20 Best Standup Shows
by christian94 | created - 07 Dec 2017 | updated - 4 months ago | PublicTop 20 Recorded Standup Comedy Shows from last 41 years (1979-2019) in order from very best (#1) with a few extra runner ups for good luck
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1. Russell Peters: Outsourced (2006 TV Special)
Unrated | 72 min | Documentary, Comedy
Over the past several years, comedian Russell Peters' riotous performances have electrified audiences on four continents. His hard won road successes have established him as an artist with bona fide international acclaim.
Director: Alan C. Blomquist | Stars: Russell Peters, Angelo Tsarouchas
Votes: 1,754
2. Eddie Murphy: Delirious (1983 TV Special)
Not Rated | 69 min | Comedy
Eddie Murphy's raunchy, raucous stand-up comedy routine is captured for posterity on this tape.
Director: Bruce Gowers | Stars: Eddie Murphy, James Argiro, Gus Loundermon, Brian O'Neal
Votes: 18,496
3. Chris Rock: Bring the Pain (1996 TV Special)
TV-MA | 58 min | Comedy
The second HBO stand-up special by Chris Rock.
Director: Keith Truesdell | Stars: Chris Rock, Jim Breuer, Mario Joyner, Tracy Morgan
Votes: 4,230
4. Trevor Noah: African American (2013 TV Special)
TV-MA | 69 min | Comedy
Celebrated as the most popular comedian in South Africa, Trevor Noah takes the stage in "African American" to explore his often-bewildering journey of arriving in America and simply wanting... See full summary »
Director: Ryan Polito | Star: Trevor Noah
Votes: 1,394
5. Chris Rock: Bigger & Blacker (1999 TV Special)
TV-MA | 65 min | Documentary, Comedy
Chris Rock's third HBO comedy special shows him performing his stand-up routine at Apollo Theater in Harlem.
Director: Keith Truesdell | Stars: Chris Rock, Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh, Monteria Ivey
Votes: 7,516
6. Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987)
R | 93 min | Documentary, Comedy
Eddie Murphy in a stand-up performance recorded live. For an hour and a half he talks about his favourite subjects: sex and women.
Director: Robert Townsend | Stars: Eddie Murphy, Tatyana Ali, Billie Allen, Clebert Ford
Votes: 20,744 | Gross: $50.50M
7. Jim Jefferies: I Swear to God (2009 TV Special)
TV-MA | 58 min | Comedy
Politically incorrect Australian comedian Jim Jefferies performs.
Director: John Moffitt | Star: Jim Jefferies
Votes: 3,087
8. Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979)
Not Rated | 78 min | Documentary, Comedy
Richard Pryor's classic 1979 concert film has him discussing a wide range of topics, including race, the police and his favorite target -- himself.
Director: Jeff Margolis | Stars: Richard Pryor, Patti LaBelle, Huey P. Newton, Jennifer Lee Pryor
Votes: 5,815 | Gross: $30.00M
9. Jim Jefferies: Freedumb (2016 TV Special)
TV-MA | 86 min | Comedy
Jim Jefferies talks about family life and challenges the idea of American freedom live on stage in Nashville, Tennessee.
Director: Ryan Polito | Star: Jim Jefferies
Votes: 5,892
10. Ali Wong: Baby Cobra (2016 TV Special)
TV-MA | 60 min | Comedy
Ali Wong's stand up special delves into her sexual adventures, hoarding, the rocky road to pregnancy, and why feminism is terrible.
Director: Jaime Eliezer Karas | Star: Ali Wong
Votes: 7,876
11. Chris Rock: Never Scared (2004 TV Special)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary, Comedy
Are you ready for Rock? Actor/director/comedian Chris Rock performs a gut-busting set in his fourth HBO stand-up special taped before a live audience at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.
Director: Joel Gallen | Stars: Chris Rock, Dionicio Chambers, Doug E. Fresh, Eric Edwards
Votes: 5,697
12. The Original Kings of Comedy (2000)
R | 115 min | Comedy, Documentary
A concert film featuring four major African American stand up comedians.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric The Entertainer, Bernie Mac
Votes: 6,068 | Gross: $38.18M
13. Martin Matte: La vie, la mort... eh la la..! (2019 TV Special)
61 min | Comedy
Director: Jean-François Blais | Star: Martin Matte
Votes: 120
14. Russell Peters: Red, White and Brown (2008 TV Special)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary, Comedy
Recorded live before a sold-out audience at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden, Russell Peters delivers material from his record-breaking "Homecoming Tour," with tales of his travels... See full summary »
Director: Jigar Talati | Stars: Melle Mel, Russell Peters
Votes: 1,568
15. Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife (2018 TV Special)
TV-MA | 64 min | Comedy
Comedian Ali Wong performs her live stand-up set at Toronto's Winter Garden Theatre.
