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https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/feb/22/streaming-with-laughter-the-50-best-standup-
comedy-shows

Streaming with laughter: the 50 best

standup comedy shows

Composite: The Guardian
From Bill Hicks to Hannah Gadsby, Dave Chappelle to Josie Long – here are 50
specials you can watch right now

 Modern Toss on standup comedy

by Paul Fleckney, Harriet Gibsone, Ellen E Jones, Brian Logan and Graeme Virtue

Sat 22 Feb 2020 07.00 GMT Last modified on Sat 22 Feb 2020 18.20 GMT

Oh, how you spoil us, the internet. Watching a comedian’s latest show used to
involve waiting for one of about eight comics to release a VHS/DVD or, gulp, leaving
the house. Today, we hold the whip hand. Such is our desire to sit around watching
standup in our pyjamas, streaming services can’t get them out fast enough. Netflix is
our most deep-pocketed and reliable dealer, pumping out no less than 45 original
shows in 2019, up from one in 2012. But there are other providers, notably Amazon
Prime Video, iPlayer, and smaller outfits such as NextUp and Go Faster Stripe, which
do a fine job of mopping up lesser-known comics and hidden gems.

To the bean-counters at Netflix et al, the appeal of these “specials” is obvious: they
are cheap to make compared with sitcoms and films, but they still attract a lot of
eyeballs. And to the ambitious comic, it can mean the difference between national
and international success. This has led to little outbreaks of creativity here and there,
as comedians embrace the format’s increasing dominance. Maria Bamford’s decision
to record her show The Special Special Special! in a living room, in front of an
audience of just two (her baffled but supportive parents), was inspired and in
keeping with her unorthodox act. In his BBC series Comedy Vehicle, Stewart Lee
literally spoke down to the audience at home through a camera at the side of the
stage. The streaming services are starting to experiment now, too, with shorter,
snackable shows of just 15 to 30 minutes, as a way of showcasing rising stars. All of
which means that the humble TV viewer might require some help to hack through
this jungle of options. So, in that spirit, we have put together 50 of the best standup
specials you can find online. PF