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- DirectorPaul MillerJohn FortenberryStarsMitch HedbergMitch Hedberg's half-hour special on Comedy Central, as part of their Comedy Central Presents series.
- DirectorStan LathanStarsDave ChappelleGreer BarnesChappelle cuts loose in what he does best, Chappelle-style! And for what it's worth, no one is safe from Dave!
- DirectorBruce GowersStarsEddie MurphyJames ArgiroGus LoundermonEddie Murphy's raunchy, raucous stand-up comedy routine is captured for posterity on this tape.
- DirectorMichael DrummStarsJim GaffiganJeannie GaffiganIn this brand-new comedy performance, he's more hilarious than ever with his unique style of self-deprecating observations and catty audience commentary.
- DirectorDon MischerStarsRobin WilliamsRobin Williams performs his act in San Francisco's Great American Music Hall. Although he does do some of his more well known routines, much of the footage is devoted to Williams' frenetic, completely off the wall improvisation.
- DirectorManny RodriguezStarsGabriel IglesiasMartin MorenoGabriel Iglesias is one of the fastest rising comics today! With his unique brand of humor, loveable stage presence and a wide range of voices and impressions, it's no wonder he became an instant favorite on "Last Comic Standing." Now you can see Comedy Central's "Comic of the Year" in a sold out concert performance at the historic Fox Theater in Bakersfield, California.
- DirectorStan LathanStarsDave ChappelleAlbert PrecourtDave Chappelle returns to D.C. and riffs on politics, police, race relations, drugs, Sesame Street and more.
- DirectorJoe LaytonStarsRichard PryorGene CrossJulie HamptonRichard Pryor performs his stand-up comedy act on the Sunset Strip.
- DirectorMichael DrummStarsRon WhiteRon White does an hour long standup routine about his life, things that bother him, and other thoughts.
- DirectorJay ChapmanStarsJim GaffiganJim Gaffigan bursts back on the scene with this eagerly anticipated fourth comedy special. Dubbed the "King of Clean Comedy" by The Wall Street Journal, Jim's obsession with all things food comes to fruition on "Obsessed" as he tackles a cornucopia of new food topics from fruit to seafood to donuts. Get ready for 70 minutes of non-stop laughs at Jim's twisted-yet-enlightened observations on the seemingly mundane topics that have made him a fixture in the comedy world for audiences of all ages.
- DirectorMarty CallnerStarsJerry SeinfeldMichael BarryteGrace BustosLive from New York City, Jerry Seinfeld, aided and abetted by a host of friends and fellow comedians, performs his 1998 Emmy-nominated performance on Broadway.
- StarsGabriel IglesiasMartin MorenoG. ReillyIn front of an adoring crowd in Honolulu, comedian Gabriel Iglesias relates tales from his childhood and career, and even uses some local slang.
- DirectorWalter C. MillerStarsRodney DangerfieldRobert UrichDonna DixonRodney Dangerfield's second ABC special, featuring stand-up and sketches.
- DirectorJay ChapmanStarsSteve ByrneSteve Byrne, the star of Sullivan & Son, brings his high-energy flair to a live audience in his latest & most personal work in his new one-hour comedy special, Champion.
- DirectorBeth McCarthy-MillerStarsJon StewartBefore he became a household name with The Daily Show, Jon Stewart taped this special in Miami, Florida and jokes about a wide range of material.
- DirectorTroy MillerStarsJohn OliverAndy ZaltzmanIn this stand-up comedy from Comedy Central, British comedian John Oliver discusses global issues, politics, and his childhood.
- DirectorMatt GoodmanMorgan StoneStarsStephen LynchDrew LynchMark TeichCaptures one of today's most original singer-comedians in his natural environment: onstage.
- DirectorScott GawlikStarsDave AttellVeteran New York City comic Dave Attell is back with his Comedy Central stand-up special "Road Work." This unique special cuts together multiple performances from Attell's past tour. From New Orleans to Philadelphia to Minneapolis and more, "Road Work" feels more like a concert film than a traditional stand-up special. Of course, it wouldn't be a proper Attell show without his expert crowd work and clever R-rated material in what he calls "a filthy, dirty mess of a show."
- DirectorKeith TruesdellStarsChris RockJim BreuerMario JoynerThe second HBO stand-up special by Chris Rock.
- DirectorSeth BarrishStarsMike BirbigliaMike Birbiglia tells the touching story of his believing and disbelieving in love.
- DirectorRocco UrbisciStarsGeorge CarlinWhen George Carlin is asked which HBO concert is his favorite, his answer is always, "Jammin' In New York." The reasons are several: It was his first HBO show done live; it was the first he had done in his hometown, New York City; and it was the largest audience he had ever worked before: 6,500.But Carlin says it also represented a newfound sophistication in his writing. "It was the first time I had done truly extended pieces consisting of separate sections all flowing together. It was a big leap for me."The show, taped at the Paramount Theater in Madison Square Garden and winner of the 1992 CableACE Award, is a perfect blend of biting social commentary and more gently-observed observational pieces.
- DirectorTom ForrestStarsRon WhiteMargo ReyTwo-hour special was filmed live at the Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas.
- DirectorRyan PolitoStarsAnthony JeselnikAnthony Jeselnik brings his signature dark and twisted point of view to this extended and uncensored special. He holds nothing back, routinely saying things most wouldn't ever dare. Anthony is not for the easily offended or humorless.
- DirectorMichael BliedenStarsZach GalifianakisJoe WagnerBrian UngerA master of the one-liner with an absurd rambling style, Zach's sharp, resonating humor makes his show at the famed Purple Onion in San Francisco one of the funniest performances in recent comedy.
