5 comedy specials to brighten up your holiday

As streamers continue to churn out quality comedy content, this season brings specials from the best comedians in the game. TheGrio has you covered with five that are perfect for holiday break binge-watching.

Michael Che: Shame The Devil

Saturday Night Live‘s Michael Che took a break from the “Weekend Update” desk to deliver one of this year’s biggest comedy specials. Michael Che: Shame the Devil is on Netflix now, showcasing the popular comedian in his first comedy special in five years, as he meditates on America, mental health, and more.

Che stopped by The View to promote the special, opening up about returning to the stage during the pandemic. “It’s nerve-racking, it’s interesting to see how different cities are handling the pandemic…New York has been pretty safe, though L.A. has been pretty good so I kind of stayed there.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-o3u3EgTIA

Michael Che: Shame the Devil is available to stream now on Netflix.

Nicole Byer: BBW (Big Beautiful Weirdo)

While we aren’t getting a new season of Nailed It! Holiday! this year, fans are still getting plenty of Nicole Byer to watch just in time for the season. Her new special, Nicole Byer: BBW (Big Beautiful Weirdo) is out now on Netflix, featuring some laugh-out-loud stories and jokes from the acclaimed comedian.

On the day of the special’s release, Byer expressed her gratitude in an Instagram post, as this marks the release of her first hour-long comedy special. “My 1st hour-long special is now streaming on Netflix,” she wrote to her followers. “I can’t express how happy and overjoyed I am with it. I have so many people to thank for working on and helping with it. Instead of listing them here watch the special and the end look at the special thanks part. I hope ya like it.”

Nicole Byer: BBW (Big Beautiful Weirdo) is available to stream now on Netflix.

Aida Rodriguez: Fighting Words

Another special worth checking out is the latest from Aida Rodriguez. Fighting Words, described as a “hilarious, no-holds-barred exploration of identity and family, concludes with a documentary of Aida’s travels to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic – a celebration of these vibrant cultures as cameras capture Rodriguez reuniting with her estranged father and paying it forward for up-and-coming comedians.”

The comedian recently appeared on theGrio‘s “Acting Up” podcast with Cortney Wills. She opened up about the special in the episode, sharing, “I get my first comedy special. People told me that would never happen because of my gender, my or my ethnicity and my age, and I get it. And then coronavirus hit and we all sat down and the future looks so bleak. I [didn’t] know when this is going to happen. And so I just made a decision to start writing and documenting what was happening in the moment.”

Aida Rodriguez: Fighting Words is available to stream now on HBO Max.

Yearly Departed

Yearly Departed is back! After last year’s successful debut, the inventive comedy special that sees female comedians coming together to eulogize a calendar year has returned for another star-studded edition. This year, Insecure‘s Yvonne Orji is the host, stepping into the role originated by Phoebe Robinson.

The impressive line-up this year includes Orji, Jane Fonda, Megan Stalter, Aparna Nancherla, Dulcé Sloan, X Mayo, and Chelsea Peretti.

Yearly Departed is available to stream now on Prime Video.

Joyelle Nicole Johnson: Love Joy

The latest reason to get a Peacock membership is Joyelle Nicole Johnson‘s latest special, Love Joy. The comedian’s new special was shot on her 40th birthday at The Bell House in Brooklyn, New York. The special, “addresses relationship issues from the familial to the familiar,” and sees Johnson stating her case for why everyone “needs to Get. Therapy.”