Director: Jaime Eliezer Karas | Star: Ali Wong
Votes: 5,533
16. Russell Peters: Notorious (2013 TV Special)
71 min | Comedy
Global comedy star Russell Peters leaves no ethnic or cultural stereotype unstrapped in this outrageous stand-up appearance in Sydney, Australia.
Director: David Higby | Star: Russell Peters
Votes: 1,734
17. Russell Peters: The Green Card Tour - Live from The O2 Arena (2011 TV Special)
TV-MA | 58 min | Comedy
Recorded in front of 30,000 fans over two nights at the O2 Arena in London, England, Russell Peters shares his hilarious observations on everything from the declining population of white people to the stereotyping of Arabs.
Director: David Higby | Star: Russell Peters
Votes: 1,081
18. Deep in the Heart of Texas: Dave Chappelle Live at Austin City Limits (2017 TV Special)
TV-MA | 66 min | Comedy
Dave Chappelle gives his stand about racially charged run-ins, celebrity scandals and fatherly dilemmas in his stand-up set at Austin's Moody Theater.
Director: Stan Lathan | Stars: Dave Chappelle, Morgan Freeman
Votes: 12,402
19. Michael Che Matters (2016 TV Special)
TV-MA | 61 min | Comedy
Jesus, Guns, Black Lives Matter. White girls dancing, Honest, uncompromising comedy where no topic is out of bounds
Director: Oz Rodriguez | Stars: Michael Che, Cipha Sounds, Jeremy Gaddie, Jeff Motley
Votes: 2,822
20. Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias: One Show Fits All (2019 TV Special)
TV-14 | 90 min | Comedy
Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias discusses his teenage son, encounters with Snoop Dogg and an overzealous fan, and more.
Director: Manny Rodriguez | Star: Gabriel Iglesias
Votes: 2,150
21.
Australia's Funniest Stand-Up Specials (2020– )
Episode:
Dilruk Jayasinha: Bundle of Joy
(2020)
60 min | Comedy
Director: Simon Francis | Star: Dilruk Jayasinha
Votes: 9
22.
The Standups (2017– )
Episode:
Brian Simpson
(2021)
TV-MA | Comedy
Star: Brian Simpson
Votes: 217
23.
The Standups (2017– )
Episode:
With Deon Cole
(2017)
TV-MA | 28 min | Comedy
With pen in hand, Deon Cole checks off jokes about black Band-Aids, food racism and Caitlyn Jenner, all while dishing out some sobering truths.
Director: Troy Miller | Star: Deon Cole
Votes: 371
24. Jo Koy: Live from Seattle (2017 TV Special)
TV-MA | 62 min | Comedy
Between raising a teenage boy and growing up with a Filipino mother, stand-up comic Jo Koy has been through a lot. He's here to tell you about it.
Director: Shannon Hartman | Star: Jo Koy
Votes: 1,641
25. Jo Koy: Live from the Los Angeles Forum (2022 TV Special)
TV-MA | 74 min | Comedy
It follows Jo as he gushes about his relationship with his teenage son along with sharing the struggles of living with sleep apnea and much more.
Director: Shannon Hartman | Star: Jo Koy
Votes: 1,047
26. George Carlin: Jammin' in New York (1992 TV Special)
TV-MA | 59 min | Documentary, Comedy
When George Carlin is asked which HBO concert is his favorite, his answer is always, "Jammin' In New York." The reasons are several: It was his first HBO show done live; it was the first he... See full summary »
Director: Rocco Urbisci | Star: George Carlin
Votes: 4,054
27. George Carlin: You Are All Diseased (1999 TV Special)
TV-MA | 65 min | Documentary, Comedy
Legendary comic Carlin comes back to the Beacon theater to angrily rant about airport security, germs, cigars, angels, children and parents, men, names, religion, god, advertising, Bill Jeff and minorities.
