Stand-up comedy specials are pouring out of every screen these days, from premium services like Netflix and Amazon Prime to basic cable to YouTube. To help sort through this deluge of choices, the Globe asked nine comedians to pick their favorites from the year (plus a runner-up), to make sure comedy fans’ stockings are stuffed with laughs.
Demetrius “Big D” Hullum
Special: Lil Rel Howery, “I Said It. Y’all Thinking It” (HBO Max)
Why Hullum likes it: “He’s just still raw. He doesn’t get enough credit. He’s right up my alley — Black humor with a lot of spice. He’s different and often gets overlooked. His appeal for me is his satire and his nerdy ratchetness. Ratchetness is the equivalent of dirty, poor, ghetto, loud, obnoxious — all the things that make white people uncomfortable. Rel has that for me but can present it in a way where it’s not full-on ratchet. It’s classy ratchet. Clatchet, if you will.”
Gary Petersen
Special: Josh Gondelman, “People Pleaser” (Amazon Prime)
Why Petersen likes it: “Comedian/hero Josh Gondelman delivers an exquisite comedy special. ‘People Pleaser’ shines with silliness from start to end. This is for new fans and old fans, a.k.a. Gondel-heads. He presents unrelenting joy, originality, smartly written jokes performed with ultimate presence. Warning — this [special] feels like a contagious smile.”
Runner-up: Joe List, “This Year’s Material” (YouTube)
Jaylene Tran
Special: Sheng Wang, “Sweet and Juicy” (Netflix)
Why Tran likes it: “He proves that you don’t need to be raunchy, vulgar, shocking, demeaning, politically divisive, or racially charged to grab people’s attention. Most, if not all, of his jokes in this special are simple yet genius observations that we all have but never discuss. He’s the most underrated writer in comedy right now in my opinion. If people love Mitch Hedberg, they’d love Sheng Wang. He’s almost like an Asian Mitch Hedberg — not in an unoriginal, copycat but in the best possible way. Deadpan delivery with a flair.”
Runner-up: Andrew Schulz, “Infamous” (YouTube)
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The stand-up specials that were these nine comedians’ favorites in 2022