Stand-up comedy is a go-to source of entertainment that always delivers. In a way, it’s nice for us humans to know that these titans of stage-based talents have one job: make us laugh as much as possible. And when both audience and performer are on the exact same page, the results are astonishing and beyond memorable.
If you’ve been hankering for a new special or want to revisit a classic from the likes of Carlin or other comedy MVPs, we’ve put together this roundup of all the best stand-up specials that you can stream on Amazon Prime Video right now.
Looking for even more laughs? Check out our other streaming guides, including the best stand-up comedy on Netflix, as well as the best comedies on Amazon Prime and the best comedies on Hulu, too.
74m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Tom Segura
Directed by
Jay Chapman
A king of comedic depravity, Tom Segura has risen through the ranks of stand-up stardom, garnering a dedicated fandom for his touring act, specials, and gut-busting podcasts. But let’s hop in a time machine and travel back to a slightly lesser-known Segura in 2014.
The special we’ve arrived at is Completely Normal, and if you’re into the kind of comedy that pokes fun at the daily grind of simply being human, albeit with a mighty crass bent, Segura is your guy. Check it out on Amazon Prime Video this month.
58m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Jim Breuer
Directed by
Jay Chapman
Jim Breuer is an unchained force to be reckoned with in the outrageous 2013 stand-up special, Jim Breuer: And Laughter for All. Originally produced for Epix, Jim ditches the Goat Boy threads in favor of something a bit more rooted but equally off-the-charts.
Exploring topics of fatherhood, modern suburbia, and teen-year antics, Breuer’s approach may be unrelenting, but fans of his style know exactly what they’re signing up for.
74m
Genre
Comedy, TV Movie
Stars
George Carlin
Directed by
Rocco Urbisci
One of the O.G. titans of stand-up, the late-great George Carlin left far more than your traditional mark on the entertainment world. A constantly called-upon influence for today’s leading comic legends, the man’s talents are on full-display in George Carlin: Life is Worth Losing. Jam-packed with Carlin’s rapid-fire and astute commentary on the continually-crumbling Planet Earth, this humorously bleak eulogizing remains as relevant today as the maestro’s words were nearly 20 years ago.
75m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Bill Engvall
Directed by
Bill Engvall
Part of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, Bill Engvall has been plying his stand-up trade for a long time — he relaesed his debut comedy album back in 1996. In Just Sell Him for Parts, Engvall does his typically self-deprecating shtick, adding to his famous “here’s your sign” bit. He also jokes about his Dancing with the Stars experience, where he managed to eke out a fourth-place finish. There’s nothing revolutionary about Engvall’s act — it’s just good, clean fun.
67m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Iain Stirling
Directed by
Chris Howe
Iain Stirling is best known as the narrator for the seminal hit Love Island, but Stirling also has a solid stand-up career. In Failing Upwards, the Scotsman talks about his life and how he compares to his more famous wife, which often pits him as the lesser half of the duo. Stirling also does an excellent job of taking what the audience gives him, from laughter to the occasional heckler. This is Stirling’s first stand-up special for Prime Video.
53m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Cocoa Brown
Directed by
Brian Volk-Weiss
Cocoa Brown may not be famous enough to have her own Wikipedia page (yet), but she is famous enough to have her own stand-up special on Amazon Prime Video. In her set, Brown speaks on dating and parenting during Covid, as well as double standards in the dating world and family drama. The special was filmed in New York City and marks Brown’s stand-up debut. Viewers may recognize Brown from Never Have I Ever and Tyler Perry’s Single Moms Club.
78m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Eddie Izzard
Directed by
Sarah Townsend
Wunderbar was filmed at the tail-end of a world tour that would soon be made near-impossible due to the pandemic. Eddie Izzard’s London show has the usual laughs but also serious musings about aging and the cosmic power of circles. Izzard has a number of stand-up specials on Amazon Prime, so feel free to check them out once you’ve run through Wunderbar.
65m
Genre
Comedy, Documentary, TV Movie
Stars
George Carlin
Directed by
Rocco Urbisci
George Carlin is a stand-up comedy legend. In You Are All Diseased, the late comic rants about airport security, germ phobias, businessmen, cigars, and angels. Some of the jokes don’t age well — particularly some of the thoughts on airport security, as this was filmed pre 9/11 — but Carlin’s act still shows why he was one of the best comedians to ever take a stage.
57m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Jimmy O. Yang
Directed by
Marcus Raboy
Jimmy O. Yang is most known for his roles in Silicon Valley and Space Force, but he’s also a veteran of the stand-up comedy circuit. In Yang’s stand-up debut, Good Deal, he introduces himself to audiences, discusses his background and upbringing, as well as the key differences between Chinese supermarkets and American supermarkets. The special tackles some familiar, stereotypical territory, but Yang’s delivery of the material is endearing and emblematic of his rise in the industry.
61m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Brad Williams
Directed by
Scott L. Montoya
Brad Williams has no issue addressing the elephant in the room. In Daddy Issues, the comedian born with a form of dwarfism makes jokes about the prejudice he faces on the daily due to his height. One particular story delves into the time he ran in the Special Olympics, and it’s a hilarious tale. While Williams’ jokes are funny, some of what he has to say is also biting, particularly in regards to the adversity that drives him, due in some part to his father. This is Williams’ second stand-up special, following Fun Size.
