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comedy special

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Judah Friedlander Holds Up a Funhouse, Crowdwork-Fueled, Mirror to America with His Special “America Is The Greatest Country in the U.S.”

November 2, 2017
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america is the greatest country in the united states, comedy cellar, comedy special, crowd work, judah friedlander, netflix, stand up

This week, Judah Friedlander’s latest hour of stand-up dropped in the form of what looks like Netflix’s most gritty looking stand-up special yet. 

America Is The Greatest Country in the U.S., like Dave Attell’s Road Work, is a compilation of several different performances, which gives you a true sense of what watching Friedlander on any given night might be like. You can see his cool wits about him over a plethora of nights pre- and post- 2016 election as he exquisitely does crowd work in NYC’s hallowed comedy club, The Comedy Cellar.

The thesis suggested by the title allows for Judah to satirically point out what makes America #1, spinning our issues of gun control, healthcare, immigration, etc. into positives. Taping it at The Comedy Cellar also brings in a very diverse crowd, often a bunch of international tourists that Judah uses to his advantage when pointing out “why” America, once again, is the best. That being said, Judah does have a few choice digs against Trump that don’t quite break from the premise. 

So, when get you chance, be a patriot for once and give Judah Friedlander: America Is The Greatest Country in the United States a watch.

Trailer for Judah Friedlander’s New Special “America Is The Greatest Country In The United States”

October 23, 2017
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comedy special, judah friedlander, netflix, stand up, trailer

This Halloween, if you want something that has nothing to do with the Halloween spirit, Judah Friedlander’s new hour special on Netflix, entitled America Is The Greatest Country in the U.S. will be up for streaming.

Get a taste of how Judah makes the case for the name of this special with this trailer. 

Jay Larson’s New Hour Special “Me Being Me” Out Now

October 20, 2017
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comedy special, el rey theatre, jay larson, me being me, stand up
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Jay Larson is yet another case of a comedian well overdue for the canvas of an hour special to showcase their comedic gifts. Thankfully, his day is here as Me Being Me, his first hour special is now available for purchase.

As we’ve said here before, Jay has a knack for offering up the beautiful slices of life and exudes the notion of joie de vivre to the fullest extent possible. If you think about it, that’s actually pretty rare in comedy, making this new hour special, Me Being Me, from Jay rather amazing.

Jay’s releasing Me Being Me independently for $5.99 and you can (and absolutely should) buy it here.

You can grab a peek at a clip over at Paste Magazine.

Patton Oswalt: Annihilation Is Now Streaming on Netflix (and You Should Watch It ASAP)

October 17, 2017
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annihilation, comedy special, netflix, patton oswalt, stand up

Patton Oswalt’s brand new hour special is now streaming on Netflix. That should be reason enough to carve out an hour today to watch Oswalt showcase his mastery of stand-up comedy.

However, you should watch this latest special as soon as you can, Annihilation, as Oswalt takes everyone on an unforgettable journey through the last year of his life, dealing with the passing of his wife Michelle McNamara and the aftermath. It’s as hilarious as it is heart wrenching and, ultimately, all the more beautiful for it.

Also, the message Patton has at the end is a maxim that we’d all do better to live by. 

Trailer for Patton Oswalt’s Latest Special “Annihilation” Only Slightly Prepares You For What’s Coming

October 9, 2017
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annihilation, comedy special, patton oswalt, stand up, trailer

Next Tuesday, October 17th, Patton Oswalt: Annihilation, Patton’s latest hour stand-up special, will begin streaming on Netflix.

From this trailer, everything seems in order for a new hour from Patton with some clever commentary on politics and white genocide. 

However, as was hinted at earlier this year, Annihilation does indeed include his most personal material yet. He focused a significant portion of this hour on the untimely passing of his wife, Michelle McNamara, in a heartbreaking, beautiful, visceral, funny way that only Patton Oswalt could make happen.

You don’t see that in this trailer, but know that it’ll be one of the most affecting, unforgettable parts of the special when you see it next week. 

Ali Wong’s Next Comedy Special Will Be Coming to Netflix in 2018

October 2, 2017
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ali wong, comedy special, netflix

Ali Wong’s Next Comedy Special Will Be Coming to Netflix in 2018

Ali Wong represents an important landmark in Netflix comedy specials for how much it catapulted in her to the stardom that she has now and how much brighter it made Netflix’s comedy branding look. 