- DirectorKeith TruesdellStarsChris RockJim BreuerMario JoynerThe second HBO stand-up special by Chris Rock.Chris Rock spent most of the early ‘90s sorta phoning it in on Saturday Night Live, a show that never quite knew what the hell to do with him; after leaving SNL, he did a brief stint on the well-past-its-prime In Living Color before going back out on the road and discovering that he’d kinda lost his chops as a stand-up comic. Some performers might have coasted, or thrown in the towel. Instead, Rock buckled down, rebuilt his act and persona from the ground up, and roared back onto the scene with the finest comedy special ever made, bar none. 1996’s Bring the Pain found Rock combining social commentary, personal introspection, and comic performance with a skill and finesse unseen since the glory days of Pryor; it brought the comedian back from the professional dead, and reminded us all of what the stand-up form was, and what it could be.
- DirectorLouis C.K.Shannon HartmanStarsLouis C.K.Louis C.K.'s second one-hour special filmed at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston, MA.After the failure of his HBO sitcom Lucky Louie, Louis C.K. decided to refocus on his stand-up act, working to become the best road comic in the country. And he proceeded to do just that. His second hour-long special, which aired on Showtime in 2008, finds him truly hitting his stride, taking on language, health, race, women, and 9/11 thoughtfully and uproariously. But his best material is the middle slab about fatherhood, wherein he finds a perfect mixture of wonder and bitterness at his kids — and their *beep* Chewed Up was recorded on March 1, 2008, the same night that George Carlin recorded his final hour; it feels like the night that the baton was passed, and that Louie took over the televised stand-up dynasty that Carlin had cultivated since the 1970s.
- DirectorRocco UrbisciStarsGeorge CarlinWhen George Carlin is asked which HBO concert is his favorite, his answer is always, "Jammin' In New York." The reasons are several: It was his first HBO show done live; it was the first he had done in his hometown, New York City; and it was the largest audience he had ever worked before: 6,500.But Carlin says it also represented a newfound sophistication in his writing. "It was the first time I had done truly extended pieces consisting of separate sections all flowing together. It was a big leap for me."The show, taped at the Paramount Theater in Madison Square Garden and winner of the 1992 CableACE Award, is a perfect blend of biting social commentary and more gently-observed observational pieces.I might be in the minority on this one, but I actually prefer grouchy, angry, nihilistic older George Carlin to his quirky hippie younger counterpart. That variation of his persona had peeked out in earlier specials like Doin’ It Again and What Am I Doin’ in New Jersey, but it was fully formed and raging in this priceless 1992 HBO special, where he takes on such topics as the war in Iraq (the first one, that is), environmentalism, and golf. But most memorable is his epic riff on the insanity of airline announcements; do yourself a favor and cue that one up before your next big trip, and marvel at how George is still killing it.
- DirectorBruce GowersStarsEddie MurphyJames ArgiroGus LoundermonEddie Murphy's raunchy, raucous stand-up comedy routine is captured for posterity on this tape.Some of the material (particularly the tired anti-gay stuff) hasn’t aged all that well — and neither has that red leather suit. But few hours of television are as revered among young comics as Eddie Murphy’s 1983 HBO special, featuring such classics as his riffs on pop singers, his memories of ice cream trucks, and the story of his drunken father acting out at family cookouts. A mere 22 years old at the time of its recording, Delirious grabs the hot young comic at his cockiest and funniest, before years of paycheck roles and family comedies sanded down the fascinating rough edges on display here.
- DirectorRocco UrbisciStarsRoseanne BarrAshley HelmaHeather HopperRoseanne's first HBO stand-up comedy special.Barr was a top-notch road comic and Tonight Show favorite when she landed her first HBO special in 1987. It was the culmination of her act and persona, as a bitter, smartass “domestic goddess” who did not suffer fools (like her husband and kids) gladly. Explosively funny from beginning to end, it caught the attention of Cosby Show executive producers Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner, who adapted that persona into Roseanne the following year.
- DirectorLawrence JordanStarsEddie IzzardExecutive transvestite Eddie Izzard takes his show to San Francisco to give a brief history of pagan and Christian religions, the building of Stonehenge, the birth of the Church of England and of Western empires, and the need for a European dream. Along the way, he dramatizes Dr. Heimlich's search for a maneuver, the naming of Engelbert Humperdinck, Scooby and Shaggy as archetypes, Neil Armstrong on the moon, society's tolerance of mass murderers, how we sing anthems and carols, Hollywood adapting British films, JFK's trip to Berlin, thoughts on puberty, and how to work schoolbook-French phrases into Parisian conversation. Closeups catch the glint in his eye and his carefully-applied make-up.Izzard had made a name for himself in the United Kingdom throughout the ‘90s with a series of brilliant one-man shows, in which he looked at the history of the world and contemporary mores through his intelligently silly lens. But his worldwide breakthrough came in 1999, when a San Francisco engagement (presented by Robin Williams) of his one-man show Dress to Kill was taped by HBO. The result is one of the finest specials in their history, a jolly jaunt through all of civilization, with a very funny transvestite leading the tour.
- DirectorChris BouldStarsBill HicksBill Hicks in the height of his genius. Recorded at the Dominion Theatre in London, Hicks opens our eyes and minds to the hypocrisy and ludicrousness of the world around us.It almost seemed as though the bold, confrontational, and thought-provoking Hicks had to get the hell outta the States to look at his home country with proper cynical detachment, and that’s what happened in the early 1990s, when he toured the United Kingdom and made the Revelations special for Channel 4. It ended up being the best special of his tragically short career, an angry, jaded, blistering look at the nonsensical injustices of the world and the unaccountably stupid people who inhabit it.
