In 10 Words or Less
Laughing at being a Mexican-American dad

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Al Madrigal, The Daily Show, stand-up comedy, my daughter
Likes: Comedy albums
Dislikes: Family comedy
Hates: Missing Mel

The Show
Back in 2006, Comedy Central put out a two-disc sampler of their comedy albums called Double Chunk, which featured plenty of great up-and-coming acts including Daniel Tosh, Demitri Martin and Mike Birbiglia, but the one that stood out to me for the longest time was from Al Madrigal. The bit, about him going to buy a Christmas tree with his kid and how kids pick up language from their parents, was hysterical, but unlike many of the other performers, I didn't hear much of him after t...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
Pete Holmes makes it weird

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Pete Holmes, Stand-Up Comedy
Likes: You Made it Weird/
Dislikes: Being single
Hates: Homophobia

The Show
Most people know Pete Holmes from one of two things, and they probably don't even know they know him from the one. Holmes is the host of a brilliant conversational postcast on the Nerdist network, You Made it Weird, where he talks to funny and/or interesting people about a variety of subjects and sometimes/often gets rather deep. But he's also the voice of the e-Trade baby, so he is something of a renaissance manbaby. I'd never really checked out his stand-up before, but knew he was hilarious, so this new special was the ...Read the entire review

THE SHOW:

Discerning fans of comedy already know who Kristen Schaal is. They've seen her be hilariously creepy in Flight of the Conchords. They've witnessed her control of cutting satire as a Daily Show correspondent. For the last few seasons of 30 Rock she kept Kenneth Parcell's heart in a state of constant confusion. She's even left her mark in the animated world with Bob's Burgers. When she isn't busy stealing the scene in whatever project she's involved with, she finds time to be a fixture on the alternative comedy scene bringing her blend of oddness and absurdity to the masses. For a comedienne who has done so much (and all of it so well), it's kind of surprising to note that Live at the Fillmore marks her first hour-long special for Comedy Central.

I know I've already called Schaal's style of comedy odd and absurd but it bears repeating m...Read the entire review

Review:

We get it, Betty White, old people can be funny and foul-mouthed. "Golden Girls" was wonderful and we thanked you for being a "friend" in the '80's, but retirement called and it isn't a fan of "Betty White's Off Our Rockers" (where seniors play pranks on young people, who look utterly confused - "was I just punked by AARP?" - after the seniors run off; they may as well have titled it "Stupid Old People Tricks"), either. While White does get a few laughs in a supporting role in this series, bring back the old Betty White.

Airing on TV Land (just try and find it), the series was produced by Suzanne Marin ("Frasier") and Sean Hayes, taken from an original idea by famed producer Lynda Obst. The series - which feels like it would have been a better fit on Lifetime, WeTV or Oxygen - is, shall we say, comfortable.

It's light and occasionally gets a good laugh, but it's fam...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
Cute, but dirty

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Stand-up comedy
Likes: Any Schumer
Dislikes: Cringe comedy
Hates: Most dirty female comics

The Show
With her cute, innocent face, it's easy to be surprised when Amy Schumer opens her mouth and spills forth filthy jokes and aggressively graphic comments. But the shock value fades pretty quickly, so you're left with how funny her jokes are, which is often the issue with female comics who take the path less traveled. If all they have is their inappropriateness, you end up with a one-shot deal or just a mediocre stand-up, like a Whitney Cummings. But if they can use that shock as a foot in the door and follow it with a truly funny routine, you've got th...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
Anthony Jelenik is a bad, bad man

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Stand-up comedy
Likes: Black comedy
Dislikes: Wendy Liebman
Hates: Cringe comedy

The Show
Anthony Jeselnik's a rising star in the world of stand-up comedy, having made his mark as a writer on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, where he made frequent appearances as a heckler in the audience. Following it up with spots on several talk shows and a stand-up album, he's quickly become well-known for his very dark, hugely politically incorrect material, which contrasts with his clean-cut appearance and soft-spoken delivery. In fact, if you weren't paying close attention, he wasn't well-dressed and he wasn't talking about killing his gi...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
Jumping around in the world of Daniel Tosh

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Funny internet clips
Likes: Daniel Tosh, Tosh.0, Web Soup
Dislikes: Gross-out comedy, viewer videos
Hates: Clip-show bits

The Story So Far...
Comedy Central's biggest hit in recent years, Tosh.0 features wise-ass stand-up comic Daniel Tosh, as he presents a variety of internet videos, offering jokes about them and participating in sketches, sometimes with the star of the original video, most noticeably in the show's flagship segment, Web Redemption, where Tosh offers someone who made a poor impression in a viral video to clear the air and come out on top for once. The first home-video collection,...Read the entire review

THE SHOW:

To say that Jeff Ross knows a thing or two about roasting people would be an understatement. Insult comedy is Ross's bread and butter. Besides being the Roastmaster General of the New York Friars' Club, he has been cutting celebrities down to size on Comedy Central Roasts for quite some time now. I'm guessing that's where a number of folks saw him for the first time (I know I did). From there, he parlayed his success into a Comedy Central show (The Burn with Jeff Ross) and now this release which covers 8 stops on his first major national tour.

