2024 has already proven to be a big year for comedy with standup heavyweights dropping hour-long specials on the regular. We’re going to try and cover as many as we possibly can, but this is a non-exhaustive list. The first quarter of 2024 has seen plenty of releases by international comedy superstars, with the local crop taking a breather after a whirlwind 2023. Hopefully, they’ll play catchup in Q2. Let’s dive right in!
Edit: Indian comedians have not caught up, or have rather stumbled out of the blocks, with Karthik Kumar, Madhur Virli, Rajat Chouhan and Yash Rathi all dropping specials on YouTube! So we’re going to keep our eyes open and pray that they hit the ground running in the second half of the year.
9 JANUARY: PETE DAVIDSON – TURBO FONZARELLI (NETFLIX)
Pete Davidson finally made a comeback to the comedy stage in January with his Netflix special Turbo Fonzarelli! The comedian touches upon everything from entering his 30s and shedding bad habits to the slightly more uncomfortable topic of his mom’s love life.
16 JANUARY: DUSTY SLAY – WORKIN’ MAN (NETFLIX)
Dusty Slay’s debut special Workin’ Man is about the blue-collar life and the odd jobs he worked at before finding comedy, quitting smoking and alcohol, and growing up in the south of the US. Slay’s unique voice had earned him a Just For Laughs’ New Faces accolade as well as a spot on Variety’s list of 10 Comics To Watch all the way back in 2019, and he seems to have finally hit his stride in 2024.
17 JANUARY: DES BISHOP – OF ALL PEOPLE
Des Bishop brings all his manic energy to the Comedy Cellar stage in his latest standup comedy special Of All People. Tall, good-looking, privileged white men, his experiences in China, learning Chinese and sex (specifically fingers up the butt and period sex, in case you were wondering).
23 JANUARY: JACQUELINE NOVAK – JACQUELINE NOVAK: GET ON YOUR KNEES (NETFLIX)
Jacqueline Novak’s Get On Your Knees features the comedian’s reflections on oral sex and everything the “ancient art form” entails. In many ways a coming-of-age story, this one is recommended for anyone looking for an hour of laughs that are thoughtful and introspective.
23 JANUARY: KEVIN JAMES – IRREGARDLESS (PRIME VIDEO)
Before Kevin James became a regular in front of the camera (you’ve seen him in Paul Blart: Mall Cop) and a part of Adam Sandler’s rat pack, he was known for his standup comedy. In fact, there was a time when he was featured on Comedy Central’s list of the 100 Greatest Stand-Up Comedians. Hopefully the king of Queens picked up some of his old form when he dropped his new special Irregardless.
30 JANUARY: JACK WHITEHALL – SETTLE DOWN (NETFLIX)
In Settle Down, Jack Whitehall tones down the devil-may-cry attitude we all know him for. Instead, Whitehall’s latest special is a far more sobering account of his life in which he candidly talks about meeting and marrying the love of his life, the challenges of fatherhood, and even his drinking habit.
FEBRUARY 13: TAYLOR TOMLINSON – HAVE IT ALL (NETFLIX)
Taylor Tomlinson hit the ground running in 2024 with an hour-long special on Netflix, titled Have It All. Tomlinson’s third special is about finding a dream job and the ideal partner, all the while asking whether one can really have it all.
20 FEBRUARY: MIKE EPPS – READY TO SELL OUT (NETFLIX)
Ready To Sell Out is comedian and actor Mike Epps’ fourth hour-long standup special. This time, Epps takes to the stage to quip about his bank balance and drop some street knowledge.
23 FEBRUARY: JENNY SLATE – SEASONED PROFESSIONAL (PRIME VIDEO)
Jenny Slate’s Seasoned Professional is an exciting watch in which she unpacks how being brave for love is worth it. Does it mean pushing out a baby, stalking your therapist, or trusting your partner not to destroy you? Go find out!
25 FEBRUARY: KUNAL KAMRA – UNCLE LOGIC (YOUTUBE)
Three cheers for the only Indian comedian to make the list in the first quarter of 2024! We couldn’t have summed it up better if we tried, here’s Kunal Kamra’s Uncle Logic in which he “attempt[s] to understand the least constructive and most heard people in our communities – uncles.”