- DirectorGary WeisStarsSteve MartinMilton BerleGeorge BurnsSteve Martin's first network special for NBC. The show is half concert footage (shot at the Universal Amphitheatre in LA) and half sketches. Sketches include: Martin as "Turtle Boy," rodeo-riding a giant turtle; Martin hosting a variety show, on which Johnny Cash discusses his research in astronomy; and Martin five years later as a drunken bum.Martin was quite possibly stand-up comedy’s first “rock star”—successes like Bill Cosby or Don Rickles played theaters, but when Martin blew up, he was playing arenas. It was all a little silly, a goofy guy in a white suit with an arrow through his head, playing the banjo and juggling on the massive stage of the Universal Amphitheater — and that’s what’s great about this 1978 NBC special (which mixes that material with taped sketches). The self-reflexive nature of his act is taken to its most absurd point, and the material is performed to perfection.
- DirectorBruce GowersStarsPaula PoundstoneDan AveyEdd HallAn hour of stand-up comedy taped in San Francisco with Poundstone expounding on cats, cops, cars and stuff. Aired on HBO.Poundstone has always been a gifted observational comic — her description of the inarguable train of logic that inevitably leads her to eating an entire box of Pop Tarts in one sitting is, I’m sorry, genius (and sadly accurate). But this 1990 special captures her unequaled skill with audience participation, embarking on a round of crowd work that’s funnier than most comics’ best scripted material.
- DirectorKeith TruesdellStarsJaneane Garofalo[HBO] HD. Actress/comedian Janeane Garofalo performs in her HBO solo stand-up comedy debut.Garafalo’s reign as ‘90s It Girl was in full effect when HBO aired this half-hour special in 1995 (just before her breakout in The Truth About Cats and Dogs). In the compact show, she covers pop culture, dating, feminism, and sex (I can’t describe exactly why the “STOP *beep* ME” bit is so funny, but it is), with cynicism and wit in a loose, disorganized style. It remains a funny show, and perfect snapshot of the transformations happening in stand-up at that moment.
- DirectorCamille O. CosbyDavid LewisStarsBill CosbyIn this concert film, Bill Cosby muses on his nearing the big 5-0 and how that age affects men, their wives, and their children.Because I get worked up about such things, I’m irritated by all the press insisting that Far From Finished is “Bill Cosby’s first stand-up special in 30 years!” That’s incorrect, because a) Himself wasn’t a “special,” it was a theatrically released motion picture, and (more importantly) b) that timeline completely ignores Bill Cosby: 49, a marvelous 69-minute Cosby special released straight to VHS by Kodak back in 1987. The show captures the comic on the edge of turning 50, and most of his material is about approaching that milestone: changes to his body, his health, his eyesight, his eating habits, and so on (much of which he transcribed in his bestselling book Time Flies). But the best bit comes at the end: a 15-minute story about how he went into the Navy, and his first night there. It’s the kind of almost-rambling storytelling that would come to define his act in the years to come; it’s also the Cosby classic that should have been, a long, searching, deeply personal story that is fall-down funny and remarkably evocative, all at once.
- DirectorStan LathanStarsDave ChappelleAlbert PrecourtDave Chappelle returns to D.C. and riffs on politics, police, race relations, drugs, Sesame Street and more.Chappelle burst onto the stand-up scene with the skill and confidence of a prodigy; I still vividly remember how he appeared at Comic Relief VI, a 20-year-old ball of laid-back comic dynamite, and walked off with the show. His 2000 HBO special Killin’ Them Softly is solid from beginning to end, but it features one of his unquestionably iconic bits: the hilarious tale of a 3am visit to the ghetto in the back of a limo, and his encounter with a streetwise baby.
- DirectorDon MischerStarsRobin WilliamsRobin Williams performs his act in San Francisco's Great American Music Hall. Although he does do some of his more well known routines, much of the footage is devoted to Williams' frenetic, completely off the wall improvisation.When Williams was at his peak, nobody was better, his rapid-fire jokes and lightning-fast improvisation aiding a keen sense of social satire. This 1982 HBO special catches him at that peak (quite possibly with the aid of a bit of the ol’ “Peruvian Marching Power”), with a memorable performance on his home turf of San Francisco. The Reagan administration material and other topical references still work, but what’s most remarkable is his audience improvisation; he riffs and vibes with jaw-dropping skill.
- DirectorWalter C. MillerStarsNancy OmiSteven WrightEnjoyably lethargic Steven Wright leaves his shack in the prairie to deliver a stand up show filled with creative and philosophical jokes, deadpan one-liners and funny contrived situations, including meeting a perfect Asian blond.Amongst the loud likes of contemporaries Kinison and Goldthwait, Boston comic Steven Wright came up with the simplest and most effective of ‘80s stand-up gimmicks: arid dryness. With a deadpan persona that makes Buster Keaton seem comparatively animated, Wright quietly delivered a cascade of surrealist one-liners that made him a comic legend. He’s done frustratingly few specials over the course of his long career, and the best is still his first, a 1985 HBO hour that remains timelessly, hilariously funny.
- DirectorMichael BliedenStarsZach GalifianakisJoe WagnerBrian UngerA master of the one-liner with an absurd rambling style, Zach's sharp, resonating humor makes his show at the famed Purple Onion in San Francisco one of the funniest performances in recent comedy.This 2007 DVD remains, far and away, the finest showcase for the idiosyncratic comic genius of Mr. Galifianakis, who does a screamingly funny set at the legendary San Francisco club, trotting out his trademark piano one-liners and easel bits, as well as some first-rate crowd work. In between, he also plays his uptight, Christian conservative brother “Seth Galifianakis,” interviewed by former Daily Show correspondent Brian Unger. The temptation of untold riches from endless Hangover sequels may have sidelined Galifianakis as a stand-up, and that’s a shame; as this disc proves, he’s one of the most unpredictable and talented comics in the game.
