Billy Eichner is best known for his TV work, whether it’s with Julie Klausner on the just-finished Difficult People, or Billy On The Street, the hilarious, confrontational street comedy game show where he asks/screams total strangers questions in public. One thing he hasn’t done, though, is his own stand-up special. That’s going to change this year, courtesy of Netflix.
The Hollywood Reporter has the details, and it won’t just be cameras pointed at a stage:
Eichner’s comedy special is described as a unique blend of comedy and music that will cover politics, pop culture and may also include some brand-new editions of his signature, Emmy-nominated Billy on the Street segments.
That would reflect Eichner’s route to stardom. He’s never really been a stand-up per se, working more in the realm of stage and screen with an eye towards lampooning the structure of live TV. He first got attention with a stage show that disassembled chat shows, and his work on TV, when he hasn’t been acting, has been about using the rigid structure of unscripted TV against itself, like when he took guest Paul Rudd on the street to ask strangers if they’d have sex with him. So it’s unlikely we’re going to get a “typical” comedy special, especially with the freedom of Netflix handy. We’ll find out when it gets going, as there’s no release date scheduled yet. But hey, Netflix has a crowded year. Give them time.