As the special started, it was immediately apparent that nothing would be off limits as a clip showed Ross cracking wise on stage moments after learning about Whitney Houston's death. His audience howled with laughter, relishing the very awkwardness of it all. I chuckled too, thinking of the gag as a twisted palate cleanser. ...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
This is a summary of this stand-up DVD

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Stand-up comedy, language-based stand-up
Likes: Demetri Martin
Dislikes: Disappointing extras
Hates: The overly clever

The Story So Far...
Demetri Martin has become one of the better-known stand-up comics in recent years on the strength of his low-energy, minutia-obsessed comedy and his Comedy Central series Important Things with Demetri Martin. His first comedy special, Person. , was released in September of 2007, and DVDTalk has a review.

The Show
Easily, some of my favorite stand-up comedy is the kind that looks at the ridic...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
A worthy successor to the mantle of Chappelle's Show

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Sketch comedy
Likes: Key & Peele
Dislikes: Race-based comedy, MADtv
Hates: Sketch comedy studio segments

The Movie
I watched an episode of Key & Peele when it debuted on Comedy Central, but it didn't do anything for me, and I moved on. After watching the eight episodes of the show's first season on Blu-Ray, I don't regret my judgment, but it ended up being a much better series than the first episode showed, with some legitimate highlights along the way.

Jordan Peele and Keegan Michael Key are veterans of the Chicago improv scene and were both cast members of the surprisi...Read the entire review

Comedians are always better live. They tend to be looser, more relaxed, and more likely to improvise and do bits of crowd work when they know they aren't being taped for the judgment of millions. Stand-up comics spend the better part of each year honing a new hour of material; from that hour, they cull five minutes to polish for the late night talk shows, should they receive those highly sought-after calls. When it comes to putting together a stand-up special for Comedy Central (or HBO, or Showtime) the pressure is even higher: we're not talking about five minutes of fine-tuned setups, but a full 60 minutes. The challenge for comedians who find themselves at this watershed moment in their careers is to cram as many jokes into that set as possible, while retaining whatever pers...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
Back to the usual Black

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Stand-up comedy, Lewis Black
Likes: Being surprised, political humor
Dislikes: When comics get serious
Hates: Obligation-driven holiday gift-giving

The Story So Far...
Lewis Black has built a solid career as an angry comic through his appearances on The Daily Show and his stand-up act, and is known best for his screaming, profanity-laced rants against stupidity, punctuated with forceful finger-pointing. On home video, he's been especially productive, with four stand-up specials on DVD to date, along with some History Channel specials, and his The Root of All Evil series. DVDTalk has Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
Low energy, high number of laughs

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Stand-Up
Likes: Todd Barry
Dislikes:
Hates:

The Show
Todd Barry is one of those comics who's been seemingly working forever, but has never quite made the breakthrough to the mainstream. It's obvious that he's well-respected in the industry, considering the fact that he continuously works the stand-up circuit, and has been a steady contributor on two of stand-up's hallmark TV series, Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist and Louie. But for some reason he's never crossed-over into the general zeitgeist, remaining a comic's comic. Whether that bothers him or not, only he and those close to him know, but he continues to plug...Read the entire review

THE SHOW:

If you ever meet Gabriel Iglesias in person and he insists on introducing you to one of his incredibly funny friends, do a quick check to see if his shorts (the man hates pants) are engulfed in flames. I'm just saying that there is a really good chance that HE IS LYING. His Comedy Central series Stand-Up Revolution does indeed feature a number of stand-up comedians but hardly qualifies as a revolution. For that, they would have to actually generate laughs.