- DirectorThomas SchlammeStarsWhoopi GoldbergWhoopi Goldberg in her original one-woman showIn fall 1984, director Mike Nichols took then-unknown Whoopi Goldberg’s collection of character monologues to Broadway for a six-month run. Steven Spielberg saw that show and offered her the leading role in The Color Purple, and the rest is history. But more importantly, HBO’s cameras recorded the performance, capturing the multi-talented Goldberg playing everyone from a Jamaican housekeeper to a Valley Girl to a child to Fontaine, a streetwise junkie whose trip to Amsterdam takes an unexpected turn. Funny, challenging, and occasionally heartbreaking, it plays today as a reminder of the talent being wasted every day on The View.
- DirectorSeth BarrishStarsMike BirbigliaMike Birbiglia tells the touching story of his believing and disbelieving in love.Birbigs isn’t just any stand-up; his most recent special (recorded for Netflix earlier this year) was honed in New York clubs and perfected during an off-Broadway run. As with his previous one-man show, Sleepwalk With Me, My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend utilizes an innovative, circular construction and careful pathos (along with Birbiglia’s shambling charm) to tell a story that is at once painfully confessional and hysterically funny.
- DirectorWalter C. MillerStarsSam KinisonFlorence Marie MarneyDenise GallupFans old and new have cause for celebration with the release of Sam Kinison: Breaking All The Rules, HBO Special. Along with being voted onto Comedy Central's All-Time Top 20 Stand-Up Comedians list and VH-1's Top Comedians list, Sam seemed to be in a whole other class by himself. This comedy special will blow away the Kinison fan, and will be a must-have collectible. "Sam was the cuddly anti-Christ..." - Robin Williams. "Sam scared the hell out of you...and was the funniest comedian..." - Jay Leno. "Sam took no prisoners..." - Richard Pryor. "Sam was an absolute comic genius..." - Rodney Dangerfield. "Sam's humor was based on truth and pushed the envelope like no other..." - Larry King. "Sam's voice was the voice of outrage..." - Tim Matheson. "Sam was one of our generation's greatest stand-up comics..." - Howard Stern. "Sam was one of my all time favorite comics..." - Johnny Carson. "Sam was outrageous, bright and absolutely screamed the truth..." - Tom LykisLike Eddie Murphy’s ‘80s work, the homophobia of Mr. Kinison’s act has not aged particularly well. And like Murphy, even that objection doesn’t subtract from the considerable brilliance (and undeniable influence) of his comedy — particularly with regards to this, his first HBO hour, before the “rock star” excesses took over both his personal life and his onstage act. In this explosively funny hour, the former Pentecostal preacher takes on the Bible, organized religion, and his ex-wives with equal furor. A portrait of a ground-breaker, alive with the rawness of comic discovery.
- DirectorJordan BradyStarsMaria BamfordJoel BamfordMarilyn BamfordSpend an intimate evening with Maria Bamford in her cozy 'shot-at-home' comedy special. Gleeful, thrilling, and oh so awkward Maria gets snug with her two person audience consisting of only her parents.If you think Sarah Silverman’s decision to shoot her new special for an audience of 39 was too grand and not quite intimate enough, we direct you to this recent VOD hour by the wonderfully weird Maria Bamford, performed in front of an audience of two. And it’s a tough crowd: her parents, frequently discussed during the act in question. The results are fascinating — a sly commentary on the thin line separating life and art. (Plus, y’know, funny.)
- DirectorPaul MillerStarsPatton OswaltScott IanStand-up special from Patton Oswalt.Oswalt spent much of the early 2000s quietly making a name for himself as a comedian’s comedian — sharp, funny, goofy, and brilliant. This 2004 Comedy Central special was his first hour-long show (after half-hours on CC and HBO), and it captures some of his finest material: Black Angus, homoerotic ‘80s music videos, “Dr. Pepper” the heroin-addicted open mic comic, NPR’s poor music choices, Stella D’oro Breakfast Treats, and true crime television. His follow-up specials, My Weakness Is Strong and Finest Hour, are outstanding as well, but this is Patton at his best.
- DirectorEllen BrownStarsRobin HarrisExetta HarrisReynaldo ReyAmerican stand-up comedian Robin Harris performs his legendary comedic jokes as part of HBO's classic comedy series One Night Stand (1989).Wide-eyed, cynical storyteller Robin Harris died in March 1990, just as his star was on the rise with appearances in Harlem Nights, House Party, and Do the Right Thing. He only left one stand-up special, but it’s a doozy — an unforgettable half-hour installment of One Night Stand, concluding with his signature bit, the story of a disastrous trip to Disney World with “Be-be’s Kids.”
- DirectorBilly CrystalWhoopi GoldbergJohn MoffittStarsBilly CrystalWhoopi GoldbergRobin WilliamsThe first in a series of specials hosted by Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, and Whoopi Goldberg using comedy to raise awareness for poverty.These occasional benefits for Americans in need aren’t always a laugh riot — it’s a telethon, after all, so there are serious interludes, and its three regular hosts (Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, and Robin Williams) have all become less funny (at differing rates of speed) over the years. But the original 1986 show, which aired on HBO, was full of memorable moments: a killer opening with multiple character turns by the hosts, a Sid Caesar/Carl Reiner reunion (with the former playing “Professor Ludwig von Knowitall); a surprisingly funny stand-up turn by Jerry Lewis; a Martin Short/Catherine/O’Hara/Harold Ramis Second City sketch; Bobcat Goldthwait doing his act in an on-stage shower; and, best of all, George Carlin performing “A Place for My Stuff.”
