Upwards of 150 stand-up specials were released in 2023. That’s a lot — much more than a generation ago, when it was hardly guaranteed that a comedian would ever film one if they weren’t one of the top names in the business. Now, if a comedian can’t get one of the cable or streaming networks to buy their special, they can self-produce and release it alongside one of the hundreds of other specials currently on YouTube, which only makes the glut of options for viewers daunting. As such, every month this column will suggest a few specials worth watching: three to five released in the given month and one older special inspired by one or more of the new releases. Think of this not as a “best of” list but a collection of specials that are funny, ambitious, compelling, or peculiar — not necessarily all four at the same time, but each has something that makes it extraordinary. We can’t change the enormous amount of options out there, but we can elevate the ones that are noteworthy watches for any stand-up fan.
Reggie Watts, Never Mind (Veeps)
Photo: Veeps via YouTube
There are no comedians like Reggie Watts. The makeup and direction of every moment at a Watts show hinges on the audience each night. It’s an exciting approach and magical to witness, but that’s also what makes it so difficult to translate into a filmed piece, when the risk of improv can’t be felt and Watts can’t respond to the viewer at home. With Never Mind, Watts doesn’t try to solve this problem. Instead, he offers a different way to interact with his material by trading immediacy for nostalgia. Ostensibly, Never Mind films a normal Watts hour, in which he does his mix of improvised music and long-winded flights-of-fancy stand-up but sets it in the late ’90s.
Watts has always covered technology and futurism in his comedy, and here he bounces between the antiquated technology of the special’s present day (the ’90s! Clippy!) and the future that is the viewer’s present day. While imagining the infinite possibility of real-time video, he wonders what it would be like if, in the distant future, he could go into a phone booth to make video calls. Unfortunately, Never Mind only features three comedy songs (and an additional bonus song from his metal band, Spore, at the end). As a result, his stand-up — which plays with whimsy, absurdity, and awkwardness rather than hard-hitting topics — feels like it’s missing the payoff. Still, it’s exciting to see Watts push himself as a comedian and expand how he approaches taping a special in a way to make it feel distinct.
Sam Morril, You’ve Changed (Prime Video)
Photo: Matthew Salacuse
A few years ago, Sam Morril was releasing specials directly on YouTube and grinding it out as a club comedian. After finding success on YouTube, social media, and Netflix, his audience has changed — and so has his comedy. His act is more personal than it used to be, with Morril focusing much of You’ve Changed on his dating life and relationships. But the hour drags in sections of very topical material; jokes about a Trump versus Biden presidential election show how pulling too closely from the headlines can immediately date a special. And while he used to be known as a real joke-joke guy, here Morril tells more extended stories while still maintaining his strong joke craft. With the added context of his success, his stories are delivered with more arrogance, which mostly works with his persona but occasionally feels a bit too self-important for a stand-up.
All of these elements converge in the special’s ten-minute closer about an ex who watches Morril perform at Madison Square Garden and gets kicked out. Morril paces the story masterfully; he wavers between just sharing the details, using the story as a backbone for straight jokes, and going to his phone to read texts to create a full picture of the events.
Chad Daniels, Empty Nester (Netflix)
