Category Archives: Premieres

Review: Bo Burnham – Inside

Bo Burnham has released his latest comedy special on Netflix entitled Inside. It was written, directed, filmed, and edited last year during the pandemic by Burnham, performing it entirely in one room in his house.

Inside is essentially a musical in which Burnham sings various songs reflecting on random things he is thinking about. The special gives serious “Weird Al Yankovic mixed with Book of Mormon” vibes with its satirical commentary and lyrics. Except in this case, these songs are not covers but original pieces. Each song focuses on very reliable topics, most of them things that people did during the pandemic – FaceTime your mom for example. The beats are generally funky and catchy so they reel you in and hold your attention. Burnham’s comedic commentary around the stigma of turning 30 was also very relatable especially as everyone has now experienced a “COVID birthday”. The lyrics to this particular song and some of the other songs are absolutely hilarious and capture a lot of what life was like during the pandemic, especially as people spent a lot of time alone. There were several times during the special that were “laugh out loud funny”. Burnham also sings some songs about Jeff Bezos, the current CEO of Amazon congratulating him but never really reveals what the reason behind the praise leaving a lot of ambiguity. The overall delivery of the various performances gives off a very psychedelic feel with the utilization of stroke lights and various background video.

Overall the special has been receiving mostly positive reviews from viewers since it debuted May 30th. Rotten Tomatoes reviewers have given the special a 97% approval rating. The popular website describes it as “a claustrophobic masterclass in comedy and introspection” as well as “beautifully bleak, hilariously hopeful special from Bo Burnham.”

Inside is the fifth comedy special that Burnham has been released. He has been on the comedy scene since 2008 when he met director and producer Judd Apatow. His four other specials include Words, Words, Words, what., and Make Happy.

The special was definitely one way to spend the pandemic – creative but rather strange. It is disjointed and doesn’t follow much logical order or rhythm much like the world during the past year and a half. Check out the trailer HERE and catch the full special on Netflix! The songs are also available to hear on Spotify.

Maria Bamford is back with a new special in 2020!

Maria Bamford is making sure we all start the new year the right way! On January 28th, 2020, Maria will release her newest special titled Weakness Is the Brand. The special, unlike others being released currently, will be available to stream on multiple platforms through Comedy Dynamics including Comcast, Amazon Prime Video, Spectrum, Apple TV, Dish, Google Play, DirectTV, Vimeo, and YouTube. There are plenty of places to stream and watch this comedy’s veterans fourth hour-long special.

Maria came to Denver in September 2019 to headline the High Plains Comedy Festival with special guest Aparna Nancherla. Maria worked out a lot of the material in her new special with us and we are excited to see what other hot bits she included. Bamford has a unique way of creating and testing new material. She often writes her new bits at a coffee shop and invites individuals on Twitter to join her for one-on-one comedy show. Don’t worry, this isn’t free work on your end. Maria pays well in treats and coffee. She often calls friends and runs through her material over the phone. Such a unique approach to the creative process from such a unique comedian!

“This is my finest, richest chunk of hot new bits. Enjoy with your favorite cool beverage and a nice piece of fudge,” Bamford said in a press release. Maria’s high energy comedy is sure to have you falling off the couch. Let her be the poor example from which your greatness is determined.

Follow Maria on Twitter here for a chance to join her in a coffee shop as she starts writing new material again. We are excited to see the new special and can’t wait for Bamford to make another stop in Denver.

Watch the trailer now for Weakness Is the Brand with streaming starting on January 28th, 2020!

Tiffany Haddish New Netflix Special

To add to the amazing list of talented comedians releasing new specials this year, Tiffany Haddish has released her new Netflix special, Black Mitzvah. The name of the special came to Haddish after she took an ancestry DNA test that revealed she was of part Jewish descent on her father’s side. The special is now available for streaming and is quickly gaining both traction and notoriety.

Haddish describes the special as a celebration of her own bat mitzvah, the Jewish coming-of-age ceremony that traditionally occurs when one is around thirteen. She adds, “I want to do something that represents growth and maturity.” Haddish’s late father was a Jewish refugee from Eritrea, which she discovered as a teenager. She even had some experience working as an entertainer and dancer at various bar/bat mitzvahs as she started her career.

Early reviews of Black Mitzvah have been favorable and have praised Haddish for her comedic chops. An article by FastCompany claims that it is a “comedy special as PR and it works.” The special highlights her humorous commentary on life, including the moment she discovered she was part Jewish. Check out the trailer HERE. To prepare for the special, she spent time reading the Torah and learning the Jewish language to prepare for her actual upcoming bat mitzvah ceremony she is having to celebrate her heritage as well as her 40th birthday.

Haddish has come on to the comic scene from film roles in Night School, Girls Trip, and Like A Boss. In addition to those credits, she also was part of NBC’s show, The Carmichaels, that aired from 2015-2017 and TBS’ The Last O.G. with Tracy Morgan. Black Mitzvah is her second Netflix special, the first one being They Ready, which premiered earlier this year in August.

