10 Best Comedy Specials on Netflix
By Lillian Marx
There was a time when your options for stand-up comedy involved either a cassette tape or a live show. That time is very much over. With seemingly endless stand-up choices on Netflix, we know you could spend all day trying to make a decision. We’re here to help with a list of the 10 best specials available on the platform right now.
1. 'Wanda Sykes: Not Normal'
Wanda Sykes is enjoying a well-deserved moment in this 2019 special. And she’s not afraid to get political.
2. 'Hannah Gadsby: Nanette'
This absolutely legendary set shook up the comedy world when it came out in 2017. Gadsby takes a brutally honest look at her own experiences with sexism, homophobia, and assault—leading her to question the very artform she’s committed her life to. (Don’t worry, she’s back in 2020 with a new special, Douglas, also on Netflix.)
3. 'Amy Schumer: Growing'
Another full-frontal feminist sucker-punch from Amy Schumer. In Growing, she covers her marriage and (very stressful) pregnancy.
4. 'Ali Wong: Baby Cobra'
Before Schumer’s Growing, there was the world’s first pregnant comedian…Ali Wong! Baby Cobra made a splash in 2016 as an obviously pregnant Wong took to the stage to deliver all kinds of raunchy zingers.
5. 'Tiffany Haddish: Black Mitzvah'
On the occasion of Haddish's 40th birthday, she celebrates the long road to real, grown-up womanhood. As she puts it, “I have survived the foster care system, I have survived homelessness, I even survived a swamp tour with the Fresh Prince while I was high as f**k.”
6. 'Sarah Silverman: A Speck of Dust'
With her trademark dark/adorable sensibility, Silverman reflects on her place in this vast universe… and on how much she’d like to have her face on money.
7. 'Leslie Jones: Time Machine'
Saturday Night Live’s Leslie Jones does not disappoint in this jubilant special, which includes an epic anecdote about that time she tried to impress Prince.
8. 'Park Na-rae: Glamour Warning'
It’s definitely time for you to check out this special from beloved South Korean comedian Park Na-rae. It’s uproarious and raunchy, and it’s paving the way for talented comedians from around the globe to reach a truly international audience.
9. 'Joan Rivers: Don’t Start With Me'
Joan Rivers didn’t stop working until she passed away. Don’t Start With Me is her last special, and it is hilarious to the end.
10. 'Maria Bamford: Old Baby'
You either love Maria Bamford or you don’t get her. She performs Old Baby in front of a variety of audiences, from her own reflection, to a small crowd in a bowling alley, to a real theater assembly.