- DirectorLance BangsDavid CrossStarsDavid CrossBob KalibanMichelle MarykThe immediate aftermath of 9/11 was a weird time to be a political comic — seldom have the boundaries of what people did and didn’t want to hear seem so impenetrable. (Even George Carlin had kind words for the job performance of George W. Bush in his fall 2001 special, though he couldn’t resist joking, “Someday, we oughtta think about electing that guy president.”) But Mr. Show’s David Cross wasn’t having it; his 2002 album Shut Up, You *beep* Baby! and this accompanying tour/concert film captured the troublesomely flag-waving national zeitgeist with appropriate anger and cynicism.
- DirectorJoel GallenStarsEllen DeGeneresEllen DeGeneres performs her comedy-concert live on stage and taped for HBO.The following year, One Night Stand gave America its first good look at a charming blonde observational comic with a rather unfortunate early-‘90s mullet. Ellen DeGeneres had a quirky style and distinctive charisma that would serve her well throughout the decade the followed, as she took the traditional paths to television series and film. But it is this 2003 special that finds her at her comic peak, discussing everything from yogurt to sexuality (which would become so much a part of her public persona after coming out in 1997).
- DirectorEllen BrownSue WolfStarsDamon WayansDamon Wayans Jr.Michael Wayans[HBO] HD. Multi-talented funnyman Damon Wayans breaks loose in front of a live audience in this riotous special.Though he taped two very good follow-up hours in the ensuing years, nothing Wayans has ever done quite matched the sheer force and energy of his debut stand-up special on HBO’s anthology half-hour One Night Stand, during that show’s inaugural 1989 season. Predating even his breakout on brother Keenan’s In Living Color, Wayans was so intimidatingly good that even stand-up maestro Eddie Murphy told Arsenio Hall that Wayans was the reason he was afraid to go back out as a stand-up.
- DirectorLouis C.K.StarsLouis C.K.Louis jokes about fatherhood, success, and flying first class at the Beacon Theatre in New York.Like Carlin, pretty much everything Louie has done deserves a spot on this countdown; he’s been on a remarkable run of brilliant, insightful, side-splitting specials. But his 2011 special Live at the Beacon Theater is remarkable for both its contents and its delivery; Louie circumvented the usual distribution models to take the special straight to the fans, selling it directly to viewers, via his website, for just five bucks. It performed far beyond expectations — partially because it was a smart thing to do, partially because it contains some of his wisest and funniest material, countering topics typical of modern stand-up (sex, drugs, aging, parenthood) with self-reflective bits about his own selfishness and desire to be a better human being.
- DirectorMarty CallnerStarsGeorge CarlinBrenda CarlinPerforming at the Celebrity Star Theater in Phoenix on July 23, 1978, Carlin mesmerizes his audience in the second of his 12 HBO specials. The show was originally planned as part of a concert/sketch movie, The Illustrated George Carlin, that never came to fruition.The routines include: Death, Kids & Parents, Newscast #2, Time and Al Sleet, the Hippy-Dippy Weatherman.George Carlin’s relationship with HBO Comedy was a long and fruitful one — from 1977 to 2008 (the year of his death), he turned out 14 specials for the network, and just about all of them are brilliant and funny enough to make this list. But we’ll share the praise and just pick two: one (to come) from his later, grouchier years, and this earlier one, capturing his quirky observational style. Carlin shot it in 1978 in Phoenix, Arizona, in an in-the-round setting that finds him engaging his audience with his unique blend of “did you ever notice” relatability and borderline surrealism. It’s such an iconic special, in fact, that Louis C.K. returned to the venue for his most recent HBO hour, Oh My God.
- DirectorMichael BlumStarsRichard PryorRichard Pryor delivering his one-of-a-kind routine. One of his earliest live performances in 1971 at the Improvisation in New York.As mentioned in the intro, the bulk of Pryor’s filmed material was for his amazing trio of theatrical “in concert” movies (Live in Concert, Live on the Sunset Strip, and Here and Now). That leaves only this oft-forgotten film, shot at the New York City Improv in April 1971 but not widely seen until a mid-‘80s video release. He seems thrown by the cameras, mentioning them frequently, and his set doesn’t have the tight brilliance of his later movies — he seems (in places) uncertain, tentative, still finding his voice. And that is, perhaps, what makes Live and Smokin’ so extraordinary for Pryor fans and students of stand-up. Few comics were more distinctively themselves than Pryor, and the chance to see him at this unpolished, embryonic (but still very funny) stage is rare and rather remarkable.
- DirectorMarty CallnerStarsSteve MartinSteve Martin's HBO special was done as one of their "On Location" series of standup comedy specials. Taped on October 31, 1976 at the Troubador in Los Angeles, it provides an uncensored look at Martin's early act.This early installment of HBO’s signature stand-up series catches Martin just as he was about to explode (itself a moment captured later on this list). In this intimate, club-taped show, Martin juggles, plays his banjo, gets “happy feet,” and does much of the material from his Let’s Get Small album. But hearing Martin and seeing him work are two very different things — this is inspired silliness, delivered with the grin of a talent who was just about to become an industry.
