Welcome to Comedy Now, a weekly column cataloging what comedy fans should know about what’s available in the streaming world. Whether it’s a brand new special, an old classic, or the oddball show that defies categorization, we’ll list as many as we can for your enjoyment right here. Who knows? We may even throw in a few non-streamable bits on occasion, like tour announcements from our favorite comics. You can check out last week’s column here.
What’s New
Chingo Bling: They Can’t Deport Us All (Netflix)
In January, Houston-based rapper Chingo Bling brought his sold-out comedy and music tour, They Can’t Deport Us All back home for a Netflix taping. As the Houston Chronicle noted at the time, fans were to “expect” the taping to sell out as quickly as the rest of the tour, which is precisely what happened when comedians Jesus Sepulveda, Jerry Garcia, and Jon Stringer joined Bling onstage for the show. The new special, which hit Netflix on Friday, June 2nd, showcases the group’s various comedic stylings about Tex-Mex culture throughout Houston and the American Southwest via stand-up, sketches and songs.
Sarah Silverman: A Speck of Dust (Netflix)
A Speck of Dust, the new Sarah Silverman stand-up special that dropped May 30th on Netflix, won’t disappoint longtime fans who’ve grown accustomed to the comic’s dark humor. Yet Silverman told Uproxx, the new hour will also surprise fans and newcomers alike for its insistent honesty — especially when it comes to some of the more divisive political issues plaguing America today. “Screaming at each other has never caused change. Sure, sometimes major protests and rioting in the streets causes change, but when it’s people one-on-one?” she said. “We need to try and understand each other.”
What’s Not
The Chris Gethard Show (truTV)
Chris Gethard is getting a lot of well-deserved attention right now. His HBO special, Carreer Suicide and the one-man show on which it’s based have been garnering critical and lay praise alike. And his self-titled late night program, a former New York public access extravaganza that spent two seasons on Fusion, is about to make the leap to truTV with a brand new (and live) crop of episodes. The new season of The Chris Gethard Show, which Uproxx recently published a feature detailing the backstory of one of its most famous episodes, will now premiere Thursday, August 3rd at 11pm ET on truTV.
What’s Wrote
I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lessons by Kevin Hart (Book/Audible)
One would have to travel far and wide to escape the influence of comedian turned movie megastar Kevin Hart. From selling out football stadiums for stand-up concert specials, to starring in the upcoming Jumanji sequel with Central Intelligence co-star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, it seems there isn’t anything Hart can’t do. Like writing and publishing a memoir titled I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lessons, which, as Variety notes, handles much of the same biographical subjects the comic jokes about on stage with a far more serious take. The book, which is currently available for pre-order, publishes Tuesday, June 6th and kicks off a multi-city book tour. Hart also recorded an audio book version for Audible.
What’s Live
Just For Laughs (Festival)
There’s still well over a month to go before the 35th edition of the Just For Laughs festival kicks off on Wednesday, July 12th in Montreal, but that doesn’t mean organizers aren’t increasing the bill up until the last minute. Like new TV panels featuring Jim Carrey, Al Madrigal, Erik Griffin and more from Showtime’s new series I’m Dying Up Here, Kaitlin Olson and the co-creators of The Mick, and much more. A new digital comedy network spearheaded by Kevin Hart, LOL Live!, will also turn up to record performances, podcasts and the like.
Take Of, Eh! (Live Show/Fundraiser)
If you don’t know what SCTV is, or have never listened to Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas’ über-Canadian McKenzie brothers dispense wisdom on the show’s “The Great White North” sketch or in the film Strange Brew, spend a few minutes enjoying both on YouTube… Done? Okay. The pair, along with fellow Second City Television alum Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Joe Flaherty and many more, will reunite for a good cause on Tuesday, July 18th in Toronto. They’re raising money for Thomas’ nephew Jake, who was paralyzed from the waist down after a snowmobile accident in January, and the healthcare nonprofit Spinal Cord Injury Ontario. You can find ticket information here.
