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 the previous column here.
What’s New
Brian Regan: Nunchucks and Flamethrowers (Netflix)
News of veteran comic Brian Regan’s new deal with Netflix first surfaced in April, but the streaming giant made it official on Thursday with a title and a release date for the first of two new concert films. Brian Regan: Nunchucks and Flamethrowers will debut Tuesday, November 21st on the streaming giant. As for the second special’s timing, fans will have to wait and see what Regan has plotted for his next once he’s done presumably playing around with the titular flamethrowers and nunchucks. Until then, you can check him out at the upcoming New York Comedy Festival (see below), during which he’ll perform at Carnegie Hall.
Christina Pazsitsky: Mother Inferior (Netflix)
In Mother Inferior, which debuted this week, Christina Pazsitzky adopts what the New York Times describes as “a nasal note in her voice [that] evokes Roseanne Barr, whose ‘domestic goddess’ material touched on motherhood.” Yet the Canadian-American comic isn’t simply going for shock value here. Sure, the Your Mom’s House podcaster isn’t above digging into crass jokes about bodily functions, but she accomplishes these feats (and others) with the same attention to detail seen in the work of Louis C.K. Even if you’re not a mother, or a parent, Mother Inferior will definitely prompt some awkward belly laughs.
Pattion Oswalt: Annihiliation (Netflix)
With definitions like “complete destruction,” “absolute killing” and “nothing is safe,” Patton Oswalt: Annihilation‘s first trailer presents the comic’s latest routine as another round of commentary addressing current events in America. Yet it doesn’t do justice to the new hour’s magnitude, especially since Oswalt chooses not to avoid discussing his late wife, Michelle McNamara. In fact, Annihilation doesn’t let Oswalt avoid her memory at all, for he and director Bobcat Goldthwait filmed the special at the Athenaeum Theatre in Chicago, where McNamara’s “Irish brood” of a family resides. Look for it on Tuesday, October 17th.
I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman (Hulu)
The first episode of Sarah Silverman‘s new weekly show, I Love You, America, premiered Thursday on Hulu. New episodes will stream every Thursday for the next nine weeks, as Hulu initially ordered 10 episodes from Silverman and her producing partners, Funny or Die, Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Amy Zvi. “From inciting treason to telling poop jokes, Sarah Silverman has created her fair share of online chatter,” said an early press release. “With this show she’s looking to connect with people who may not agree with her personal opinions through honesty, humor, genuine interest in others, and not taking herself too seriously..”
What’s Not
The 15 Best Specials on Netflix
To get acquainted with the burgeoning mix of comedy specials Netflix includes with its streaming subscription, you can check out Uproxx‘s updated list of the 15 best stand-up specials available to stream. They’re not listed in any particular order, nor are they mentioned according to the funniest performer, best quality, longest duration, type of content or age. They’re simply meant to provide you with an adequate, inclusive representation of what’s available in the “Stand-up Comedy” category.
What’s Live
2017 New York Comedy Festival
The annual New York Comedy Festival is fast approaching (November 7th-12th), and the official lineup and schedule for this year’s acts is quite large. In conjunction with TBS, who’s co-sponsoring the festival, both Conan and Full Frontal with Samantha Bee will film on location and New York to commemorate the week’s festivities. Meanwhile, headliners Bill Maher, Brian Regan, Nick Offerman, Ron White, Iliza Shlesinger, Jim Norton, Tom Segura, Chris Hardwick and many others will perform throughout the week at various locations and times. Tickets are available for purchase here.
Mike Birbiglia: The New One (Tour)
One of the best stand-up specials available to stream anywhere is Mike Birbiglia’s My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend, the 2011 concert film the acclaimed comic and director put together with an album of the same name. Along with this year’s Thank God for Jokes, the former demonstrates Birbiglia’s penchant for creating and telling engaging, hilarious and heartfelt stories about otherwise everyday experiences. And now he’s doing it again with his new tour, The New One, which began recently on the east coast and will continue across the country through at least early February. Tickets are available for purchase here.
Kathleen Madigan: Boxed Wine and Bigfoot (Tour)
Ever since her breakout appearance on Last Comic Standing‘s second season in 2004, Kathleen Madigan has made it a habit of producing some of the best live stand-up around. A frequent performer on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Late Show with David Letterman, Madigan will kick off 2018 with a brand new tour, Boxed Wine and Bigfoot. “I had most of the summer off,” she recently told The Interrobang. “When I came home to this tour schedule I couldn’t have been more excited. It’s a lot of cities I know and a few that I haven’t been to which is the perfect mix.” Pre-sale tickets for select shows can be purchased here.