Gabriel plays the role of ringleader as he brings 18 comics to the stage (over the course of 7 episodes) in a bid to tickle our funny bone. The format of every episode remains the same with Gabriel receiving an entirely unnecessary introduction by 'host' / sidekick / hype-man Martin Moreno. Gabriel and Martin banter for a couple of minutes and by that I mean to say Gabriel cracks a couple of silly jokes while Mar...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
Tosh.0 on Blu-Ray is overkill

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Funny internet clips
Likes: Daniel Tosh, Tosh.0, Web Soup
Dislikes: Gross-out comedy, viewer videos
Hates: Clip-show bits

The Show
Once upon a time, there were TV shows hosted by comedians that featured internet content as far as the eye could see, with Web Junk 20, Web Soup and Tosh.0. Today, only one remains standing, as Daniel Tosh's extremely popular exploration of web culture continues to bring the internet into our homes on a different screen than the one it normally comes in on. Of course, the difference is that Tosh adds his own take on the material, which usually raises it to a m...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
From behind the scenes to center stage

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Stand-up comedy, 30 Rock
Likes: SNL, Hannibal Buress
Dislikes: Race-based comedy
Hates: That The Eric Andre Show is only 15 minutes long

The Show
Hannibal Buress is one of those comics who's very well known among comedy nerds, from his writing gigs on SNL and 30 Rock and small cameos (along with a namecheck by Childish Gambino), but now he's making a move for stardom, first with his brilliantly subdued role as co-host on [adult swim]'s The Eric Andre Show, and now with his first hour-long stand-up special on Comedy Central. With an act that is universal and hugely accessible, Burress c...Read the entire review

What to make of Reggie Watts? Is he a trained comedian (most probably) or a crazy man with a passion for terrifically awful sweaters and/or suspenders who speaks his mind while spinning irresistible siren songs that combine beautiful, seemingly created-on-the-spot music with asinine (intentionally so) lyrics? Take some sample lyrics from his song "F*** S*** Stack," probably the most commercial effort this writer has seen from Watts:

I like women

I like the concept of a woman

I like to take that concept and reduce it to an object

I like to take those objects and put 'em in my videos

Have them shake they jiggly bits so they looks like hoes

It helps to add that the video is send-up of hip-hop tropes delivered in the most literal sense possible and combined with images that occasionally wouldn't look out of place on late-night MTV way back when.

Watts is funny, no doubt, but he's als...Read the entire review

I guess it had to happen sooner or later. Some of the most infectious comedies over the last decade have come from the workplace subgenre, with no small thanks to Office Space and The Office. Comedy Central has obviously realized this, as well as the fact that the closest they've ever come to cornering that market was when they picked up reruns of Scrubs. That is, unless you want to count Reno 911! as a workplace comedy, but we all know the intention of that show was to merely be a spoof of the long-running program, COPS. That being said, how was the network supposed to get their foot in the office game? They easily could have launched their own brand for workplace induced giggles, sure, but viewers would have perceived such a project, at least at the time, to be a cheap attempt at cloning The Office. No, Comedy Central needed to wait for an opport...Read the entire review

THE PERFORMANCE:

Trying to think of a way to review Patton Oswalt: Finest Hour, a film documenting the comedian's uproarious routine from his 2011 tour, the fact that there's little to talk about other than Oswalt and his material reminds me that the stand-up comedian puts him/herself into a much more naked and vulnerable situation than most other performers. I've long been convinced that successfully funny narrative films are more difficult to pull off than dramas; there are so many fewer safety nets and so much more subjectivity involved, and there are no saving graces or ways of compensating left if you can't make 'em laugh. But at least in a film, you have the chance to do retakes and rewrites and employ editing to get your laughs. And even a sing...Read the entire review

THE SHOW:

It takes a selfless comedian to cede the starring role in his own stories to other people. Jo Koy is exactly that kind of comedian. In this hour-long set from the Alex theatre in Los Angeles, Koy gleefully digs through his family history and delivers laughs by telling tales where nothing is off limits (including his son's penis).

After getting a rock star's welcome from an adoring audience (he's Filipino, they're mostly Filipino...coincidence?), he gives us a taste of the advice his mother usually has in store for him. Without spoiling her words of wisdom, this bit does give Koy the opportunity to demonstrate how he likes to mess with drunk girls in bars (don't worry, it's not pervy but it is devilish). He then moves into a segment dedicated to natural disasters, which brings with it one of the highlights of the show as Koy describes experiencing an earthquake with his son...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
Surprisingly hilarious comedy veteran

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Stand-Up, my kid
Likes: Silly comedians
Dislikes: Racial comedy
Hates:

The Show
As I noted in my review of long-time stand-up comic Bobby Collins' recent DVD, I live close to New York City, and as a result our local comedy clubs have played host to pretty much every comic on the touring circuit. So I've seen (or am at least aware of) the vast majority of stand-ups working in recent history. And thus, I've heard of Jo Koy (and frequently confused him with Martha Stewart sidekick Joey Kola) but I'd never actually seen him perform. Thanks to this new stand-up special, that's been fixed, and I can say I was pleasantly surprised ...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
Dapper, yet hilarious storytelling

