HBO and Netflix helping propel resurgence in standup comedy

A monster year for standup comedy just got bigger.

This year, longtime comic after longtime comic announced plans to put out a new special after years, sometimes decades. On Wednesday, Jon Stewart joined that list when HBO announced the former host of The Daily Show would film a standup special.

The last time Stewart did that was with 1996’s Jon Stewart: Unleavened on HBO.

“I’m really thrilled to be able to return to standup on HBO,” Stewart said.

“They’ve always set the standard for great standup specials. Plus, I can finally use up the last of the Saddam Hussein jokes left over from my first special.”

HBO used to be one of the main outlets for standup. But recently Netflix has doubled down on the genre, putting out an average of one new standup special a week in 2017, releasing some shorter, halfhour specials from up-and-comers and reportedly signing deals worth tens of millions of dollars with standup legends.

Here’s when to expect Netflix specials from some of comedy’s biggest stars:

Jerry Seinfeld will release a new special later this year, with the timing of a second special not yet determined. His last was 1998’s I’m Telling You for the Last Time.

Chris Rock’s first new standup special will be released in 2018 — 10 years since his last, Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger. The date of his second Netflix special hasn’t yet been announced.

Ellen DeGeneres will release a new special in 2018. Her last was 2003’s Here and Now.

Dave Chappelle has already put out two previously unreleased standup specials on Netflix this year — his first new material released since 2004’s Dave Chappelle: For What It’s Worth. He’s planning to film a third special, with no date set yet.

Casey Bloys, HBO’s president of programming, explained why the premium channel has pulled back from standup in recent years.

“As a category, standup specials account for less than one per cent of usage on (HBO) Go and Now,” Bloys said at this week’s Television Critics Association’s summer press tour, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

He also reportedly referred to Netflix’s investment as similar to Comedy Central’s standup push in the early 2000s.

“It’s hard for me to pay exorbitant prices,” Bloys added. “When prices come down, or when it makes sense again, it’s relatively easy to get back in. We’ll wait it out.”

HBO has put out some talkedabout specials lately, including ones from Jerrod Carmichael and T.J. Miller.

But HBO’s output is nothing like the pace of Netflix, which so far has released at least 26 original specials this year (and that already surpasses the 19 released last year, and the 12 in 2015).

While HBO didn’t announce when Stewart’s new standup special would be filmed or released, the company added that the comic will also host the Night of Too Many Stars comedy benefit, performed live Nov. 18 at Madison Square Garden’s theatre.

Stewart is under a four-year production deal with HBO that began in 2015. Months ago, he and HBO announced they cancelled plans for a short-form animation project.

“We all thought the project had great potential, but there were technical issues in terms of production and distribution that proved too difficult given the quick turnaround and topical nature of the material,” HBO said in a statement at the time.

“We’re excited to report that we have some future projects together which you will be hearing about in the near future.”

It’s now becoming clear that those “future projects” centre on a return to Stewart’s standup roots.