- 20081h 19mTV-MA7.6 (4.5K)TV SpecialDirectorMarty CallnerStarsChris RockChris Rock's 2008 comedy tour visits London, New York and Johannesburg. Various parts of this tour are edited together to create his fifth HBO stand-up special.Rock’s 2009 special uses an ingenious editing gimmick: to convey the scope of the world tour it was culled from, crews recorded three separate shows on three continents — one in London, one in Johannesburg, and one in New York City. The three performances were then spliced together to form one performance; Rock will, say, start a joke in New York and then deliver the punchline in London before doing a topper in Johannesburg. It’s a cool, unique lark, but you stop even noticing after a while, since (as per usual with Rock) the material is endlessly funny — particularly his inspired riffs on the 2008 election.
- DirectorJohn MoffittJerry SeinfeldStarsColin QuinnColin Quinn performs his one-man show about world history, which he originally presented on Broadway.This viewer was never much of a fan of Colin Quinn’s work on either Saturday Night Live or his flat Politically Incorrect rip-off Tough Crowd, which is why it was such a treat to so thoroughly enjoy this 2010 special, taken from his one-man show (directed, on and off-Broadway, by Jerry Seinfeld). Quinn presents what amounts to the history of the world in 75 minutes, starting with broad concepts and then narrowing them into specific — and often contemporary — incidents and ideas. This is the most polished and thoughtful material he’s done, the unexpected introduction of modern mores and 21st-century thinking into historical events a comedic gift that keeps on giving.
- DirectorShannon HartmanStarsBill BurrStand-up comedian Bill Burr's 2010 comedy special.Massachusetts-bred comic Burr (familiar to Breaking Bad fans as Saul Goodman “associate” Kuby) has a tough, no-nonsense style and an endearing lack of patience onstage, and this 2010 Comedy Central special finds him in top form, with inspired bits on swine flu, chain stores, television commercials, and much more. He’s an observational comic with an edge, in the George Carlin tradition, and earns that comparison in spades here.
- DirectorBeth McCarthy-MillerStarsWanda SykesEmmy(R)-winning actress/comic Wanda Sykes returns to HBO for her second full-length stand-up special. Taped at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C., this riotous performance features Wanda's hilarious takes on a variety of topics.The very funny Ms. Sykes turned out a steady stream of excellent specials in the 2000s, but the best was the most recent (dating to 2009 — can we get a new one out, stat?). It’s her most political — still basking in the glow of the Obama inauguration, and riffing hilariously on her semi-notorious gig at Obama’s first White House Correspondents’ Dinner — and most personal as well, talking at length about coming out as a lesbian, but with a light touch and deft comic instinct that makes the material smart yet never preachy.
- DirectorRyan PolitoStarsKristen SchaalKurt BraunohlerEugene MirmanIn her first Comedy Central one-hour special, Kristen Schaal unleashes her wit upon San Francisco. She is best known as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and as an eccentric fan on Flight of the Conchords.The structure of the TV stand-up special (opening “sketch,” big entrance, up-close photography, cutaways to hysterical audience members, big finish, return to the opening sketch) is so tried and true that there’s something sort of daring about anyone who shakes it up. Bob’s Burgers and Daily Show fave Schaal did just that — boy, did she ever — in her Comedy Central special earlier this year, a brilliant bit of Andy Kaufman-esque performance art with a staged (yet seemingly very real and uncomfortable) bombing and audience revolt. The peculiar reaction from its television audience confirmed that stand-up fans can be a surprisingly conservative bunch — Schaal is taking real chances here, and in doing so, creates one of the most memorable comedy hours in recent memory.
- DirectorBruce GowersStarsRobin WilliamsIn this hilarious stand up comedy, Robin Williams is energetic, witty and again hilarious. It's the number one stand up comedy of all time.“Pavarotti’s at the Improv going, ‘Two Jews walk into a bar.’” Williams was fully aware of the incongruity of doing his raunchy stand-up act at the Metropolitan Opera House, but the giant venue is actually a perfect fit for the big, fast, motor-mouthed comic, whose schtick hadn’t yet worn out its welcome when this riotously funny special hit HBO in 1986.
- DirectorMichael DrummStarsJim GaffiganJeannie GaffiganIn this brand-new comedy performance, he's more hilarious than ever with his unique style of self-deprecating observations and catty audience commentary.It’s the one where he does the Hot Pockets bit. What else do you need to know?
- DirectorBeth McCarthy-MillerStarsPatrice O'NealJosh FademElephant In The Room, filmed at the acclaimed Montreal Comedy Festival, is Patrice's first full-length special.The late, great O’Neal had a raw and sometimes uncomfortably candid voice, working through his personal demons in a style that recalled Richard Pryor at his most confrontational. This 2011 special pulls no punches, examining sexuality and relationships with honesty and freshness.
- DirectorShannon HartmanStarsKim DelgadoKevin HartLeBron James"Seriously Funny" stars Kevin Hart performing in front of a sold out crowd live from Cleveland, Ohio - where he delivers his hilarious and unique brand of comedy. In this unforgettable night of comedy, Kevin is in rare form and funny as ever!Hart has managed to keep the theatrical stand-up concert film alive almost single-handedly, racking up impressive grosses for Laugh at My Pain and Let Me Explain. The groundwork for those films (and the giant tours that preceded them) is laid in this 2010 special, which finds Hart honing his candidly confessional style to perfection.
- DirectorPaul MillerStarsLewis BlackLewis Black goes on tirade after tirade about stupidity in America. He covers everything from corporate greed and Martha Stewart to WMDs and homeland securityThough still getting it done, Lewis Black has had some trouble keeping his topical comedy pointed in the Obama era. No, he was at his best when targeting his nemesis, George W. Bush, which he does with frequency in this 2004 HBO hour. But it’s not all Bush-bashing; his bits about corporate greed, bottled water, taxes, travel, and soy milk (which, he notes, isn’t milk but soy juice) are as good as he gets.