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Stand-Up, monologues, Comedy Bang Bang
Likes: Paul F. Tompkins, his suits
Dislikes: Stupid people
Hates: King hats

The Show
The alt-comedy scene has been incredibly influential in movies and TV, but the original source material, the folks standing behind mics in small clubs and theaters, remains remarkably anonymous outside of its dedicated fan base. Now with the growth of podcasts as a comedy medium, this relatively tight circle of creators has expanded its reach to the ears tethered to smartphones and computer towers. Among the bright lights of this boom in hilarity is one Mr. Paul F. Tompkins, long known to fans of M...Read the entire review

THE SPECIAL:

Patton Oswalt's first half-hour HBO special a decade and a half ago (I'm as surprised as you) marked the arrival of a unique comic voice, one that would, in the subsequent years, assume a place alongside Louis C.K., Chris Rock, and Eddie Izzard as one of the foremost working practitioners of the art. Along the way, he continued to develop a specific comedic style, deftly mixing generous portions of pop culture geekery with trenchant political commentary, absurdist flights of fancy, and occasional confessional sidebars.

But we geeks must grow up, and Oswalt did; he was married in 2005 and had his first child two years ago. His 2009 special, My Weakness is Strong, saw a subtle but noteworthy shift in the focus of his material, as concerns of marriage and impending fatherhood started to work his way into the act. The Oswalt of his new special, Finest Hour ...Read the entire review

THE SPECIAL:

JB Smoove is so endlessly funny on Curb Your Enthusiasm--such a perfect counterpoint to Larry David, such an effortlessly brilliant scene partner and foil--and has brightened up so many otherwise stillborn movie comedies (Hall Pass, The Sitter), it's impossible to approach his first stand-up special, J.B. Smoove: That's How I Dooz It, with anything less than high hopes. And it gives this writer no pleasure to report that those hopes are dashed fairly early on. We have seen, in his other work, that Smoove is a disarming comic actor and a boisterous improvisationalist. What he is not, at least based on this special, is a similarly gi...Read the entire review

THE SHOW:

JB Smoove: That's How I Dooz It is the latest comedy special from the comedian/actor perhaps best known for portraying Leon Black on Curb Your Enthusiasm. On Larry David's show, he plays an abrasive, profane, opinionated force of nature. His on-stage persona as a stand-up comedian is pretty much the same thing. So, if you laugh at Smoove as Leon, then you're likely to have some interest in what the real JB has to say.

Smoove's breathless style relies heavily on crowd work, physical demonstrations, and repetition. Topics range from techniques in the bedroom to running from the police to cooking chicken. His bits rely less on traditional ...Read the entire review

Just so we're clear from the get go - I'm an avid South Park fan. What I am not however, is someone who will sacrifice his integrity merely for the sake of writing a positive review. That being said, let me begin by recapping how I felt about the last few seasons of the show - Although the 12th season was decent enough in its own right, I wouldn't be honest if I said it lived up to its full potential. Season 13 on the other hand suffered from a severe case of Jekyll and Hyde - The first leg of the season was nothing short of brilliant, but the second leg that aired later that year had been some of the most disappointing television I've had the displeasure of seeing in a while. I was concerned that South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone were losing their knack, but the 14th season rebounded in a way that I never imagined to be possible. It was a season of risk - two episodes w...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
Geeky SNL writer talks about his life

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Stand up comedy, Stefon
Likes: SNL
Dislikes: John Mulaney's Weekend Update spots
Hates: Being mistaken for being Asian

The Movie
Sometimes a comedian's demeanor is their biggest weakness, one that overwhelms even the best material. I'd like to think that a slightly different persona would have made the awkward Jake Johannsen one of the biggest comics in America. John Mulaney falls directly into this category, with an on-stage presence that verges on obnoxious with the feel of a modern-day dandy. When he's not slipping into an "urban" voice to imitate a Def Jam comic, he comes off like a slightly more energetic Mike Birb...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
Quasi-famous comic's manic stand-up hits awkwardly

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Stand-up comedy
Likes: Successful Alcoholics
Dislikes: Overt physical comedy
Hates: Low-hanging leaves

The Show
Apparently, T.J. Miller is one of those "comedian's comedians," where his popularity inside the industry is much higher than it is outside it. I've heard his name frequently when talk of up-and-coming comics is bandied about, but I've seen far more of his acting work (like his excellent short film Successful Alcoholics or his bizarre audition tape for Yogi Bear) than his stand-up (outside of some late-night appearances). Now that I've had the chance to soak in h...Read the entire review

Don't let the name "Workaholics" mislead you, because the Comedy Central series is about three friends who do pretty much anything but work. Anders (Anders Holm), Blake (Blake Anderson) and Adam (Adam DeVine) all live together and work as telemarketers under the watch of their boss, Alice (Maribeth Monroe). They spend the majority of their time getting high, referencing pop culture (including late eighties and nineties references), playing pranks, drinking and hanging out together.

