The Comedy Specials You Need To Be Watching Right Now

Comedy has never been more prominent than it is right now. Comics like Joe Rogan, Tom Segura, and Matt Rife are selling out stadiums. Being in Rogan’s relative orbit often lifts folks from “some guy” into a household name – just look at Brendan Schaub. Nikki Glaser and Taylor Tomlinson sell out multiple nights in major cities nationwide – if you don’t know Nikki Glaser, make the sign of the cross before you hear her explain her vagina is like a “hastily packed suitcase.” She’s not for the faint of heart.

If you come to a city like Austin, New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles, every night, there will be a murderer’s row of comics, both national and local, ripping audiences apart one joke at a time. Austin, Texas, is especially exploding with talent – just hit The Comedy Mothership or The Sunset Strip.

Kill Tony is a perennial sell-out, Tim Dillion’s podcast rakes in millions, while Your Mom’s House is a cult. Once outsiders, The Legion of Skanks is now fast on the heels of everyone’s favorite podcast teams with their own cultural Freddy Kruger moment in the making, stabbing into the psyche of America, claws deep. Making people laugh is big business, one smiling corpse at a time.

With all this happening in the comedy world, there still stands the universal piece that every comedian works toward the hour-long special. While the game has changed since the days of HBO dominating the comedy landscape, a few specials that have dropped in 2023 are brilliant, and we’re going to talk about them.

Shane Gillis – Beautiful Dogs

Thanks to his consistent appearances on the Rogan podcast, Gillis is one of the biggest comics on the breakout. Gillis is not funny; it’s just his personality as the bro to chug beers with, but he also stands as the philosopher of the everyday. What makes Gillis so adept is he sees what we all do, but just through a lens that calls out the ridiculous nature of life.

Brian Holtzman – Cancel Holtzman

All you need to know about Holtzman is that he’s your favorite comedian’s comedian. Ask any headliner, anyone who’s consistently worked The Comedy Store or The Comedy Mothership, and they’ll tell you Holtzman is a living legend and deserves a cadre of followers wherever he goes. He crosses lines, doubles back, and asks the audience, “What the fuck just happened?”

Tom Segura – Sledgehammer

C’mon, it’s Segura. You know it’s going to slap. Ole’ Tommy Boy doesn’t need much in the name of promo.

Kyle Kinane – Shocks and Struts
In this special, Kinane does some of his better work, constantly asking questions about the nature of the working class and what it means to put in a hard day. What it means to live against whatever minutia is enveloping us.

Mark Normand – Soup to Nuts

Another one of the Rogan guys, Mark Normand, is a one-liner joke machine. Normand is old school in that his delivery isn’t set up through the deep stories like some of the folks on stage. Still, he feels like a throwback to the classic era of comedy where timing and even the quick throwaway jokes stay relentless to the point of beating you down with laughter.

Mo’Nique, My Name Is Mo’Nique

After fighting for a different pay scale compared to male comics, Mo’Nique is back with a biting and authentic special, taking on the stigmas that come with being a comic in 2023. And she’s still as raw as ever, never one to pull punches; Mo’Nique takes on all comers with a scathing comeback.

Marc Maron, From Bleak to Dark

This one is funny, but come prepared for an existential crisis following. Maron is off in his own world; for some, it might be too much. Proceed with caution.