27 FEBRUARY: CHAPPELLE’S HOME TEAM: DONNELL RAWLINGS – A NEW DAY (NETFLIX)
Donnell Rawlings’ A New Day is part of a series of comedy specials featuring comedians curated by Dave Chappelle called Chappelle’s Home Team. Executive produced by Chappelle, Rawlings’ hour is all about aging and relationships and the effect aging has had on his relationships.
28 FEBRUARY: FAHIM ANWAR – HOUSE MONEY (YOUTUBE)
Comedian and writer Fahim Anwar brought every bit of his theatrical charm to his latest YouTube special called House Money. In the 40 minute-long special (there’s an extended cut on YouTube as well) Anwar talks about everything from dating apps and learning from relationships to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. There’s even a story about the most money he’s ever made doing standup comedy that’s definitely worth hearing.
29 FEBRUARY: ANJELAH JOHNSON-REYES – TECHNICALLY NOT STALKING (YOUTUBE)
Technically Not Stalking is Anjelah Johnson-Reyes’ fifth comedy special, but the first she has self-produced and self-funded! Shot before the pandemic hit, the special touches on everything from haunted places to stalking her husband and getting her dog’s DNA test results.
29 FEBRUARY: DAVID CROSS – WORST DADDY IN THE WORLD (YOUTUBE)
Comedy giant David Cross released his eighth special on leap-day! Unapologetically political and experimental—we’re talking about one half of Mr. Show With Bob And David, after all—Worst Daddy In The World is worth a watch for Cross fans and those who are unfamiliar, but looking for a breath of fresh air.
1 MARCH: DAN SODER – ON THE ROAD (YOUTUBE)
Dan Soder’s On The Road has already been hailed as the comedy special of the year on Reddit forums, but we’ll wait it out, we know just how endearing his act is, and there’s bound to be some bias there. Soder’s laidback, goofy style shines through in this YouTube special.
4 MARCH: KYLE KINANE – DIRT NAP (YOUTUBE)
In Dirt Nap Kyle Kinane takes us on a trip through his thoughts on living in the suburbs, his parents, and—of course—orgies. Everyone loves orgies, amirite? Interestingly this one is one of the more wholesome specials on the list, and that’s all down to Kinane’s comedic voice.
5 MARCH: HANNAH GADSBY – THE GENDER AGENDA (NETFLIX)
Hannah Gadsby’s work with Netflix to curate a multi-comic special featuring LGBTQ+ comedians from different countries came to fruition on 5 March, when Gender Agenda dropped on the streaming platform. The special features ALOK, Asha Ward, Chloe Petts, DeAnne Smith, Jes Tom, Krishna Istha and Mx. Dahlia Belle and is hosted by Gadsby.
10 MARCH: AKAASH SINGH – GASLIT (YOUTUBE)
FLAGRANT podcast star and comedian Akaash Singh took to YouTube to release GASLIT, a standup special where he tries to take the middle path, attempting to point out everything wrong about the opinions held by those on the extreme ends of the political spectrum. The special includes bits about arranged marriage, the police, abortion rights and vaccines.
23 MARCH: RAMY YOUSSEF: MORE FEELINGS (HBO/JIO CINEMA)
Comedian Ramy Youssef—who was recently in the news for his eight-minute SNL monologue where he pleaded, “free the people of Palestine,”—dropped his second special late last month. The Golden Globe-winning comedian’s More Feelings covers Youssef’s thoughts on the upcoming US presidential elections, praying and more.
26 MARCH: TIG NOTARO – HELLO AGAIN
Hello Again is an hour-long special chockful of Notaro’s trademark blend of self-deprecatory humour and anecdotes that are not only comedic treasure troves, but grand and enthralling in themselves. She’s a masterful storyteller, crafting jokes from conversations she’s had with her seven-year-old twins or, weaving magic out of drug-induced tractor-featuring hallucinations.
26 MARCH: DAVE ATTELL – HOT CROSS BUNS (NETFLIX)
Hot Cross Buns is Attell’s grand return to the stage, one decade after the release of his Comedy Central special Road Work. It’s a delight to see the comedian do what he’s best known for, taking up unsettling topics and traversing that minefield like a pro. But he isn’t being edgy for the sake of being edgy. Behind every dark joke is a layer of self-reflection—about his own life, or the country he’s living in.
