The Definitive Guide to Comedy
You probably recognize Jeff Garlin from the TV thanks to his two long-running roles, on ABC’s The Goldbergs and/or HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. But this Second City product also has a long history with stand-up, too; in fact, his first hour, Young and Handsome, directed by Bob Odenkirk, originally streamed on …
Australian actress and comedian Celeste Barber became globally famous for her Instagram challenges, attempting to duplicate glossy celebrity photo spreads to hilarious effect. How does it translate to a stand-up special, though? As I wrote when her special debuted last year on Showtime, she uses Instagram as a prop. But …
Seth Meyers is a better stand-up comedian than you might expect from a late-night TV talk-show host whose previous experience came primarily from sketch and improv. In his Netflix debut, Meyers shines especially by straying away from topical political bits, and focusing on his family. As I wrote last year …
Daniel Sloss has made a name for himself throughout his 20s for making audiences uncomfortable, while always letting us know he’s actually a good guy in whatever story he tells. No matter how offensive it may get. For his HBO debut in 2019, Sloss made waves not only by exploring …
“One great thing about being old and rich is you can do what you want to do!” That’s Arsenio Hall telling “TMZ Live” why money is making him an even BETTER comic — because he can do all the risky material he wants without the fear. “Comics are supposed to …
Jenny Slate, like Gary Gulman before her, also put out a 2019 comedy special that included documentary footage following the comedian into retreat back into the home of his/her parents. But Slate makes this hour her own. As I wrote for Decider last year: For one thing, she’s always wanted …
Deon Cole, who earned a writing gig on Conan based on his stand-up debut there, then later became a recurring character on black-ish, put out his first Netflix hour last year. As I wrote then in Decider: As Cole has done in past performances, he breaks out his joke book …
Gary Gulman is one of my favorite comedians working today. As I wrote in Decider to herald his HBO special last fall: His comedy always has impressed other comedians because of its specificity. The words he chooses and the way he enunciates them remind us of the weight language can …
Mo Gilligan was creeping up on 30 when his Instagram blew up, thanks to Drake. Then Gilligan got on British TV a bunch, and last year, at 31, his first Netflix special. As I wrote for Decider when his special premiered: The 31-year-old keeps the show moving through his first …
There’s a moment about 13 minutes into Nikki Glaser’s 2019 Netflix special in which she jokingly describes her origin story. “An innocuous compliment from a guy you like means everything. I don’t think you guys understand what power you wield with just dumb compliments. I stand before you tonight because …
