future after that. 

What lies in the future between the big players in the comedy special space? It has yet to be seen, but bidding wars will probably get fiercer as networks and streaming services amasses war chests of exclusive comedy specials. 

Tiffany Haddish Ready Again with This Trailer for Black Mitzvah
November 26, 2019
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black mitzvah, comedy special, netflix, stand up comedy, tiffany haddish

The magic of Tiffany Haddish’s verve, charm, and unapologetic positivity that has shot her into undeniable stardom is coming around once again with her brand new hour special, Black Mitzvah.

Are you ready? Even though Haddish has a joke about what having “She Ready” as a catchphrase really entails for her, she indeed still ready.

Get a taste of Tiffany Haddish’s Black Mitzvah with this trailer, then look for it to stream on Netflix on Tues. Dec. 3rd.

Mike Birbiglia’s Netflix Special for “The New One” Gets a Trailer
November 14, 2019
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comedy special, mike birbiglia, netflix, netflix special, solo show, storytelling, trailer

Perhaps, you didn’t get the chance to catch Mike Birbiglia’s latest show that has played Broadway, toured the country, and had an extended run here in LA at the Ahmanson. 

Lucky for you, all you’ll need to see it come Tues. Nov. 26th is Netflix as Birbiglia taped it, somewhat in secret, as a special already. 

As it explores both pros and cons of becoming a parent, it should be the perfect thing to watch before Thanksgiving. Get a taste of what’s to come in this trailer.

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