2 APRIL: DEMETRI MARTIN – DEMETRI DECONSTRUCTED (NETFLIX)
Demetri Deconstructed is the comedian’s first special in more than five years, shot in black and white, and heavily experimental. It’s got all the qualities you would expect from a Martin special, and then some. Think running commentary through the special, text overlay and much more. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait much longer for his next, either. Names haven’t been named, and no date is set, but we hear it’ll be out sooner rather than later. Fingers crossed.
3 APRIL: LIZ MIELE – MURDER SHEETS (YOUTUBE)
Comedian Liz Miele has been on the New York circuit since the tender age of 16 and her latest special follows in the footsteps of The Ghost Of Academic Future, which was rated as one of the best specials of 2022 by The New York Times. The promising comedian’s latest special is all about dating, murder, edibles, touring internationally and dead cats.
9 APRIL: NEAL BRENNAN – CRAZY GOOD (NETFLIX)
Neal Brennan’s third Netflix special Crazy Good is a U-turn of sorts in that whereas in his previous special Blocks he spoke about things that make him feel like there’s something wrong with himself, in this one, he talks about feeling good, even crazy good! According to the trailer, the comedian will broach topics like crypto and millionaire mindsets as well as mental health and relationships.
16 APRIL: JIMMY CARR – NATURAL BORN KILLER (NETFLIX)
More of the same with Natural Born Killer in which the British comedian’s edgy takes on gun control, religion, cancel culture and consent build up to a larger point; you can still joke about anything these days.
21 APRIL: IAN FIDANCE – WILD, HAPPY & FREE (YOUTUBE)
Ian Fidance’s Wild, Happy & Free is his debut special, released on YouTube and it’s filled with all the anxious, bubbling energy you might have seen on his podcast Being Ian. Chaotic, offbeat with that hearty (healthy?) dose of self-deprecation, it’s 50 minutes of fun.
22 APRIL: FERN BRADY – AUTISTIC BIKINI QUEEN (NETFLIX)
Scottish comedian Fern Brady’s Autistic Bikini Queen is a candid take on her experience living with autism, with which she was diagnosed in 2021. Brady’s hilarious perspective comes with a lot of understanding and insight, as she has even written a book about her life as an autistic person in a memoir called Strong Female Character.
23 APRIL: KATE WILLET – LOOPHOLES (PRIME VIDEO)
Kate Willett has always had a penchant for writing clever and thought-provoking social commentary and showcases precisely that on her latest comedy special Loopholes. You’ll find everything in this one from potshots at incels to observations on unsatisfying relationships and token feminism.
3 MAY: COLIN QUINN – OUR TIME IS UP (YOUTUBE)
After releasing 6 specials across Netflix and HBO, standup comedy veteran Colin Quinn has released his latest special Our Time Is Up on—surprise, surprise—YouTube. Quinn is a widely proclaimed comic’s comic with the likes of Jerry Seinfeld and Tina Fey attesting to the fact. Interestingly, and we can’t really tell if this is a joke, the special was filmed at a symposium of psychologists in Washington DC, USA and Quinn requested the producers to ask the psychologists to diagnose him at the end of the show.
4 MAY: KARTHIK KUMAR – AANSPLAINING (YOUTUBE)
In an interview with DeadAnt, actor, comedian and Evam Standup Tamasha founder Karthik Kumar Karthik said that the special is largely “a piece of feminism”, taking aim at male privilege. “In the process, I also tackle questions like, ‘What is manhood?’ and ‘What is the concept of man?’” said Karthik. “It attempts to change the definition of being a man. It’s also about seeing the women in our lives and acknowledging the hardships we put them through.” The 90-minute, pay-as-you-like special can be viewed on YouTube. Fun fact; it is the first Indian comedy special to get a theatrical release.
4 MAY: KATT WILLIAMS – WOKE FOKE (NETFLIX)
Katt Williams will Katt Williams and he does exactly that on his latest standup special Woke Foke. In the Netflix hour, the comedian talks about racism, reparations and mental health in that bold, audacious style he is known for.
