Netflix has been the industry leader for stand-up comedy specials for over a decade now, and has produced hundreds of hours of material in that time from a variety of comedians. From living legends like Ron White, to up-and-comers like Ralph Barbosa, you can see everybody who's anybody on Netflix. However, with the rise of YouTube specials and competing streamers such as MAX and Amazon Prime, there are quite a few comics who have missed the Netflix craze. Whether it's industry staples who opted to go a different route or national headliners waiting for their shot, here are my top ten comedians I think should get a Netflix special in 2024.
1. Matthew Broussard
Matthew Broussard is one of my favorite comics of the last couple of years, and that's because despite looking like an American Eagle mannequin, he is truly clever. He does a lot of silly wordplay and puns in his act, but at the same time he pushes the envelope, riding a strange line between cheesy and edgy. His quick wit has been on full display on shows such as The Great American Joke Off and Kill Tony, with his actual act being packed full of the same kind of clever observations. Broussard has a Comedy Central half-hour as well as a bite sized Don't Tell special on YouTube, with Netflix hopefully being his next stop.
2. Colum Tyrrell
I was largely turned on to Colum Tyrrell by our friend Sean Finnerty, as he could not speak higher of Tyrrell as the gold standard for Irish comics in America. Cutting his teeth on the New York scene, Colum is a regular at The Comedy Cellar as well as a regular on the GaS Digital podcasting network, who produced his 30 minute YouTube special available here. Anyone who has seen his podcast appearances or his sets on The Tonight Show should know that it's absolutely criminal for such a bluntly funny and hilariously insightful comic to not have an hour special, and I hope it gets produced on the nation's leading streamer.
3. Ian Fidance
I personally don't think that Ian Fidance gets enough credit as a pioneer of queer comedy, but he has grown in popularity lately thanks to the success of his podcasts Being Ian with Jordan and Bi Guys. He might look like every hipster comic who probably does a bit about micro-dosing mushrooms, but he actually provides a unique perspective of being both a dirty, wild comic and a bi-sexual man in America. I think that Netflix would be lauded for producing a special of someone who is both an out of the box comedian and a yet to be heard queer voice, and I think that Fidance has done more than enough to garner his own hour special.
4. Erik Griffin
Erik Griffin can be seen as an actor in several Netflix shows and movies, which makes it even more of a mystery as to why they haven't developed a comedy special for him. Everyone in comedy knows who Griffin is, but even more than that he has a degree of mainstream fame, appearing on all of the biggest podcasts in the world and playing Montez on Workaholics. A Netflix hour seems like an inevitability for Erik Griffin, and a long overdue one at that.
5. Adam Ray
How can you not love Adam Ray? Not only is he one of the nicest people in comedy, but Ray is brilliant at playing characters for television and podcast episodes, with some of his best including Vince McMahon, Jay Leno and Dr. Phil. It takes a special kind of talent to be as funny playing a character as you are using your own comedic voice, and I think Netflix is dropping the ball by not producing a sketch show or even a character oriented stand-up special from Adam Ray. A conventional hour of stand-up is sure to be raucously funny as well, making it a n0-lose situation for Netflix to give Adam Ray some creative freedom to produce something for their platform.
6. Joe Gatto
Joe Gatto was arguably everyone's favorite cast member on Impractical Jokers, so it came as no surprise that his departure from the show was met with major media coverage and a huge reaction from the fanbase. What was born out of this exit was a blossoming stand-up career, with Joe headlining clubs and theaters all over the country. He is obviously a very funny improv performer and person in general, but I think that his fans and comedy fans in general would be very curious to see what his hour of stand-up looks like, and there's nowhere better to put that on display than on Netflix.
7. Dulcé Sloan
Primarily known as a fan-favorite correspondent on The Daily Show, Dulcé Sloan has been an underrated comic for a long time. Her appearances on Conan were all time classics, she's fantastically witty as the host of The Great American Joke Off, and I personally think she should be the frontrunner to become the new host of The Daily Show. She's top tier as a comedy host and panelist, and I think that putting out a special could prove that Sloan is top tier on stage as well.
8. Bobby Lee
Definitely the strangest case on this list, Bobby Lee doesn't have a comedy special because he doesn't want one. There's likely an open offer from Netflix for Bobby to film and release his hour on their platform, but he comes from a school in comedy where guys make money on the road with their material and don't have to put out a special to be successful. This has worked for him to become a legend in the industry, but as he gets older and runs out of achievements to gain, a Netflix special is going to become the only box left to tick. As a life-long fan, I sincerely hope that 2024 is the year that we finally get to see what would be the most anticipated stand-up special in the last decade.
9. Doug Stanhope
Introducing somebody as "your favorite comic's favorite comic" is usually a nice way of saying that you've never heard of this person, but Doug Stanhope is literally every comic's favorite comic. Your local open mic probably has a Bill Hicks rip-off, a Mark Normand sound-alike these days, and some guy in a Goodwill suit that thinks no one has ever seen Stanhope besides him. I think it's high time that the world get reintroduced to the most influential comic living today, because this post-COVID, outrage fueled society could use a slap in the face from one of the best to ever do it. Don't you want to know what Doug Stanhope thinks about literally everything? Whether he tackles vaccines, the confirmation of aliens, or especially words we're not allowed to say anymore, there wouldn't be a more culturally important special Netflix could produce besides a new Stanhope hour.
10. Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood
