Comedy Central Declares January Stand-Up Month, Announces Four New Specials
Images via Comedy Central Comedy News Comedy Central
Comedy Central has declared January 2019 Stand-Up Month, and in celebration, the network is featuring a new stand-up special each week.
Beginning with Ron Funches: Giggle Fit on Jan. 4, 2019, the month will proceed with James Davis: Live From The Town, Chris Distefano: Size 38 Waist and Roy Wood Jr.: No One Loves You, in that order. Each one-hour special premieres on consecutive Fridays at 11 p.m. ET.
Funches brings an hour of positivity—and Ric Flair (?)—in focusing on things he enjoys. while Distefano looks at the gentrification of Brooklyn from the perspective of having seen it before and after, and being “caught in between,” according to a press release. Both Davis and Wood Jr. take on more politically fueled topics, with the former breaking out his Obama impression, the latter looking at national anthem protest controversy, and both examining the #MeToo movement that has certainly had its moment in the comedy realm.
The network is also beginning a series called Comedy Central Stand-Up Featuring on its social platforms (YouTube, Facebook Watch, Instagram, Twitter) that will feature a new comedian every Tuesday and Thursday of the month. The digital series premieres on Jan. 8, 2019, and will feature the likes of Tom Thakkar, Petey DeAbreu, Dina Hashem, Natasha Vaynblat, Ian Lara, Clare O’Kane, Stavros Halkias, Hanna Dickinson, Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Yedoye Travis, Marie Faustin, Ryan Beck, Martin Urbano and Chris Cotton throughout the month.
Of course, Comedy Central is no stranger to stand-up and has a long-standing history with the format. The end of 2018 through January 2019 finds the channel exploring the medium further through its currently airing This Week at the Comedy Cellar, its recently started stand-up channel on YouTube and, of course, Stand-Up Month.
Check out the Stand-Up Month announcement below, and revisit Paste’s features on Funches and Wood Jr.. For more stand-up content, check out our ranking of the 25 best stand-up specials from 2018.