The Best Hour-long Comedy Specials*
*NOT an exhaustive list, just some of our favorites.
A comedian’s hour is something very special. It’s like a white coat ceremony or passing the Bar Exam. Except, ya’ know, funny. It shows their audience that they’ve moved beyond the standard tight five or tight ten and onto something not only more advanced, but often more intense, personal, and telling. (AND FUNNY!)
This is a list of (some of) our favorite hour-long comedy specials by the folks we admire.
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Kate Berlant’s Cinnamon in the Wind
Zainab Johnson’s Hijabs Off
Maria Bamford’s Local Act
Whoopi Goldberg on Broadway
Tig Notaro’s Happy To Be Here
Nicole Byer’s BBW (Big Beautiful Weirdo)
Ali Wong’s Baby Cobra