The Best Stand-Up Comedy Specials on Netflix Right Now

With the recent announcement that Ray Romano is mounting a return to stand-up by filming a new special for Netflix, a new light is turned to the high quality of stand-up comedy the streaming juggernaut stamps their name to.

In reality, though, Netflix has been putting a big emphasis on stand-up comedy for a while.

From their very first one, Bill Burr’s You People Are All the Same way back in 2012, to the upcoming special from Ricky Gervais, Humanity, Netflix has given comedians of all levels of popularity the opportunity to unleash their creativity without the same restrictions as cable TV networks.

That commitment has paid off too.

In mid-2017 they launched two new specials from Dave Chappelle that dominated ratings. Dubbed the Dave Chappelle: Collection 1, the compilation become the most watched Netflix comedy special of all-time.

At the end of the year, Netflix launched two more, Equanimity and The Bird Revelation, both of which have been widely praised and highly controversial.

It doesn’t stop there though. Netflix has a plethora of incredible stand-comedy specials since they’ve more than doubled (or tripled) the number of specials they’ve put out each year ever since 2012.

Scroll Down to see some of The Best Stand-Up Comedy Specials on Netflix Right Now!

Jerry Seinfeld: “Jerry Before Seinfeld”

Jerry Seinfeld is quite possibly one of the most famous stand-up comedians in the world. In all fairness, that would be due to his astonishingly popular sitcom about nothing, Seinfeld.

After the show ended, Jerry got back to his roots and began doing stand-up again, proving to both his fans and critics why he’s exactly as good as everyone says he is.

In Jerry Before Seinfeld, he takes to a smaller stage and rather than doing a straight-forward stand-up routine, he regales the audience with stories of who he was before the super-stardom set in.

Chris Rock: “Tamborine”

Chris Rock’s last stand-up comedy special was Kill the Messenger, which aired on HBO in 2008. A decade later, Rock is back with a a new special on Netflix titled Tamborine, and it shows off an evolved and matured version of the iconic comedian.

Tackling subjects like marriage, divorce, parenting, and police brutality, Tamborine is rich with wise viewpoints as well as controversy.

While at times comedy can too closely reflect real life, its a cathartic way of handling reality and Rock is very skilled at softening the blow with heavy laughs.

Tamborine is the first of two specials that Rock negotiated with Netflix to shoot. There is currently no word on when the second will air.

Amy Schumer: The Leather Special

Amy Schumer and her edgy brand of comedy doesn’t really need an introduction.

Most famous now for her acting roles in films like Trainwreck and Snatched, she is notoriously shameless and foul-mouthed, which is what draws audiences to her time and time again.

Schumer’s most recent comedy show, dubbed The Leather Special because of the all-leather outfit she dons during it, is a Netflix-produced exclusive.

Patton Oswalt: “Annihilation”

Patton Oswalt is maybe most well-known for his work in the Disney film Ratatouille, as well as being the narrator of ABC’s The Goldbergs. He’s also one of the funniest stand-up comedians to have emerged from the ’90s alternative-comedy scene and has numerous specials available.

Oswalt’s most recent special is the Netflix-exclusive Annihilation.

In it, he covers topics like politics, robocalls, and social media. He also discusses the tragic death of his wife, Michelle E. McNamara, and uses the opportunity to honor her life.

Tracy Morgan: “Staying Alive”

Ever since his days on Saturday Night Live, right on through his time on 30 Rock, Tracy Morgan has been the most outrageous comedian to grace any stage.

Stories about him are so legendary that comedians have even ripped off other comedians’ “Tracy Morgan stories” because they’re that funny.

In his first Netflix special, Staying Alive, the Brooklyn comedian talks about the quirks of his bizarre family, as well as the harrowing car accident that put him in a coma.

Chris D’Elia: “Man On Fire”

Chris D’Elia got his start in showbusiness by acting first, taking on a few roles while in high school. He got into stand-up later on and has been burning up stages ever since. He is maybe most recognizable from his roles on the sitcoms Whitney, Undateable and most recently, The Good Doctor.

To date, D’Elia has three major specials: White Male. Black Comic, Incorrigible (which has a joke related to Street Fighter that is one of the funniest things ever said), and his newest, Man On Fire.

Taking on heinous crimes like being invited to birthday parties and working out, Man on Fire sees D’Elia scorching audiences in a way that only he knows how.

Neal Brennan: “Three Mics”

Neal Brennan is certainly not the most recognizable name on this list, but you might be surprised at how much of his writing work you’re familiar with.

Brennan co-wrote Half Baked and co-created Chappelle’s Show with Dave Chappelle, and was even nominated for an Emmy for his directing work on the Comedy Central show.

In his special, Three Mics, Neal performs his show telling one-liner jokes into one microphone, doing stand-up in another, and then saving the final mic for talking about deeper issues that tie into his comedy.

Maria Bamford: “Old Baby”

Like most comedians, Maria Bamford has spent years paying dues and honing her talent. She’s been doing stand-up for decades, shooting her first half-hour special for Comedy Central way back in 2001.

Recently, she debuted a brilliant series on Netflix titled Lady Dynamite and even secured a second season order.

Her new special, Old Baby, sees the 46-year-old comedienne expand the way stand-up is presented as it opens with her telling jokes to herself in the mirror and then gradually increases her audience throughout the hour-long show ending in a large theater. You’ve never seen anything like it, guaranteed.

Hasan Minhaj: “Homecoming King”

If you’ve watched The Daily Show at all in the past few years, you’ve seen Hasan Minhaj brilliantly satirizing politics and society. Joining the show in 2014, Minhaj was actually the last Daily Show correspondent hired by former host Jon Stewart.

His first stand-up special, Homecoming King, started out as an off-broadway one-man show but was picked up by Netflix to be filmed.

Regaling what life was like growing up as the son of a Muslim immigrant family in pre and post 9/11 America, Minhaj hilariously tackles the pains of typical teenage life and the hardship of being misunderstood by the other kids in his town.

Bo Burnham: “Make Happy”

The final special is one that, frankly, you don’t want too many specifics revealed because it begs to be seen with fresh eyes.

Bo Burnham would probably not refer to himself as a genius but he absolutely is.

In Make Happy, he takes his skill for blending music and comedy to the apex and makes you laugh uncontrollably before hitting you with intense depth that will leave you speechless.

There is no denying it’s hilarious, but the real value of Make Happy is in the substantial quality of the laughs you get.