After Wong’s Baby Cobra came some of Netflix’s biggest acquisitions and original specials came including ones from Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Amy Schumer, and Jerry Seinfeld. 

So, looking forward to a TBD date in 2018, Wong’s next special, which was just taped this weekend, is something that you absolutely need to be on the lookout for.

Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents, the Latest Round of Half Hour Specials, Starts Tonight

September 15, 2017
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chris redd, comedy central, comedy special, stand up, tv special, yamaneika saunders

Chris Redd and Yamaneika Saunders will be kicking off the latest season of half hour stand-up specials, Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents, respectively at Comedy Central starting at midnight tonight.

As far we’re concerned, that’s a pretty good pair to start off with.

And Here’s Your First Look at “Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents”, the Latest Round of Comedy Central Half Hour Specials

September 9, 2017
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comedy central, comedy special, jenny zigrino, joel kim booster, julio torres, sam jay, solomon georgio, stand up, tv special

Julio Torres, Joel Kim Booster, Jenny Zigrino, Solomon Georgio, Sam Jay, Adam Cayton-Holland, and Shane Torres are just a bit of who you’re going to get to see grace the new season of Comedy Central’s half hour stand-up specials. 

Even though it’s not called The Half Hour anymore, you know the drill.

Get a taste of what’s to come here.

Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents premieres this Friday, September 15th.

Marc Maron’s Latest Special “Too Real” Is Now Streaming

September 6, 2017
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comedy special, marc maron, netflix, too real
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Marc Maron’s latest hour, Too Real, gives a nice sampling of the various versions of Marc that have done stand-up over the years, done with all the calm of the current centered and focused Marc Maron. 

What’s fascinating is the bold opening few minutes on Trump that beautifully segue into the rest of Marc’s trademark introspective self-examination pondering on a stool (we like to call it “Maron-ating”). Take note that fiery political comedy is something that Marc has shifted away from after his Air America years, but, as you’ve probably heard plenty of times over, every comedian is political now because of who is in the White House. 

So, in the same strokes, you can see hints of the old fiery Marc, but through the lense of the empathetic, self-aware-of-the-human-condition Marc. 

Marc Maron: Too Real is now streaming on Netflix.

Please Enjoy Ryan Hamilton’s First Hour Special “Happy Face”, Now Streaming on Netflix

September 1, 2017
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Ryan Hamilton expertly uses his bright shining, natural smile as a great foil for which his comedy can play off of. 

In fact, the juxtaposition of his self-deprecating persona and that smile are the jumping off point and underlying thread for the meticulously crafted hour, Happy Face, which just started streaming on Netflix this week. 

In many ways, this special is a great example of classical stand-up, if you can conjure up such a thing in your mind, with structure, rhythm, stage presence, execution all working together seamlessly.

As mentioned above, Ryan Hamilton: Happy Face is now streaming on Netflix.

Get a taste of it with this trailer.

Jerry Before Seinfeld Trailer Reveals That Jerry Seinfeld’s Latest Special Will Be All About His Life Leading Into Becoming a Big Time Comedian

August 29, 2017
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comedy special, jerry seinfeld, netflix, stand up, trailer

Jerry Seinfeld is a master of observational comedy. He honed it into such a form that it influenced generations of comedians for decades after his appearances on The Tonight Show.

In this vein, you might have noticed that Jerry very rarely gets autobiographical in his stand-up. That’s all about to change with his upcoming Netflix special that’s aptly titled Jerry Before Seinfeld, hinting at life before the landmark sitcom he starred in.

See for yourself how personal Jerry is going to get in the trailer here.

Look for Jerry Before Seinfeld to start streaming Tuesday, September 19th on Netflix.

Patton Oswalt’s Next Special “Annihilation” to Premiere on Netflix on October 17th and Might Be His Most Personal Hour Yet

August 28, 2017
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comedy special, netflix, patton oswalt, stand up

Patton Oswalt’s latest stand-up special will indeed delve into Patton dealing with the untimely passing of his wife on top of everything else that’s going on the world. 

Oswalt has never shied away from dissecting his own life in his stand-up, but, by virtue of the subject matter, this hour will very likely present an even more open and vulnerable Patton that we’ve ever seen before. 

With that in mind, you should mark Tuesday, October 17th on your calendar when this special, Annihilation, starts streaming on Netflix.