Director: Rocco Urbisci | Star: George Carlin
Votes: 4,700
28. Jim Jefferies: Alcoholocaust (2010 TV Special)
75 min | Comedy
Share this *Alcoholocaust: (Meaning: The aftermath of a drinking party, usually resulting in every available horizontal surface being covered in empty booze containers, spilled beverages ... See full summary »
Director: Tim Kirkby | Star: Jim Jefferies
Votes: 2,805
29. Romesh Ranganathan: Irrational Live (2016 TV Special)
82 min | Comedy
BAFTA nominated star of Asian Provocateur releases "Irrational", his first ever live stand-up show.
Director: Paul Wheeler | Stars: Romesh Ranganathan, Shanthi Ranganathan
Votes: 333
30. Ronny Chieng: Asian Comedian Destroys America (2019 TV Special)
TV-MA | 63 min | Comedy
Ronny Chieng ("The Daily Show," "Crazy Rich Asians") takes center stage in this stand-up special and riffs on modern American life and more.
Director: Sebastian DiNatale | Star: Ronny Chieng
Votes: 3,668
31. Tom Segura: Mostly Stories (2016 TV Special)
TV-MA | 73 min | Comedy
The bearded, bawdy and comically bitter Tom Segura gets real about body piercings, the "Area 51" of men's bodies, and the lie he told Mike Tyson.
Directors: Jaime Eliezer Karas, Rami Hachache | Stars: Gabriel G. Alvarez, I. Elijah Baughman, Brandon Brown, Davis Choh
Votes: 4,237
32. Tom Segura: Disgraceful (2018 TV Special)
TV-MA | 71 min | Comedy
Comedian Tom Segura rants about funny things about pop culture and the way of living in 2018.
Director: Jaime Eliezer Karas | Star: Tom Segura
Votes: 4,570
33. Ricky Gervais: SuperNature (2022 TV Special)
TV-MA | 64 min | Comedy
Follows Ricky Gervais as he gives his take on the rules of comedy, spoiling his cat and debunks the supernatural, concluding that actual nature is super enough.
Director: John L. Spencer | Star: Ricky Gervais
Votes: 23,513
34. Gad Elmaleh: Part En Live (2017 TV Special)
57 min | Comedy
Director: Mario Rouleau | Star: Gad Elmaleh
Votes: 450
35. Whitney Cummings: Can I Touch It? (2019 TV Special)
TV-MA | 59 min | Comedy
In her fourth stand-up special, Whitney Cummings returns to her hometown of Washington, D.C., and riffs on modern feminism, relationships, technology and, of course, sex robots. She also brings a very special guest to say hi.
Director: Marcus Raboy | Star: Whitney Cummings
Votes: 1,978
36. Sam Morril: Same Time Tomorrow (2022 TV Special)
43 min | Comedy
Sam Morril delivers his trademark dry and dark punchlines in a stand-up set ranging from problematic fairy tales to biting social commentary.
Director: James Webb | Star: Sam Morril
Votes: 988
37. Sheng Wang: Sweet and Juicy (2022 TV Special)
60 min | Comedy
Sheng Wang delivers a laid-back set on juicing, mammograms, how snoring is an evolutionary mistake and the existential angst of buying pants from Costco.
Director: Ali Wong | Star: Sheng Wang
Votes: 1,268
38. Dave Chappelle: The Closer (2021 TV Special)
TV-MA | 72 min | Comedy
As he closes out his slate of comedy specials, Dave takes the stage to try and set the record straight; and get a few things off his chest.
Director: Stan Lathan | Stars: Dave Chappelle, Daphne Dorman
Votes: 28,833
39. Sincerely Louis C.K. (2020 TV Special)
Not Rated | 60 min | Comedy
In the long anticipated and controversial comeback of Louis CK, he doesn't hold back when discussing topics like religion, god, pedophilia, traveling Europe, and of course his sexual misconduct accusations in his brand new special.
Director: Louis C.K. | Star: Louis C.K.
Votes: 6,464
40. Trevor Noah: Where Was I (2023)
TV-14 | 68 min | Documentary, Comedy
Trevor Noah recounts his amusing travels around the world, from foreign national anthems to different cultural norms.
Director: David Paul Meyer | Stars: Trevor Noah, Neil Diamond
Votes: 2,359
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