Be sure to stream it on Netflix now!

Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby

Late Night with Seth Meyers host, Seth Meyers, has announced a new Netflix special that premiered on November 5th. The new special is called Lobby Baby, poking fun at Meyers’ own experience of having his second child born in the lobby of his New York apartment building in April 2018. You can watch Meyers tell the original story HERE. The teaser trailer for the special shows Meyers with a toy stage and figurine of himself after having a funny conversation with some small children playing with toys of their own.

The special was filmed in Minneapolis at the Pantages Theatre. Topics for the special include family and fatherhood as well as drawing on Meyers’ Saturday Night Live and stand-up background. It shows what a family man Meyers is and displays his affection for both his wife and two sons.

Having spent 13 seasons on the show, there is a plethora of material from which he can draw from. He is most known for his time on the news parody, Weekend Update. Additionally, he took over the 12:35/11:35pm time slot on NBC for Late Night in 2014 when Jimmy Fallon went to host The Tonight Show. Staple segments of his main show include Emmy-nominated “A Closer Look”, poking fun of the latest current events nightly.

This Netflix special features a “skip politics” button, for those who are just tired of Trump jokes as well, making it appealing to those who are tired of some of the political satire circulating the television and Internet circuits. Vulture, a subsidiary of New York Magazine describes the special as a “sweet, endearing wash of cuteness that is also good but a touch naughty”. Click HERE to read the full review.

This is definitely a special we have on our “must-watch-soon” list, and it should be on yours too!

New Jim Jefferies show on NBC

If any comedy nerds out there miss Jim Jefferies’ FX show Legit, you should get excited about the new NBC show. NBC has committed to a new untitled Jim Jefferies-Suzanne Martin comedy pilot. The comedy will feature a fictional version of Jefferies. He will be starring in the show as himself offering commentary on modern life issues and the complexity of relationships. Currently there is not a premiere date that has been announced but look for one soon! In the meantime, check out Jefferies on his comedy show, The Jim Jefferies Show, on Comedy Central!

Michael Kosta gets his first Comedy Central Special

Michael Kosta, currently seen on The Daily Show, is going to headline his first stand-up special on Comedy Central, the same network that produces The Daily Show. The special is going to be recorded from Detroit’s Gem Theatre in November and then air on TV sometime in Summer 2020. Kosta has appeared on popular shows such as The Tonight Show, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and Conan prior to joining the Comedy Central team. He is on our “must-see” up-and-coming comedian list making this special definitely one to check out!

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis THE MOVIE

The new must-see movie of the fall, Between Two Ferns: The Movie, is captivating the Internet. The new Netflix movie special with Zach Galifianakis started back in 2008 as a web series and has featured guests such as President Obama, Brad Pitt, and Jennifer Aniston. The film premiered this year in September and has been gaining traction as well as rave reviews. The interviewees of the 2019 edition include Benedict Cumberbatch, Brie Larson, and Gal Gadot. Check out this gut-busting comedy now through Netflix and for film information, click HERE.

Kevin James Stars in New NASCAR show

Kevin James is coming back to a multi-cam sitcom! “The King and Queens” star is teaming up with NASCAR to bring a racing themed show to the streaming giant, Netflix. He will play the role of an old-school crew chief in the midst of a modernizing sport. Jeff Lowell (The Ranch & Two and a Half Men) will be the show’s writer, showrunner, and executive produce. James will also bring back some producers and writers from “King of Queens”. This will be one of Netflix’s rare dabbles in multi-camera comedies, with most of their previous shows either cancelled or coming to an end.

Kevin James and NASCAR plan on having the show ready for streaming in mid-2020.  

Hiking with Kevin (Nealon That Is)

Comedy Works alum Kevin Nealon is back for a third season of his YouTube series, Hiking with Kevin. This series follows Kevin Nealon as he takes a hike (literally) with a famous actor or comedian. Kevin’s show is a spin-off of another famous show, Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Past guests have included Conan O’Brien (Conan), Colin Jost (Saturday Night Live), Jack Black (Jumanji, Shallow Hal), and many more! This season’s hikes will include Alec Baldwin (Saturday Night Live), Sean Hayes (Will and Grace), and Tiffany Haddish (Night School). New episodes are added to Kevin’s YouTube page weekly.

NBC’s Sunnyside TO BRIGHTEN Your Day

NBC is bringing a new comedy show to its Thursday night line-up this fall. This series stars some Comedy Works alumni – Moses Storm and Joel Kim Booster. The show is produced by the executives that brought you the widely popular shows, The Good Place and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Sunnyside depicts the story of a former New York City councilman (Kal Penn) and a group of immigrants that need his help in pursuit of the elusive “American Dream”. Hilarity ensues and the audience is in for a fun, refreshing comedic treat! Sunnyside premieres September 26th!