Watch Trailer for Marc Maron’s Latest Special “Too Real” Coming Next Week to Netflix

August 27, 2017
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comedy special, marc maron, netflix, stand up, trailer

After all these years and the success that has come from doing WTF, Marc Maron seems almost at peace with the way things are; the key word being “almost”. 

Luckily, that degree of almost being at peace keeps fueling his particular brand of self-deprecating comedy, specifically into this latest hour, Too Real, that will stream on Netflix starting next Tuesday, September 5th.

See for yourself in this trailer released this week.

“Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father” Docu-Series Gets a Trailer

August 21, 2017
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comedy special, jack whitehall, netflix, tv special

One of the UK’s biggest comedians, Jack Whitehall, will be coming out with a whole Netflix series capturing various excursions he took with his father, Michael Whitehall. 

Given how wonderfully prickly Jack’s father appears in this trailer, Michael seems like he might just be the star of the show.

Look for episodes to start streaming on Friday, September 22nd on Netflix.

Please Enjoy a Delightful Interview with Tiffany Haddish on Colbert

August 16, 2017
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comedy special, interview, late show, showtime, stephen colbert, tiffany haddish

Basically, if you need a pick me up because of the state of the world right now, look no further than the pure ray of sunshine that is Tiffany Haddish in her interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

If you on board with Haddish from that, you might want to catch Girls Trip in theaters now and her Showtime comedy special TIFFANY HADDISH: SHE READY! FROM THE HOOD TO HOLLYWOOD that premieres this Friday, August 18th at 9PM.

Get a preview of what Tiffany’s bringing with her special here.

HBO Orders Up Four “2 Dope Queens” Specials

August 10, 2017
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2 dope queens, comedy podcast, comedy special, hbo, jessica williams, phoebe robinson

HBO Orders Up Four “2 Dope Queens” Specials

Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson’s hit podcast 2 Dope Queens will indeed be getting four hour long specials at HBO.

While a few podcasts have been adapted for TV, we’re pretty sure no other podcast has gotten a TV special, much less four of them. 

The format of the specials has been detailed yet, but you be assured that Williams and Robinson have plenty of canvas to work with over the course of four specials. 

Look for these 2 Dope Queens specials to premiere next year on HBO.

Russell Howard to Shoot Netflix Special During Final Leg of His International Tour

August 4, 2017
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comedy special, netflix, russell howard, stand up

Russell Howard to Shoot Netflix Special During Final Leg of His International Tour

It’s about time that Russell Howard got a U.S. distributed comedy special. 

This latest tour he went on was truly international and one of the biggest we’ve heard of in recent memory (maybe only Weird Al’s last tour was as big or bigger?) as Howard went all around and sold out shows in the UK, the U.S., U.A.E., Sweden, Norway, Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Australia, and Canada.

In any case, Howard and his comedy are a charming whirlwind and will hopefully get a bit more notoriety in the States soon. 

A Score and 1 Year Later, Jon Stewart Lines Up His Next Two Stand-Up Specials at HBO

July 26, 2017
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comedy special, hbo, jon stewart, stand up

A Score and 1 Year Later, Jon Stewart Lines Up His Next Two Stand-Up Specials at HBO

If you listen closely, you can hear the giant sigh of relief from HBO as these are two big time comedy specials that didn’t go to Netflix. 

Before his stint in changing comedy, late night, television, and the entertainment landscape in general at The Daily Show, Jon Stewart made his name through doing stand-up comedy. He had specials, his last one being from HBO 21 years ago, under his belt. Being the host and face of The Daily Show for all those year just took time away from him getting up on a mic regularly.

His animated project at HBO didn’t quite work out, but we are more than happy to see a Jon Stewart comedy special or two (or three if you count him hosting another round of Night of Too Many Stars) in the not so distant future.

Comedy Central Quadruples Down on Political/Topical Comedy Front with “The Opposition with Jordan Klepper”, a “Goatface” Sketch Special, Extending “The Jim Jefferies Show” and “The President Show”

July 25, 2017
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comedy central, comedy special, goatface comedy, jim jefferies, jordan klepper, political comedy, satire

Comedy Central announced a bunch of things today, many of which show where the cable network is setting their sails for. The prevailing winds are political and topical satire and, as such, Comedy Central will: 

–Have The President Show take over the midnight slot from @midnight on September 28th for an additional 7 episodes
–Position “The Opposition with Jordan Klepper” as the new companion to The Daily Show, starting September 25th, that will specifically satirize the world that folks like Alex Jones see/”artistically express”
–Give an hour long sketch comedy special to Goatface Comedy, a group comprised of Hasan Minhaj (The Daily Show), Asif Ali (Wrecked), Fahim Anwar (There’s No Business Like Show Business), and Aristotle Athiras that satirizes everything from their unique perspectives
–Extend The Jim Jefferies Show for ten more episodes, which will begin on September 19th after a few weeks off.

