The internet is trying to convince us that 2026 is basically just 2016 loading again, but honestly, we don’t need no convincing. Before algorithms flattened everything and every special came with a thesis, 2016 was a weirdly golden era for standup. Comedians were loud, risky, personal and sometimes unhinged in the best way possible. So we went back to a bunch of comedy specials from that year that still hold up now, whether you’re looking for nostalgia, comfort or to see how much of this mess we’ve already lived through once.

Make Happy – Bo Burnham

Watching Make Happy now feels eerily on point, like 2016 accidentally predicted the next decade. Bo Burnham uses songs and meta commentary to skewer internet fame, audience validation and the pressure to constantly “be on”. These themes somehow feel even louder in 2026, with the faster WiFi and what not.

After this special, Burnham stepped away from standup, went on to write and direct Eighth Grade, and later returned with Inside, cementing himself as one of the strongest and most original comedic voices of our time.

Confirmed Kills – Iliza Shlesinger

Confirmed Kills feels like a time capsule from when Netflix specials were loud, physical and unapologetically weird. Iliza Shlesinger leans into high-energy riffs about gender, pop culture and modern behaviour, the kind of comedy that’s truly timeless. Doesn’t matter if it’s 2026 or 2016. 6-7 or whatever the kids are saying these days.

Since then, Shlesinger has only expanded her footprint with multiple Netflix specials, film roles and a sketch show proving this wasn’t just an era, but the foundation.

Funny Business – Jimmy Carr

Some things never change, even if they’re a decade apart. That includes Jimmy Carr’s sense of humour. Funny Business features the trademark Carr gamut of tightly written one-liners fired off with machine-like precision and zero apologies. It’s joke-first comedy, built for people who like their punchlines fast, sharp and slightly wicked.

Since then, he has stayed firmly in his lane, releasing more standup, touring relentlessly and continuing to be a mainstay on British panel shows—proof that when your jokes are this economical, trends don’t really matter.

Freedumb – Jim Jefferies

Freedumb is Jim Jefferies at full throttle—foul-mouthed, fearless and happily poking every hornet’s nest he can find. From Bill Cosby jokes to the absurdity of modern America, Jefferies doesn’t shy away from anything, all while cracking wise about life, parenthood and the nonsense of free speech. The last 10 minutes of the special are just pure gold.

It’s the kind of blunt, no-filter special that reminds you why 2016 felt like the comedy world’s wild west — and why, if 2026 turns out to be the new 2016, it still hits hard. Since that hour, Jefferies has continued carving his lane with more specials, comedy tours and his own The Jim Jefferies Show, keeping the same mix of sharp humour and deliberate provocation.

Michael Che Matters – Michael Che

Michael Che Matters is blunt, unpolished and treads “the line” masterfully. Built around race, inequality and social hypocrisy and delivered with Che’s dry, almost shrugging deadpan, the hour pushes the viewer into uncomfortable territories but always rewards them with laughs. It fits the “2016 is back” mood because it captures that era’s appetite for saying the uncomfortable thing out loud and daring the room to keep up.

Since then, Che has become a long-running SNL Weekend Update anchor, launched That Damn Michael Che on HBO, and continued releasing stand-up that leans just as unapologetically into controversy.

Faces & Sounds – Pete Holmes

Pete Holmes’ Faces and Sounds leans into his goofy, wide-eyed energy as he turns everyday absurdities—sleep, travel, language quirks and awkward human behaviour—into surreal, infectious laughs. It’s playful and oddly earnest in a way that screams mid-2010s comedy.

Since then, Holmes went on to create and star in the semi-autobiographical HBO series Crashing, released more specials like Dirty Clean and I Am Not For Everyone, and even wrote the comedy memoir Comedy Sex God, proving his cheerful take on life’s weirdness still works a decade later.

Talking For Clapping – Patton Oswalt

Talking for Clapping is Patton Oswalt riffing his way through everyday disasters, bad gigs and the strange logic of adulthood with that slightly unhinged storyteller energy he has down pat. It’s full of that off-kilter, sharply observant humour that made Netflix stand-ups feel like a new frontier in 2016.

Since then, Oswalt has only broadened the résumé: he won an Emmy for this special’s writing, continued releasing standup, acted in shows like The Goldbergs and BoJack Horseman, and leaned into deeply personal material with later specials like Annihilation.

Baby Cobra – Ali Wong

Baby Cobra is Ali Wong at her unapologetic best: a pregnant comic yelling uncomfortable truths about marriage, sex, work and motherhood with fierce honesty and perfect timing. Her brash energy and killer one-liners made this a breakout standup moment in 2016, and it still hits today because brutal self-awareness and a good punchline are always appreciated.

Since then, Wong has released more specials (Hard Knock Wife, Don Wong), starred in Always Be My Maybe and BEEF, and become one of the loudest (and funniest) women in comedy—all with the same gleefully chaotic charm that made Baby Cobra a must-watch.