Comedy Movies & TV
Binge on these 5 new Netflix comedy specials
Wei-Huan Chen March 26, 2020Updated: March 30, 2020, 1:49 pm
Stand-up comedian Ronny Chieng's special is a cultural and political commentary on American hypocrisy. Photo: Netflix
One-hour comedy specials from major talents have been big parts of Netflix's key investments of the past years, and they're paying off — the service now has a significant library of new comedy specials from the greats.
And during this coronavirus pandemic, as everyone is sheltering in place, who doesn't need a laugh?
(Warning: Three of the videos below contain explicit content.)
Best recent releases
Ronny Chieng: "Asian Comedian Destroys America!"
Born to a Malaysian Chinese family and raised in Singapore, the stand-up comedian spent several years in Australia before moving to the U.S.
His stand-up special is more a work of cultural and political commentary on American hypocrisy — in the spirit of "Daily Show" cohorts John Oliver and Trevor Noah — than a memoir-style immigrant narrative. Like Oliver and Noah, Chieng uses his non-American identity as a tool to understand, and hilariously critique, America better than any U.S.-born comedian. This is a must watch.
Marc Maron: "End Times Fun"
Marc Maron might be the most consistent veteran stand-up around, rivaled perhaps only by Bill Burr as a master craftsman of cranky-man commentary whose style has hardly changed over the decades. Yet it continues to feel as fresh and relevant as ever.
Maron's perfectly titled special features his trademark combination of self-deprecating, sour observation, with an enthusiasm for the ridiculous nature of getting older in the modern world.
The show's tagline is: "In times like these, all you can do is laugh." It's a perfect way to describe what it's like to watch Maron — a pure pleasure.
Warning: This trailer includes explicit content.
Mike Birbiglia: "The New One"
Birbiglia is less a stand-up comedian than a storyteller, one whose real-life tales on his impending fatherhood happen to be littered with funny moments and observations.
First performed in a sold-out Broadway run, Birbiglia's show has the narrative brilliance and precise writing of an August Wilson play. It's an honest, self-conscious reflection on what it's like to become a father when you never wanted a child in the first place.
Taylor Tomlinson: "Quarter-Life Crisis"
Taylor Tomlinson is the new kid on the block of the national comedy scene, and she's already as good as the established names.
I fell in love with her sensibility when I heard her tell this joke: "I'm a wild animal in bed — way more afraid of you than you are of me." It's just one of the many perfectly crafted one-liners in Tomlinson's wheelhouse.
Her debut Netflix one-hour special is a great summation of the craziness of being a 20-something.
Pete Davidson: "Alive From New York"
Most people know Pete Davidson from either "Saturday Night Live" or his former engagement with Ariana Grande. But Davidson has been chugging along the comedy clubs with his stoner-bro comedy for years, and "Alive From New York" is an excellent, ridiculously watchable piece of stand-up.
His takes on both "SNL" and his famous ex are biting but never mean, and he has a scathing story about Louie C.K. as well. Probably the most underrated comic in this list, Davidson is great for anyone looking for an hour of low-intensity humor.
Other notable releases
Bo Burnham: "Make Happy"
Hannah Gadsby: "Nanette"
Ali Wong: "Hard Knock Wife" and "Baby Cobra"
John Mulaney: "The Comeback Kid" and "Kid Gorgeous"
Hasan Minhaj: "Homecoming King"
Anthony Jeselnik: "Thoughts and Prayers."
Wei-Huan Chen
Wei-Huan Chen Wei-Huan Chen is an arts and culture writer for the Houston Chronicle.
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