As Netflix, FX, and HBO continue to dominate in the original scripted comedy and stand-up, Comedy Central is, consequently, putting a lot of their chips down on topical/political comedy and satire.

Hopefully, this will work out for them and all of these shows/specials just like it has for Colbert in being the late night leader as the most politically outspoken big time late night host.

Watch Ari Shaffir’s Double Negative, Now Streaming on Netflix

July 18, 2017
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All those years of hosting This Is Not Happening have rubbed off on Ari Shaffir in the best way possible.

You can see the effect on his latest special, Double Negative, which just started streaming on Netflix. The way in which he weaves personal observations and stories in, through, and around a single Tinder-related incident that befell a friend is subtle, but very impressive. You almost don’t even realize he has been circling and off-shooting from the same point for the whole hour until the end of it. Therein lies Ari’s detailed, seamless craftsmanship. 

So, with that said, give Ari’s Double Negative a watch when you can.

Joe Mande Already Has Plenty of “Acclaim” in Trailer for “Joe Mande’s Award-Winning Comedy Special”

July 17, 2017
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comedy special, joe mande, joe mande's award winning comedy special, netflix, stand up, trailer

If you buy into The Secret, maybe it would be a good idea to call your yet-to-be-released-or-even-submitted-for-awards-consideration special an “award winning special” and project what you might think critics will say about it.

Whether that’s the reason behind it or not, that is what Joe Mande is doing with his special and the accompanying trailer.

See for yourself here, then look for Joe Mande’s Award-Winning Comedy Special to start streaming on Tuesday, July 25th.

Watch Teaser for Tiffany Haddish’s Showtime Special “She Ready!”

July 7, 2017
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comedy special, showtime, stand up, tiffany haddish

Following the comedian stars on I’m Dying Up Here getting their own Showtime stand-up specials, Tiffany Haddish will be next in line to have an hour stand-up special. 

To self-proclaiming herself a black unicorn to positive affirmations, this teaser promises a fun, energetic hour. 

Look for the premiere of She Ready! on Friday, August 18th at 9PM on Showtime.

July 4, 2017
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comedy special, netflix, stand up, the standups

In addition to the fireworks, hot dogs, and general stars, stripes, red, white and blue themes today, Netflix has a whole batch of half hour stand-up specials now streaming for you to enjoy under the series banner The Standups. 

Nikki Glaser, Nate Bargatze, Beth Stelling, Deon Cole, Fortune Feimster, and Dan Soder all recorded a half hour stand-up special a few months ago in DTLA and they’re definitely worth your time. 

Again, as there is no cutting away for a commercial break, there ought to be a much better arc and flow in these than what you’re probably used to seeing on TV over the years.

“Doug Stanhope: The Comedians’ Comedian’s Comedian Special” Is Now Streaming on Seeso

June 22, 2017
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If you love Doug Stanhope, Brendon Walsh, Morgan Murphy, and Glenn Wool like we do, you’ll be very happy to know that there’s a whole comedy special with all of them together that just started streaming on Seeso today.

Also, how can you not love the title: Doug Stanhope: The Comedians’ Comedian’s Comedians?

Rory Scovel’s New Hour “Rory Scovel Tries Stand-Up For The First Time” Is Now Streaming on Netflix

June 20, 2017
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We’ve said it over and over and we’ll say it again: Rory Scovel is one of the funniest comedians working today.

This special, Rory Scovel Tries Stand-Up For The First Time, is proof of it as Scovel, in a deceptively casual way, shows off all of his many skills. He has well crafted material that carefully meshes the absurd, keen observations, and the truth. Yet, he’s always willing to chase the fun of a moment wherever it will take him. It’s a balance that few comics can manage, much less keep going for an hour.

Also, it has a damn great opening (hats off to director Scott Moran as well).

Basically, free up an hour and change as soon as you can and stream Rory Scovel Tries Stand-Up For The First Time ASAP.

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