Comedy Now: You Can Watch The Premiere Of ‘Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas’ For Free On HBO’s YouTube

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 Now

Greg Davies: You Magnificent Beast is now streaming on Netflix

“I have a system for stand-up,” British comedian Greg Davies says in his new Netflix special, You Magnificent Beast. “I go home to Shropshire, where I’m from, with a notepad and a pen, and I wait for my parents to say weird shit.” It’s worked quite well for his previous two specials, Firing Cheeseballs at a Dog and The Back of My Mum’s Head, and judging by the London audience’s reaction here, it still seems to be working. Whether American Netflix subscribers will know of Davies depends on whether they’ve streamed U.K. imports like Man Down, Cuckoo, or The Inbetweeners, however, but Beast is also a great place to start.

Everyone can watch the premiere of Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas, whether or not they have HBO

Former The Daily Show correspondent Wyatt Cenac’s new HBO docu-series, Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas, debuts tonight at 11:30 pm ET/PT. When that happens, however, you won’t have to possess an HBO cable or digital subscription in order to check it out. The premium network announced earlier this week that the premiere episode will be available to watch for free beginning at midnight ET/9 pm PT on its official YouTube page. In the episode, which is titled “Space Problems, Sh*t Problems, Minnesota Problems,” Cenac explores space and alternative fuels, then heads to Minnesota to learn about what’s wrong with policing there.

Robert Dean drops his debut album (It’s Not Easy) Being Dean

Thursday marked the release of up and coming stand-up comedian Robert Dean‘s debut album, (It’s Not Easy) Being Dean. An alum of comedy festivals across the United States and Canada, Gotham Comedy Live on AXS TV, and Comedy Central, Dean recorded the album at last year’s New York Comedy Festival and released it with Sure Thing Records yesterday. It’s not yet another Netflix special or the return of a hugely popular comedy troupe, but Dean’s album boasts some of the year’s funnier — and unique — routines. For example, he devotes one track entirely to the passing of an Italian fried dough maker at his local food cart.

Uproxx goes to the TreeFort Music Festival’s comedy tent

Speaking of festivals, comedian Yusef Roach performed at the 2018 TreeFort Musical Festival in Boise, Idaho and wrote about the experience for Uproxx. Festivals that frontload stand-up only (or primarily), like Bridgetown and San Francisco SketchFest, tend to do right by comedy far more often than music or multi-media festivals that attempt to shoehorn it in. Judging by Roach’s experience at TreeFort, however, this wasn’t the case. “Music festivals never really get comedy right, and they shouldn’t have to — they’re MUSIC festivals,” he writes. “This is what made Boise’s Treefort Music Festival such a treat for me.”

What’s New(s)

The Simpsons responds to Hari Kondabolu’s documentary The Problem with Apu, poorly

On Sunday, The Simpsons responded to comedian Hari Kondabolu’s thought-provoking documentary The Problem with Apu five months after it premiered on truTV. “Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive, is now politically incorrect. What can you do?” Lisa Simpson said in a scene with her mother Marge, who responded, “Some things will be dealt with at a later date.” Lisa, the show’s moral compass, added, “If at all.” Needless to say, Kondabolu and critics weren’t pleased. “That’s the takeaway from my movie & the discussion it sparked?” he tweeted. “Man, I really loved this show. This is sad.”

Kevin Smith turns the comedy show he performed before suffering a massive heart attack into a Showtime special

Nearly two months ago, filmmaker and podcaster Kevin Smith suffered a massive heart attack after performing a comedy show at the Alex Theater in Glendale, California. He was supposed to perform a second show later that evening, but the event was subsequently canceled. Smith, who recovered from what his doctors called a “widow maker,” kept his fans updated as his recovery progressed. Now, according to Showtime, Smith’s first show at the Alex Theater will be released as the comedy special, Silent but Deadly on Friday, May 11th at 9 pm ET/PT on Showtime.

Bruce Willis is next in line to get a Comedy Central Roast

Action movie icon (and the sultry singing voice behind The Return of Bruno) Bruce Willis is next in line to get roasted by Comedy Central. The Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis, announced earlier this week by the cable network, will film this summer in Los Angeles. “This ain’t the first time I’ll be tied to a chair and held hostage by a group of humorless assholes for a couple hours,” the actor said in a statement. Comedy Central President Kent Alterman added, “Bruce has survived terrorists, Armageddon, romance and death itself. Yet, nothing has prepared him for this Roast.” A premiere date has not been announced.

