Since its inception, Netflix has always championed comedy – from the biggest stars in the world like Dave Chapelle and Jerry Seinfeld, to the rising stars of their ‘Comedians of the World’ and ‘The Comedy Lineup’ series. With lockdown looking to drag out even longer and nothing really funny about the state of the world, we’ve taken to the online streaming platform to find five great shows from some of the funniest folk around.

James Acaster: Repertoire

James Acaster is quite simply the best British comedian produced this century. His shows are brilliantly funny and as this series of specials illustrates, intricately linked. Acaster had been nominated for best show at the Edinburgh Fringe for each of these four comedy specials over the course of five years before filming for Netflix and releasing them back-to-back online. This near four hours of stand-up comedy cements him as one of the greats.

Michelle Wolf: Joke Show

Perhaps best known for the woman Donald Trump was most afraid of (he skipped the correspondents dinner she hosted and then comedians weren’t allowed back the next year), Michelle Wolf is a former Daily Show writer and performer who crafts exquisite and close to the bone comedy from her various experiences. This particular special is jam packed with hilarious takes on outrage culture, childbirth, feminism and otters. Not for the faint of heart but definitely very, very funny.

Mike Birbiglia: The New One

Birbiglia has long been the mild-mannered Uncle of American comedy and this show about him making the switch from uncle to first time father is his best yet. A cracking confessional comic who mines his Catholic upbringing for hilarity and occasional warmth this deep dive on the terrors of fatherhood is a must for any new parents, and a warning sign for those that might be considering the prospect.

Katherine Ryan: Glitter Room

You may know Katherine Ryan from television- for she is on all of the television. As good as she is in her ubiquitous appearances on panel shows and documentaries she’s even better on the stage and Glitter Room showcases her style of ‘take no sh*t, give no f*cks’ stand-up perfectly.

Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee

Not so much a special as a window into the world of stand-up comedy, and if you don’t like that you can always coo at the nice cars. Jerry Seinfeld invites a guest for a ride in a classic car to get a coffee and chat about their careers. The results are an open dialogue about what it’s like at the top and bottom of the comedy ladder with the goods and greats including Sarah Silverman, Chris Rock, Don Rickles, Tina Fey, John Stewart and loads more.

Mon 11 May
Words:
John Stansfield
Published on:
Fri 5 Jun 2020