Warning - these shows are dangerously funny. Strap in, and prepare for some hilarious stories, funny observations and satirical humour that will leave you wanting more!
So, you’ve blown off steam from the work week with nights out at your favourite wine bars and sports bars enjoying cheap happy hours, and now you’re in dire need of a night in. Gather your friends, pets, or lovers for a snuggle session on the couch, and indulge in the best stand up specials out there. These stand up comedy specials are sure to turn that frown upside down.
Stand up comedy specials that’ll crack you up
1. Dave Chappelle – The Age of Spin (2017)
One of the most successful and renowned comedians in recent years, Dave Chappelle is a stand up comedy legend. After leaving his successful sketch series, Chappelle’s Show, abruptly in the mid-aughts, Chappelle came back to the stage after more than a decade in The Age of Spin. Widely known for his material on African American culture and issues facing the Black community, Chappelle uses his exclusive Netflix stand up special to address several hot-button topics that have arisen during his hiatus. Covering everything from meeting O. J. Simpson (multiple times), to feeling slightly out of touch with a more “politically correct” culture, Chappelle approaches controversial topics with ease and always leaves us laughing!
2. Taylor Tomlinson – Look at You (2022)
Rising comedian, Taylor Tomlinson, tells all about her mental health, dating life, and getting bangs in her second Netflix special, Look at You. From similarities with Selena Gomez to the hilarious story of how the title of her special came to be, Tomlinson is a natural on stage. She explores her mental health struggles in frank and entertaining ways; we especially love her dark yet hilarious story about getting hung up on by a suicide hotline! Look at You is certainly a great showcase of Tomlinson’s journey, honing her craft as a comedian.
3. John Mulaney – Kid Gorgeous at Radio City (2018)
This comedian is a ball of energy you just can’t take your eyes off of in Kid Gorgeous at Radio City. Delving into “stranger danger”, his memorable tenure as a Saturday Night Live writer, and more, John Mulaney masterfully uses physical comedy to enhance his keen observations of the human condition. Get ready for Mulaney’s animated riffs on the audacity of his alma mater to ask him for donations, the puzzling nature of Captcha tests, and his famous analogy of how the then-US President is like a horse loose in a hospital. Truly one of the best comedy specials for a night in.
4. Eddie Murphy – Delirious (1983)
Although you may have to dig into the catalogues a bit for this one, seeing a young Eddie Murphy in red leather start to cement his status as a comedy legend in this seminal 1983 stand up comedy special is worth it. As Delirious was taped in the 80s (particularly at the beginning of the AIDS crisis), you should be prepared for a couple of offensive jokes in the already famously profane stand up set. However, Murphy’s segments on ice cream trucks and family cookouts are truly timeless and are guaranteed to get a chuckle out of anyone.
5. Michelle Wolf – Joke Show (2019)
After a famously scathing set as the host of the 2018 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Michelle Wolf had many eyes on her by the time she took the stage in Joke Show. It’s safe to say that Wolf delivered, taking on modern outrage culture, pregnancy, sexuality, penises, and more without any reservations. Her theory on what the world would be like if men had periods is hilarious and layered, as she admits that women may not be too nice about it either if the tables were turned.
6. Matteo Lane – Hair Plugs & Heartache (2023)
As modern comedians harness the power of social media to introduce their comedy to the masses, many rising stars are releasing full stand up specials on various social channels. One such series is Matteo Lane’s Hair Plugs & Heartache on Youtube, where he shares his journey with hair transplant surgery, life during the pandemic, and hilarious encounters he has as a gay man in the heteronormative world. Seamlessly peppering in different impressions throughout his set, Lane finds humour in peculiar situations and in his misadventures with his opinionated friends. The riotous story about Lane and his friend playing Call of Duty online with some “straight boys” is worth the watch alone!
7. Ali Wong – Baby Cobra (2016)
Pregnant during the taping of her now-famous stand up comedy special Baby Cobra, Ali Wong takes audiences on an amazing comedic journey. Starting with her awkward dating experiences to marrying her husband, to trying to conceive and finally being pregnant with her first child, Wong takes no prisoners with her skewering delivery. Flawlessly going from explaining how she “trapped her husband” to delving into the nuances of the Asian American immigrant community, Wong’s raw talent shines through in her breakthrough special.
8. Kevin Hart – Let Me Explain (2013)
In Let Me Explain, Kevin Hart is recently divorced from his first wife and, in turn, tries to explain his flaws – compulsive lying, infidelity, irrational fears, and more. Get ready for literal fire to light up the stage, as Hart uses his famous brand of comedy in hilarious reenactments of outrageous situations and the colourful stories about his meteoric rise. Hart is, by far, one of the most popular and successful mainstream comedians in the recent decades, having even made the crossover into blockbuster films. It’s great to see him in his natural element here, alone with a microphone and throwing his body all over the stage to tell his jokes.
9. Wanda Sykes – Not Normal (2019)
Veteran comedian, Wanda Sykes, skewers politics, racism, and reality TV in Not Normal. With quick-witted and sharp critiques, Sykes explores the state of the world in 2019, as well as sharing amusing anecdotes about her personal life. Her thoughts on racism in America are as introspective as they are funny, further cementing Sykes’ position as an old-school comedy great. Be sure to listen to her hilarious but thought-provoking pitch on how to successfully “rebrand the black community”!
10. Ronny Chieng – Asian Comedian Destroys America! (2019)
After his breakout role on The Daily Show and in Crazy Rich Asians, Ronny Chieng takes centre-stage in Asian Comedian Destroys America! With “annoyed” ease, Chieng talks about his “tone issues”, the disastrous journey to his wedding, and people asking useless questions. As an immigrant, Chieng gives thoughtful and hysterical ruminations on modern American life, his job as a comedian, and subway etiquette – all while being hilariously frustrated.
11. Bob the Drag Queen – Woke Man in a Dress (2023)
Another incredible (and free!) stand up comedy special available on Youtube, Woke Man in a Dress from Rupaul’s Drag Race season 8 winner, Bob the Drag Queen, is a must-see. Watch Bob interact with the crowd like a seasoned pro as he tells a Gen Z audience member all about the perils of using the family computer as a child, waiting for AOL to connect, and trying to switch CDs in a moving car. Diving into his unique experiences as a black man, a queer person, and a drag queen, Bob doesn’t let up on the laughs as he recalls his mother’s early warnings and explains the difference between gay men and lesbians on vacation.
12. Iliza Shlesinger – Freezing Hot (2015)
After her breakthrough as the first woman to win NBC’s Last Comic Standing, Iliza Schlesinger hones her idiosyncratic brand of comedy throughout multiple Netflix stand up comedy specials. Freezing Hot, her second special, is especially worth a watch as Schlesinger explains silk blouses, Pinterest, pumpkin spiced lattes, and more to the audience. Known for her shrewd observations on the differences between modern men and women, Schlesinger’s signature rapid-fire delivery is pure entertainment.