"Workaholics" is definitely not for everyone. The series is geared towards a generation that will appreciate the references, bro-mance genre that seems to be popping up everywhere, and the overall indifference to cubicle work. Holm, DeVine, and Anderson along with Kyle Newacheck (who also appears in the series and directs) started out making videos on Youtube under the name Mail Order Comedy. They brought their c...Read the entire review

For 30 years, he's turned a novelty niche into a career, outlasting probably half of the acts he's parodied. Like his music or not, "Weird Al" Yankovic is an institution. Earlier this year, he released his 13th -- 13th! -- studio album, and as part of the media blitz, he had one of his shows, a July 2011 performance in Toronto, recorded for release. A truncated 60-minute version aired on Comedy Central, and the full 86-minute concert is now available on DVD.

The concert itself is a pretty straightforward affair: Al plays fifteen songs, plus a medley of parodies (and one gag song). Seven of the songs are from his new album, Alpocalypse, and all but four of them (plus the gag song) are from the last decade, although the medley strongly skews towards the 1980s. T...Read the entire review

THE SHOW:

Craig Ferguson may have first come to the attention of U.S. audiences as Drew Carey's wacky boss on The Drew Carey Show, but he sure has come a long way since then. After taking over The Late Late Show from Craig Kilborn in 2005, he has been slyly building up his brand of off-kilter comedy under the guise of a truly mainstream tradition: the late night talk show. You may think the format has been done to death but Ferguson has been slowly rejuvenating the medium in his own special way. His monologues are less about quick hits and more about building an atmosphere of rambling (and hilarious) absurdity. When he speaks with guests, you can tell he is actually engaged in the conversation and not racing to get to the next talking point. He has managed to develop a loyal fan-base by doing the impossible: being funny and charming without looking like he's trying too h...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
Racism, homophobia and old jokes through puppets' mouths

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Stand-up comedy
Likes: Good ventriloquists
Dislikes: Jeff Dunham's act
Hates: Lame stand-up, the Achmed bit

The Show
I remember watching Jeff Dunham way back when he was first breaking through, with his odd purple puppet Peanut and thinking this guy's a damn good ventriloquist and a pretty good stand-up too, as Peanut's crowd work was rather funny (which is important, as crowd work for ventriloquists, where you force the audience to talk to a puppet, is one of the genre's more unique attributes.) Since those early days, Dunham's gone on to become one of the biggest mainstream sta...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
Good stand-up and annoying characters do not mix

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Stand-up comedy, The League
Likes: Nick Kroll
Dislikes: Non-traditional stand-up specials
Hates: Bobby Bottleservice, Fabrice Fabrice

The Show
One of the stars of FX' outstanding guys sitcom The League, where he plays amoral lawyer Ruxin, Nick Kroll has become a staple in improv circles, playing any number of creepy/annoying characters to slimy perfection. But he's also a talented stand-up comic, bringing some elements of those personas to his act, performed here at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. It's occasionally dark and extremely funny, even if it does travel some ...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
Daily Show star stands up and out

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Stand-up comedy, The Daily Show
Likes: Wyatt Cenac, Medieval Times
Dislikes:
Hates: Michael Jordan's mustache

The Show
Based on this stand-up special, fans of The Daily Show will soon have the hipster-brand opportunity to say they liked Wyatt Cenac back when he wasn't so popular. After building an impressive run as the show's best non-British correspondent, Cenac has taken the next step toward tackling the world of stand-up as part of the next wave (which I imagine also includes Don Glover, Bo Burnham and a woman from Portland that we haven't yet met.) This stand-up special, shot in the ...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
Norm Macdonald is an acquired taste

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Stand-up comedy
Likes: Norm Macdonald
Dislikes: Taking cringe humor too far
Hates:

The Show
I'm a fan of Norm Macdonald, but I know I'm part of a niche audience. All you have to do is look at the success rate of his TV and movie projects and the point is firmly established. He's got to be the only person fired from SNL with the publicly stated reason being that he's not funny. But that doesn't matter when he makes you laugh, which Macdonald does frequently for me, despite being so awkward a performer than it's almost painful to watch. And he obviously makes other people laugh, because he keeps getting chances to divide au...Read the entire review