11 MAY: NIKKI GLASER – SOMEDAY YOU’LL DIE (MAX)
It is the year of the roast, and while we may know Nikki Glaser for her red-hot disses, in her latest special she trains her sights inwards. In Someday You’ll Die the comedian speaks about ageing, not wanting kids, abortion and suicidal thoughts, all while being as unapologetic as she is when she’s up on stage roasting the likes of Tom Brady to a crisp.
25 MAY: YASH RATHI – DIL CHAHTA HAI
Not-so-new kid on the block Yash Rathi has dropped his special Dil Chahta Hai on YouTube. In an interview with DeadAnt, Rathi described his show as “a college love story, with a lot of dark and gritty segments.” He also said that he would release it when he felt Indian audiences were ready for a lot of “dark and messed up” jokes. So, yeah!
27 MAY: RAJAT CHOUHAN – ENGINEERING COLLEGE TO CORPORATE (YOUTUBE)
Over the years, Rajat Chouhan has carved out a niche for himself by going heavy on jokes about the middle class life, especially working in an office setting. And now, he’s made a special in which he traces the journey from engineering college into a corporate job.
31 MAY: SAL VULCANO – TERRIFIED (YOUTUBE)
Impractical Jokers star Sal Vulcano has been hitting the podcast circuit off-late and we guess the buildup was leading to the release of his first standup comedy special Terrified. Recommended if you loved the improv star and want to see him testing out his comedy chops. To be honest, he’s done quite well; Vulcano’s playful sincerity is ever-present while he’s on stage, and makes for great viewing.
4 JUNE: JO KOY – LIVE FROM BROOKLYN (NETFLIX)
Unfortunately, everything Jo Koy does this year is going to be foot-noted by the fact that he bombed while hosting the 81st Annual Golden Globes in January. With none of the jokes landing during his monologue, Koy broke and yelled, “I got the gig 10 days ago! You want a perfect monologue? Yo, shut up. You’re kidding me, right? Slow down. I wrote some of these, and they’re the ones you’re laughing at.” Luckily for him, Netflix—as well as many awards show presenters like Tina Fey—understand that the job isn’t easy, and so he dropped early this month and will be hoping to redeem himself.
4 JUNE: MARLON WAYANS – GOOD GRIEF (PRIME VIDEO)
Marlon Wayans has dropped a special on Prime Video called Good Grief. For those unfamiliar with Wayan’s game, he (his family, too) is a comedy legend who made boundary-pushing comedy sketches and iconic movies that have had a lasting cultural impact on modern comedy. Taped at the Apollo Theatre, it’s a heartfelt hour about coming to terms with the loss of his parents.
9 JUNE: MADHUR VIRLI – THE IIT DREAM (YOUTUBE)
In Madhur Virli’s 70-minute standup special The IIT Dream—available on YouTube—the comedian covers IIT-JEE coaching firms like FIITJEE and Vidyamandir and cuts his fellow IITians down to size with aplomb, tearing into the perpetual “flex mode” that they operate in. For a debut comedy special, it is pretty well done!
16 JUNE: ADAM RAY – LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE (YOUTUBE)
Adam Ray has been having a stellar year, maybe even a breakout year, starting his live format show Dr. Phil LIVE, in which he impersonates American television personality Dr. Phil Mcgraw. The real Dr. Phil has commented all about his love for Ray’s impersonation, and it turns out that it isn’t just him, audiences can’t get enough. But his impersonation is just one of his many skills, and Ray is also a seasoned comedian and his special is a testament to his knack for working crowds and landing punchlines.
ALSO OUT NOW
9 January: Russell Peters – Irresponsible Ensemble
30 January: Laurie Kilmartin – Cis Woke Grief Sl*t
1 February: Angela Barnes – Hot Mess
3 February: Jeff Dunham – I’m with Cupid
6 February: Kim McVicar – Female Comedian
7 February: Trevor Noah – JokeNite
20 February: Mary Basmadjian – Funny Armenian Girl
22 February: Rory Scovel – Rory Scovel: Religion, Sex and a Few Things in Between
26 March: Nish Kumar – Your Power, Your Control
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