Although I love binging stand-up specials on Netflix for hours, I simply don’t have the time to when I’m at school. Between constantly doing homework and trying to maintain a relatively normal sleep schedule, I haven’t been keeping up with my favorite category on the streaming service. However, winter break is starting in just a few days and I am so excited to watch all of the comedy specials I’ve been deprived of the past few months, as well as the ones that are coming out while I’m home. Here are some of the stand-up specials that are totally binge-worthy over winter break.
- Jenny Slate’s Stage Fright
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Released: October 22nd
Jenny Slate is a name (if not, a voice) that most comedy fans recognize. She plays awkward but lovable Missy in Big Mouth, snarky but entertaining Tammy in Bob’s Burgers, and has lent her distinct voice to a number or animated movies such as Zootopia and The Secret Life of Pets. Slate’s long and impressive list of roles makes it even more surprising that Stage Fright is her first special. Netflix describes Slate’s debut as “a mix of stage time, funny stories about adulthood, and conversations with family in her childhood home”. Stage Fright is a notably personal special, making the watch even more worth it.
- Seth Meyers’ Lobby Baby
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Released: November 5th
Seth Meyers is a household name thanks to his work on Saturday Night Live as well as his late-night talk show, Late Night with Seth Meyers, on NBC. Lobby Baby is Meyers’ stand-up debut, allowing fans to see him in a new light when he (as Netflix puts it) “comes out from behind the desk”. In addition to his usual political jokes and commentary, Meyers’ shares more lighthearted and vulnerable stories from his own life.
- Iliza Shlesinger’s Unveiled
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Released: November 19th
Iliza Shlesinger is no newcomer to the stand-up section of Netflix. Though Unveiled is her fifth special, Shlesinger distinguishes it from her others with a fresh perspective that she’s gained from being a newlywed. Known for her honest and hilarious commentary on what it’s like to be a modern woman, Shlesinger talks about her experience with wedding traditions as both a feminist and comedian.
- Tiffany Haddish’s Black Mitzvah
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Released: December 3rd
After skyrocketing her career with Girls Trip, co-starring in the Netflix original, Tuca & Bertie, and selecting a group of comedians to make their own debuts in They Ready, Tiffany Haddish finally has a stand-up special of her own. Airing on Haddish’s 40th birthday, Black Mitzvah opens with an elaborate musical number that showcases the star’s spiritual beliefs and multifaceted talent. Haddish’s first stand-up special delivers her signature raunchy humor and shares stories from the star’s wild path to success.
- John Mulaney’s John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch
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To Be Released: December 24th, 2020
Already having three stand-up specials and a Broadway comedy show on the streaming platform, John Mulaney is adding to his Netflix inventory. Although this special hasn’t aired yet, Mulaney is easily one of my favorite comedians; I had to include it on this list. John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch is going to be unlike anything Mulaney has ever done before. The special features a retro game show aesthetic, celebrity guest stars, catchy songs, and adorable kids. The fact that Mulaney himself has minimal experience with children and no musical background whatsoever makes me even more excited to see this unique creation.
- Fortune Feimster’s Sweet & Salty
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To Be Released: January 21st, 2020
Although this release is cutting it close to the end of winter break, it is definitely worth mentioning. It’s so far out that a trailer hasn’t even dropped yet, but I don’t need to see one to know that this special is going to be a hit. I first saw Feimster on The Stand Ups and have wanted to see a special from her ever since. Highly anticipated and long deserved, Sweet & Salty will be Feimster’s first special and will cover a wide array of topics, including Feimster’s “childhood misadventures as a former Girl Scout, debutante, and (disqualified) swim meet champion; her family’s complicated relationship with Hooters; and how a movie helped her realize she was a lesbian”. Feimster’s humorous anecdotes and kind-hearted nature makes her and her work easily likable.