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
Hasan Minhaj’s Goatface finally gets their due
Former The Daily Show correspondent turned Patriot Act host Hasan Minhaj is best known for his solo projects, but back in 2011 he was spending a lot of time creating comedy sketches with the YouTube group Goatface. Consisting of Minhaj, Aristotle Athiras, Asif Ali, and Fahim Anwar, Goatface regularly created hilarious sketches about politics, the immigrant experience in the United States and other related subjects. On Tuesday, Comedy Central premiered the group’s first television special.
Jeff Ross and Dave Attell transform Netflix into a series of club sets
Bumping Mics with Jeff Ross & Dave Attell is actually a three-part program that sees the two New York comedy staples roasting each other, other comics in attendance and audience members on three separate nights. As a whole, the show operates as a deft mix of Ross’s prowess as the self-described “Roastmaster General” and Attell’s penchant for commingling with people of all shapes, colors, and sizes on his early 2000s Comedy Central program Insomniac.
Adam Ruins Everything is back to ruin your favorite things
If Adam Conover‘s name (or excellent hairdo) rings a bell, then you’ve probably seen him take all the fun out of your favorite pastime on truTV’s Adam Ruins Everything. The former CollegeHumor digital series turned television show/book/podcast has obliterated everything from engagement rings to the Transportation Security Administration’s screening practices at airports. The third season premiered this week with a new episode about guns, gun control, and the Second Amendment. Next week’s episode covers sleep.
What’s New(s)
Awkwafina is getting her own Comedy Central show
Between her record-setting appearance on Saturday Night Live and her hilarious turn in Crazy Rich Asians, Awkwafina is doing well. After all, Comedy Central just ordered a self-titled 10-episode scripted series from her. Co-written by Awkwafina, Karey Dornetto (Portlandia), and Teresa Hsiao (Family Guy), and with a pilot episode directed by Broad City veteran Lucia Aniello, Awkwafina follows “a twenty-something living in Queens” who is “striving for a larger than life existence while living with her father and grandmother.”
Showtime’s Desus & Mero get their first trailer
Showtime revealed that Desus Nice and The Kid Mero’s new weekly late-night series Desus & Mero will premiere Thursday, February 21st at 11 p.m. ET/PT. The weekly talk show, to be filmed in New York City, will be the premium cable network’s first-ever late-night program. Among other things, Desus & Mero will see its two titular hosts speaking off the cuff and chatting with guests at the intersection of pop culture, sports, music, politics, and more.
YouTube opts out of its Netflix strategy, including for comedy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb_hCbZ80aQ
Something interesting is happening over at YouTube. Specifically, the streaming video website’s “YouTube Premium” brand of original content has decided to abandon its attempt to adopt Netflix’s subscriber model and is now going to offer users access to shows and movies, albeit with regular commercial interruptions. This includes the outlet’s growing comedy catalog, which currently features shows like comedian Kevin Hart’s What the Fit and will soon include Adam Pally and Sam Richardson’s series Champaign, Ill.
Aziz Ansari is going back out on the road following his #MeToo controversy
Aziz Ansari announced a series of dates for his upcoming “Road to Nowhere” tour, his first since he was accused of sexual misconduct earlier this year. The first two dates, February 6th and 7th, will take place just outside of Boston, Massachusetts at the Chevalier Theatre. From there, Ansari will spend the next three months traveling to cities like Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Seattle, Memphis, and Vancouver. It will conclude in May with a series of shows in New York. Tickets go on sale this week.
What’s Later
Claire Foy will take over Saturday Night Live
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HguHGLtf_zI
After a weekend off for the Thanksgiving holiday, Saturday Night Live is back with an all-new episode hosted by The Crown‘s Claire Foy. Between the hugely popular Netflix series and recent films like First Man and The Girl in the Spider’s Web, the British actress is best known for her dramatic work. As is often the case, however, sometimes SNL guest hosts with such a track record can be just what the variety sketch show needs.
National treasure Nicole Byer’s Nailed It! returns for a holiday special
Speaking of returning from the holidays, Netflix’s popular reality bake-off series Nailed It! is back with a new holiday-themed season that streams next Friday. Hosted by the hilarious stand-up comedian Nicole Byer, the show follows along as three amateur bakers try (and mostly fail) to recreate viral baking contraptions. Byer and the other judges do their best to try and eat at least some of the bakers’ good works without puking, which always results in great television. Also, and most importantly, Byer is a national treasure.