60m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Leslie Jones
Directed by
Gary Binkow
Before Leslie Jones was stealing scenes in Saturday Night Live, she was going by “Big Les” and putting out stand-up DVDs (remember those?). In her 2009 debut special Problem Child, Jones shows off the same brash and raunchy style that would shoot her into the stratosphere. The best part of the special is when Jones works the crowd, showing that her ability to engage is her best asset, something she regularly puts on display for her Twitter audience.
83m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Rhys Darby, Rachel House
Directed by
Barry Castagnola
Rhys Darby has fans for life courtesy of anyone who ever watched Flight of the Conchords. The New Zealand comedian shows off some of that same charm in Mystic Time Bird, which debuted last year. The comic takes stock of physical comedy, making strange observations and even stranger sound effects while discussing mysticism and birds, as the title suggests. The fact that Darby can make so many bird noises and not turn off viewers during this special is a feat in itself.
80m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Ron White
Ron White hasn’t come out with much new material in recent years, with 2012’s A Little Unprofessional his second-most recent release. The comedy veteran escapes from the Blue Collar Comedy Tour to drop his own one-liners while puffing on a cigar and drinking scotch. He hits on many of the classic blue-collar tropes he funnels into his comedy, for better or worse, such as the state of his marriage (which has changed drastically in the years since) and his body. But there are plenty of laughs to be had for those in it for the long haul; this comedy special is longer than most at 80 minutes.
71m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Andrew Santino
Directed by
Brandon Dermer
You’ve probably seen Andrew Santino before. He’s popped up as a producer of a fictional television show in This Is Us and currently stars as the manager in FX’s Dave. Santino is also a stand-up comedian, with his coup de grace Home Field Advantage released in 2017. The special, which debuted on Showtime, is very much a product of Santino’s love for Chicago, where the special was filmed, as he gets into all things Windy City. He also jokes about his signature red hair and expresses his problematic takes on gender, although he mostly avoids politics. His cynical character from I’m Dying Up Here shines through in his special.
75m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Maria Bamford
Directed by
Robert Cohen
Maria Bamford’s comedy is genius, and there’s no better proof than her 2020 special Weakness is the Brand. One of her overpowering strengths as a comic is her ability to make the most brilliantly constructed jokes come off as neurotic improvisation, and that’s never more fully on display than it is here. From hearing about the bizarre role-playing she enjoys with her husband, to stories about negotiating with her alma mater, to her deceptively adorable reminder that while it is not okay to visit harm upon certain politicians it’s perfectly legal to lead them “into a bramble,” Weakness Is the Brand is a delightful and hilarious watch.
58m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Chris Porter
Directed by
Brian Volk-Weiss
Chris Porter is angry. He’s a simple man with simple tastes, living in a world increasingly crowded with aioli instead of mayo, gourmet cheese instead of the preferred “40% plastic” American brands, and cows “with hopes and dreams.” In his 2019 A Man From Kansas special, Porter’s acerbic commentary takes aim at flat-earthers, men who don’t know how to use tools, and the spreading of hipsters. His simple but sharp take on what’s wrong with the world is as funny as it is convincing.
66m
Stars
Josh Blue
Directed by
Brandon Naughton
Citing a ranting man in Reno who loudly accused the comic of having no hobbies, Josh Blue describes himself as a crazy person magnet in his 2020 special Broccoli. Wearing a black T-shirt bearing the title vegetable of the special and coming off like a time-lost hippy, Josh Blue revels in making his audience uncomfortable as much as he keeps them howling. From lamenting the choice to move downwind from a dog chow factory to the comic’s self-deprecating humor about his cerebral palsy, Blue will keep you laughing as well as wondering about the awkward benefits of using your lips to point rather than your fingers.
Digital Trends streaming roundup
62m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Jayde Adams
Directed by
Peter Orton
In her 2020 Amazon Original special, Serious Black Jumper, Jayde Adams wants to educate you. She gives you a crash course in the history of feminism, “yoof-‘splaining” for the over-50 crowd, and ably demonstrates how all you have to do to force the world to take you seriously is wear a black turtleneck. The sharply witty and brilliant British comic delivers a hilarious hour of social commentary mixed with good, plain fun.
90m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Sinbad, Gemi Taylor, Alex Al
Directed by
Chuck Vinson
Before 2010, the popular comic Sinbad hadn’t been in his own stand-up special since 1998’s Nothin’ But the Funk. He makes his return to the stage with Where U Been? The comic deals with the eponymous question before the curtains even part, getting the audience laughing with references to rumors of his death as well as his public issues with the IRS over his own version of Prince and the Revolution’s 1984 hit Let’s Go Crazy. What follows is a triumphant reminder of why the comic had audiences rolling in their seats in the ’90s.
75m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Jim Gaffigan
Directed by
Jeannie Gaffigan
In the opening moments of Jim Gaffigan’s 2019 Quality Time special, the comic pats his stomach and says “This is what I look like. It’s mostly my fault.” And that sets the tone for the comic’s charming and childlike self-deprecating humor. Still obsessed with food, Gaffigan kicks things up to a new level with Quality Time. He goes to the rarely explored areas of cannibal humor, as well as discussing what it’s like to try reindeer meat right after Christmas. As usual, we get not only Gaffigan’s stand-up but his hilarious whiny-voice internal critic responding to his jokes.
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