Ron Funches will record a special for Comedy Central and give all the proceeds to charity

Ron Funches loves video games and especially loves pro-wrestling. However, the famously giggly comedian is also a big fan of donating as much as possible to charity, which is why all of the proceeds from two upcoming shows in Seattle will go to an emergency homeless shelter in the west coast city. Funches is taping both shows for an upcoming Comedy Central special, which will premiere sometime in 2019. “I wanted to find a local reputable charity to donate all proceeds from tickets sales of my show in Seattle,” he said in a statement. “Please help me support this great cause!”

Michelle Wolf’s Netflix talk show gets a title and a premiere date

The Daily Show correspondent turned Netflix star Michelle Wolf, who Seth Rogen jokes “has been playing at clubs and colleges all across the country,” has a new talk show coming out soon on the streaming platform. When the late night-style series was first announced in February, however, little was said about it — aside from the fact that Wolf is in it. That changed on Wednesday when the comedian announced The Break with Michelle Wolf would be premiering Sunday, May 27th on Netflix. “The most important news story of the day is that my new @Netflix show now has a name,” she tweeted.

Adam Sandler’s new Netflix special is getting help from Paul Thomas Anderson

Adam Sandler has been working on a new comedy special for Netflix for some time. In fact, he performed at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on Tuesday, which sent Twitter into a flurry when people noticed that director Paul Thomas Anderson was there too, presumably filming Sandler’s special. However, a source close to the production was quick to note that Steven Brill is actually directing it, and that Anderson was simply filming a portion of Adam’s stand-up set that night in Los Angeles. Even so, that the acclaimed director (and past Sandler collaborator) will be attached to the special bodes well for the finished product.

Mitzi Shore, owner of The Comedy Store, has died

Mitzi Shore, the owner of The Comedy Store in Los Angeles, one of the most preeminent comedy clubs in the country, died at the age of 87 on Wednesday. “It is with great sadness and very heavy hearts that we report the passing of Mitzi Shore,” read an official statement. “She helped change the face of comedy and leaves behind an indelible mark and legacy in the entertainment industry and stand-up community. We will all miss her dearly.” After she took over the venue from her ex-husband in 1974, The Comedy Store helped launch the career of many now-famous comedians and late night television hosts.

Ali Wong’s new Netflix special gets a title and a release date

Fresh Off the Boat writer and American Housewife co-star Ali Wong’s Baby Cobra was far and above one of the best comedy specials of 2016, so it’s no surprise that the follow-up is generating as much excitement as it is. Since Wong’s second Netflix special was first announced in September, however, we haven’t heard much else about it. That all changed today when the streamer revealed the special’s title, Hard Knock Wife, and release date on Twitter. Filmed in Toronto last year, the stand-up’s latest will debut on Sunday, May 13th, which is also Mother’s Day.

An SCTV reunion special is coming to Netflix, and Martin Scorsese will direct it

SCTV, otherwise known as Second City Television, ran from 1976 to 1984 and helped launch the careers of John Candy, Rick Moranis, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Joe Flaherty, Harold Ramis, Martin Short, and Dave Thomas. On Thursday, Netflix announced that most of them will return for a retrospective reunion special that will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel in May. Also, acclaimed film director Martin Scorsese will oversee directing duties for the “comedy special” (as opposed to “documentary”). Whatever this and Scorsese’s direction means will remain a mystery until later this year.

What’s Later

Natasha Leggero and Moshe Kasher are happily married (and with child) in The Honeymoon Standup Special

Next Tuesday, April 17th, Netflix will drop an intriguing comedy special from Natasha Leggero and Moshe Kasher, who just so happen to be married. The Honeymoon Standup Special features the pair performing separate half-hour sets at The North Door in Austin, Texas last November, then coming together to roast other couples in the audience. It’s quite the fun special, especially since it will also prove to be a time capsule for the couple and their fans, as Leggero was still pregnant at the time. (The baby was born in February.) Uproxx spoke to Leggero and Kasher about this and other things in a forthcoming interview.