Looking for more than just a bunch of fast jokes and one-liners in your stand-up comedy? We go digging once again deep into Netflix and find for you the 5 best comedian storytellers streaming right now.
Jerry Before Seinfeld
Let’s start with the name you know most. Here’s a show taped in 2017 that sees the famous observational comedian look back at his career. Taking the stage of the first club he performed at, the Comedy Store, he stands before a small audience offering intimate details into his sorted journey to stardom, from his first joke to his success on television and more. It’s obviously very funny, but his gift for telling a story is the real reason to tune in and learn where and how he got his start.
Patton Oswald: Talking For Clapping
One of the greatest comedian storytellers ever to take the stage, Oswald’s dry, acerbic delivery has made him a household name for his keen jabs at society, politics, and pop culture. Here, he hits the stage in San Francisco and dices up the city, his ups and downs being a father, the absurd hoops of living life PC, and his worst experience ever in stand up. This is insightful, very funny, and like much of this work, blisteringly honest.
Tig Notaro: Happy To Be Here
Maybe you’ve never heard of Tig before, but you really should change that. She’s a brilliant storyteller that combines deeply, deeply personal history and sometimes disturbing experiences and wraps them up in shockingly funny stings, keeping you tightly engaged like the best campfire orator ever. Filmed at the Heights Theater in Houston, this very intimate show is never outright but-gusting funny, nor does it try to be, but it is nonetheless a beautiful, heartbreaking and very funny journey that is well worth taking.
Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend
The comedy of Mike Birbiglia is all about the long game. He is a master storyteller who diverts and reverts and spins and circles about in a long singular narrative that journeys all over the place while remaining always connected to the core plot. And it’s hysterical. While he’s got a few very funny shows on Netflix right now, this is the best (an admittedly hard choice to make). Here, he tells us about getting married and along the way, we discover much about the boy he once was to the man he wants to be. It’s remarkably insightful, a little touching, and one of the most authentic personal stories you’ll probably ever hear.
Neal Brennan: 3 Mics
A writer most well-known for his work on Dave Chappelle‘s Chappelle’s Show, Neal Brennan is one hell of a storyteller, easily the best on Netflix right now. This incredibly personal and intimate performance sees him use three different microphones to offer up three diverse side of his life and career, not just giving us a peak into his past, but handing out shovels to go deeper. This is very funny and also very moving as he shares stories of heartbreak and inspiration, always keeping the ride a funny one. Don’t miss it.