Also on Netflix right now is Right Here, Around the Corner, the first comedy special from Ray Romano in decades. Not being a particular fan of Everybody Loves Raymond, I would never have considered watching a performance by that sitcom’s star, but his gig at the club where he started his career is the type of gentle comedy that makes for easy viewing.
Another man not high on my list of must-see comedians is Ken Jeong, who I once described as the worst thing about Community – he’s definitely an acquired taste. But since the star of The Hangover franchise was trying something new – You Complete Me, Ho (on Netflix now) is his first stand-up special – I thought I’d do the same. And I laughed. A lot. Maybe I like Ken Jeong, just not the characters he’s best known for.
Watching stand-up on TV also allows you to revisit routines over and over, like Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette (on Netflix now), which has turned the local comedian into a global phenomenon. Unless you’re a stand-up groupie, it’s unlikely you’d return to see a show more than once live, but you can enjoy them as often as you want in the comfort of your own lounge room, catching the jokes you missed the first time around or, in the case of Nanette, whenever you want to be taken on an emotional journey.
It’s not just streaming giant Netflix bringing the laughs direct to people’s homes. ABC has an entire comedy channel, while iView contains stand-up specials like the 2018 Melbourne Comedy Festival – incredibly handy for those interstate. So while sitting on my couch might not have quite the same atmosphere as a comedy venue, I’m fine with that. •