- StarsRob DelaneyEveryone’s favorite Twitter comic finally gets the showcase he deserves in this 2012 Netflix special, turning his wife’s pregnancy, his recent fatherhood, and his testicular cancer scare into an honest, odd, witty, and very funny hour.
- DirectorTed DemmeStarsDenis LearyChris PhillipsAdam RothTicked off comic Denis Leary talks honestly about subjects ranging from smoking, red meat, drugs, his family, rehab, and yes, cancer.Say what you will about the (ahem) influence of Bill Hicks, but Leary’s furious, smoke-spewing rants on drugs, cigarettes, vegetarians, rock music, and death were pointed, funny, and often inspired — and never more so than in his breakthrough 1993 Showtime special.
- DirectorDuncan SkilesStarsBeth HoytScott KeyAshley ParchmentReggie Watts performing live at three New York venues bookended with sketches.The incomparable Reggie W. is one of those occasional figures who redefines what a comedian is and does; this 2010 Comedy Central special finds him fusing the persona of comic, musician, and rapper, fuzzing the boundaries to create something altogether new and remarkable.
- DirectorGary HalvorsonStarsBrett ButlerBrett Butler's first stand-up comedy special.Butler’s dirty yet dry Southern wit got sanitized and defanged on her briefly popular ABC sitcom Grace Under Fire, but before that show’s debut, she crafted this rollicking 1993 Showtime special. Give it a watch sometime, and try to figure out why this wry talent disappeared so quickly.
- DirectorPaul MillerStarsDennis MillerEdwin NewmanAli EspleySolid 55 minutes of his insightful and satiric comic brilliance recorded live in Washington, D.C.I known, I know. Since 9/11, Miller has repurposed himself as a far-right loon, spewing bile on talk radio and kibitzing on Fox News with Bill O’Reilly — which would be fine if he were still funny. But he was once not only very funny indeed, but an equal-opportunity satirist, mocking Republicans and Democrats with equal vigor. Why, this riotous 1988 HBO hour — his first of many for the network — even finds him (gasp) giving the business to Ronald Reagen. Don’t tell O’Reilly!
- DirectorKeith TruesdellStarsDavid SpadeYou've seen him as a man of many faces on 'Saturday Night Live,' as co-star of 'Tommy Boy' and 'Black Sheep,' and as a star of the hit TV comedy series 'Just Shoot Me.' Now, acerbic actor/comedian David Spade performs in his first solo TV special. He's made a name for himself as a lethal 'hit man' of comedy, with no celebrity safe from his stinging barbs. Now that he's a celebrity himself, can he take the hit?Spade has done so many forgettable TV projects and terrible films for the Sandler factory that it’s easy to forget what a crisp, spiky stand-up he is. This 1998 HBO hour finds him in wonderfully smarmy yet personal form, joking sharply but amiably about his “dirtbag” childhood in Arizona, his deadbeat dad, and his romantic woes.
- DirectorSteven J. SantosStarsWhoopi GoldbergBilly IdolWhoopi — who, lest we forget, used to be very funny — followed up her 1985 breakthrough special (more on that later) with this HBO hour in which she resurrected one of the earlier show’s most popular characters, the street-smart junkie (now in recovery) Fontaine. The line between the character and the performer is mighty thin, though, and this hour is mostly a showcase for the edgy topical comedy that was, for a time, Goldberg’s bread and butter.
- StarsLouie AndersonToo much of today’s audience knows this comic heavyweight from his uninspired turns on terrible television like Family Feud and Celebrity Diving. But in his day, he was an inspired comic in the Bill Cosby mold: a gentle yet endlessly funny storyteller with a specialty in family-based, childhood-memory comedy. This 1989 Showtime special captures him at his peak, and his Thanksgiving dinner and garage-saleing-with-Mom bits are unsung classics.
- DirectorRocco UrbisciStarsRick DucommunOne of the lesser-known names on the list, you might recognize Ducommun from his supporting roles in films like The ‘Burbs, Die Hard, Groundhog Day, and Scary Movie. But he was also a helluva good stand-up, and his 1989 HBO special Piece of Mind is not only explosively funny, but it’s got a weird, non-linear meta-narrative framework that makes it play like a stand-up special directed by Charlie Kaufman.
- DirectorKeith TruesdellStarsKathy GriffinMatt MolineKathy Griffin's all new feature-length stand-up DVD featuring the D-List Diva herself destroying the A-list stars we know and love.Griffin doesn’t get much respect from anyone outside her diehard fans, but credit where due: her three-specials-a-year output puts even the notoriously prolific Louis C.K. to shame, and she’s developed a specific, distinctive voice in this celeb-obsessed age — as Movieline’s Louis Virtel adroitly noted, “she’s George Carlin as filtered through Louella Parsons.”
- DirectorRobert TownsendStarsBill CosbyDeana J. BeckerStephanie StallaingBill Cosby is "Far From Finished." In his first special in thirty years, he leaves the audience asking, "How did he get inside our house?" Whether he's talking about friendship, love or marriage, the result is people laughing so hard their faces hurt.Though Far From Finished is Cosby’s first recorded special since the mid 1980s, he hasn’t gotten rusty — he still tours all year, doing two-hour sets of laid-back, stream-of-consciousness storytelling, flexing a skill that he’s been honing for something like half a century now. The looseness of his live shows isn’t quite captured here (understandably, he went with tighter bits for posterity), but it’s still magnificently funny, focusing mostly on the evolution of relationships from dating through love, marriage, and parenting. Early on, he seems as amused as anyone that he’s doing a show for the hipper and much bluer Comedy Central, but in talking about it, he lays out his entire comic M.O.: “You aim at it, and you hit it. But nobody heard you firing!” (Interesting side note: the show is directed by Robert Townsend, who helmed the much dirtier — not to mention Cosby-bashing — Eddie Murphy: Raw.)
