If you feel anything like I have over the last few weeks, the monotony of quarantine life is likely starting to get you down in the dumps with January blues. That's why this week, and this week only, this arts reporter and critic is looking at the world of comedy.
There's been so few new release movies and television programs since the holidays, so instead of reviewing something new I wouldn't recommend seeing, this week we're doing something different and aggregate a list of my favourite comedy specials.
Stand-up comedy, live comedy and filmed comedy specials commonly are targeted at adult audiences, but most programs on this list are rated PG-13 (based on a US rating) or 14A (and Ontario rating.)
While some are appropriate for children young as 10 years old, all are definitely watchable for those 14 and up. If you as a family are unsure, I recommend letting the adults watching alone first and then making a decision.
As we enter the second month of shutdown and second week of Ontario's stay-at-home order, you might be running out of things to watch. (And since it's been nearly a year since the pandemic began, you've likely already watched more digital entertainment than in years gone by.)
That's why I hope the list will help. My weekly arts column normally reviews film, theatre and television, but there's a lot of comedy that exists in the world. With precious leisure time, I hope this list will point you in the right direction.
For the highest accessibility, let's focus today on the two streaming platforms with the most comedy content: Netflix and HBO (available on demand through Crave.)
The best specials on Netflix
Netflix generally separates their comedy into two main categories: traditional stand-up and mixed live entertainment (which can include music, theatre, comedy, or a mix of these.) The similarity that defines it as a comedy act is that its filmed on a stage in front a live audience.
Let's start with the classics. These are my favourite traditional stand-up acts:
- An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life is the double-hand variety act starring Steve Martin and Martin Short. They've frequently worked together over their 40+ year careers in entertainment, and this special finds the legendary funnymen at the most relaxed and most fun.
- Quarter-Life Crisis is the debut show from 24-year-old newcomer Taylor Tomlinson. Her warmth and versatility in acting out caricatures make Tomlinson stand-out among those getting their first special on Netflix.
- Iliza Shlesinger: Freezing Hot is her fantastic 2015 stand-up debut and my favourite of her work. If you like this however, she has three others on Netflix: Confirmed Kills, Unveiled and (her least funny) Elder Millennial.
- John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City is his 2018 show filmed at Radio City Music Hall in New York. He has two others on the service (New in Town and The Comeback Kid) but Kid Gorgeous is by far his funniest.
Next are the specials that are a mix of multiple talents or facets:
- Speaking of John Mulaney, Oh Hello on Broadway is a duo act of him and friend Nick Kroll pretending to be crabby New Yorkers in their 70s celebrating friendship and them finally finishing a play and now putting it on stage for you. I laugh so hard it hurts every time I see this, even after 10-12 views.
- Bo Burnham is a comedian and songwriter best described as the 21st century Tom Lehrer, telling short (and often striking) jokes mixed in with his elaborate songs, piano and physical comedy routines. Unlike Lehrer though, Burnham is best seen and heard, making film great for him. He has two shows: Make Happy (my favourite) and What (his debut, also available for free on Youtube.)
- Middleditch and Schwartz is a series of long-form improv episodes of actors Thomas Middleditch and Ben Schwartz. Their ability to play so many characters is amazing, and them trying to keep track of things is often as funny as the jokes. (The first episode, about a wedding, is especially funny.)
- Back in the theatre category, John Leguizamo's Latin History for Morons is his show filmed at the La Jolla Playhouse inspired by trying to inspire his young son and help him with his history homework. It's sweet, smart, and a wholly original, creative concept.
- Mike Birbiglia's The New One is one of my favourite comedy specials ever. It's a long-form storytelling piece by Birbiglia, chronically the true story of how he and his wife became parents. This is perhaps my top recommendation in this whole list. (If you like Birbiglia, Netflix also has a traditional stand-up of his called Thank God for Jokes.)
If none of this sounds appealing and you prefer mainstream television, my favourite network shows that are available on Netflix are The Good Place, Kim's Convenience and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. All of these listed above are available now on Netflix for subscribers.
The best specials on HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is a treasure trove for stand-up lovers; before Netflix became the go-to streaming home for modern comics, some of the greatest comedians in history all made it to the big leagues with an HBO special. Here I've decided to focus on my four favourites to help narrow down choices.
- Ellen Degeneres: Here and Now - filmed before her talk show days, this rare film of her early work in stand-up was filmed live at the Beacon Theatre and is proof of how she became known as one of the funniest women in America.
- 700 Sundays is Billy Crystal's one-man comedy concert show, mainly focusing on his childhood in Long Island and the relationship between him and his father.
- You're Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush was a show that played in early 2009, starring Will Ferrell as Bush, recapping the highlights from his eight years as president. If you want a great performance in comedy in the theme of new, incoming presidents (something very timely these days) this is the show for you.
- Also from Will Ferrell is Ferrell Takes the Field, a filmed special of Ferrell performing a charitable stunt with Major League Baseball. In 2015, Ferrell spent one day playing ten different positions for ten different MLB teams in five spring training games. An HBO crew filmed the adventure and it's both unique and hysterical.
Finally, I'd like to make an honourable mention for Chris Rock: any of his four specials here are great, but I couldn't definitively pick just one.
Whatever you choose to watch, there's lots of great talent making comedy to entertain us while we ride out the end of a second, local COVID-19 wave. So there's only one question left: which one are you gonna watch first?