- DirectorLiam LynchStarsSarah SilvermanDaniel Steven GonzalezCuete YeskaPrepare for an evening of riotously shocking material as sharp-witted stand-up superstar Sarah Silverman steps up for her first HBO solo special.It’s feels too soon to place the new Cosby and Silverman specials in the stand-up canon, but they also shouldn’t be excluded solely due to freshness. Silverman re-teams with Liam Lynch, who directed her theatrically released stand-up/musical mash-up Jesus Is Magic, and shot her new act at the 39-seat small room at Los Angeles’ Largo (ridiculed for the size of the space in the prologue, she roars, “It’s called intimate, *beep* In the hour that follows, Silverman forges new territory, quietly dropping — with only occasional exceptions — the oblivious, egocentric character of her earlier act and forging a relationship with her audience that is more honest and direct. It’s a smart and funny hour, covering topics from porn preferences and religion to rape jokes and her complicated relationship with the word “pussy.”
- DirectorJaime Eliezer KarasStarsBill BurrComedian Bill Burr's 2014 stand-up comedy special.
- DirectorChristopher StorerStarsHasan MinhajIn his first stand-up special, Hasan Minhaj weaves humorous and heartbreaking anecdotes to tell his life story as an Indian-American Muslim. Topics include racism, bullying and meeting the demanding expectations of his immigrant parents.
- StarsDaniel SlossThe dark mind of Daniel Sloss is back, and he's ready to find the funny in some very taboo topics, from the deeply personal to the highly irreverent.
- StarsJames AcasterStuart LawsJoe ParhamJames Acaster presents four interwoven stand-up comedy specials.
- DirectorBo BurnhamChristopher StorerStarsBo BurnhamA musical stand-up comedy show by Bo Burnham, the famous internet musician.
- DirectorMichael SimonStarsJeff DunhamPaige DunhamJeff Dunham and his socially reckless "suitcase posse" are back in this highly anticipated follow-up to Jeff Dunham: Arguing with Myself (2006).
- DirectorShannon HartmanStarsBill BurrStand-up comedian Bill Burr's 2010 comedy special.
- DirectorStan LathanStarsDave ChappelleDonnell RawlingsDave talks about not actually growing up in the projects, the hate he received from the transgender community, and from fake news.
- DirectorNeal BrennanStarsNeal BrennanNeal Brennan is taking multitasking to a whole new level in this stand up special, which features the comedian switching between three different microphones symbolizing three different styles of comedy.
- DirectorShannon HartmanStarsJim JefferiesCovers topics from gun control to family values.
- DirectorStan LathanStarsDave ChappelleAlbert PrecourtDave Chappelle returns to D.C. and riffs on politics, police, race relations, drugs, Sesame Street and more.
- DirectorStan LathanStarsDave ChappelleGreer BarnesChappelle cuts loose in what he does best, Chappelle-style! And for what it's worth, no one is safe from Dave!
- 20171h 7mTV-MA8.1 (14K)TV SpecialDirectorStan LathanStarsDave ChappelleMorgan FreemanDave Chappelle gives his usual skewed insight into the topics of race, technology, OJ Simpson, and more in a stand up special filmed in Hollywood.
- DirectorKeith TruesdellStarsChris RockSlick RickDoug E. FreshChris Rock's third HBO comedy special shows him performing his stand-up routine at Apollo Theater in Harlem.
- DirectorBruce GowersStarsEddie MurphyJames ArgiroGus LoundermonEddie Murphy's raunchy, raucous stand-up comedy routine is captured for posterity on this tape.
- DirectorJeff MargolisStarsRichard PryorPatti LaBelleHuey P. NewtonRichard Pryor's classic 1979 concert film has him discussing a wide range of topics, including race, the police and his favorite target -- himself.
- DirectorMarty CallnerStarsRobin WilliamsThe fourth HBO stand-up special by Robin Williams.
- DirectorKeith TruesdellStarsChris RockJim BreuerMario JoynerThe second HBO stand-up special by Chris Rock.
- DirectorLouis C.K.Shannon HartmanStarsLouis C.K.Louis C.K.'s second one-hour special filmed at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston, MA.
- DirectorLouis C.K.StarsLouis C.K.Louis jokes about fatherhood, success, and flying first class at the Beacon Theatre in New York.
- DirectorSteven J. SantosStarsLouis C.K.In his first one-hour special, comedy and television star Louis C.K. returns to HBO for an hour of no-holds-barred, adults-only stand-up comedy taped before a live audience at the Henry Fonda Theater in Los Angeles.
- DirectorLouis C.K.StarsLouis C.K.In this unique and dynamic live concert experience, Louis C.K.'s exploration of life after 40 destroys politically correct images of modern life with thoughts we have all had...but would rarely admit to.
- DirectorLouis C.K.StarsLouis C.K.In February, 2013, Louis brings his impish nihilism to Phoenix, Arizona. He talks about an old lady and her pet, living in Manhattan, experiencing his body's aging (he's 45), men's fascination with women's breasts, the beauty of living outside the food chain, his quickness to anger while driving, and murder. It's theater in the round, so he's in constant motion, a grin nearly always on his face.
- DirectorJaime Eliezer KarasStarsBill BurrPaul VirziFunnyman Bill Burr takes the stage to uncork a profanity-laced, incisive routine that pokes fun at plastic surgery, reality TV, gold diggers and more.