Amazon Prime Video is known for a lot of things, but stand-up comedy isn’t one of them. In the midst of prestigious movies and television shows, the stand-up specials tend to get the shaft. But it’s high time that changes. As Amazon Prime rolls through another month of major movies and television shows arriving to the streaming service, it’s time to give the stand-up acts some due. These specials will make you laugh, make you think, and make you want to dive deeper into the streaming service’s library. This is the best stand-up on Amazon Prime 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.
Ron White: A Little Unprofessional (2012)
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.
Andrew Santino: Home Field Advantage (2017)
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.
Maria Bamford: Weakness Is the Brand (2020)
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.
Chris Porter: A Man From Kansas (2019)
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.
Josh Blue: Broccoli (2020)
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.
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Jayde Adams: Serious Black Jumper (2020)
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.
Sinbad: Where U Been? (2010)
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.
Al Madrigal: Shrimpin' Ain't Easy (2017)
Whether you’re familiar with Al Madrigal’s work on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart or not, you’ll want to check out his 2017 special Shrimpin’ Ain’t Easy. While it shouldn’t be too surprising that a Daily Show veteran’s comedy strays into political arenas here and there, for the most part, his subjects are universal. With sharp insight and perfect delivery, Madrigal will have you busting a gut with his bits about the tooth fairy, rumors of Mexican cilantro defilement, and the strange world of Yelp reviewers.
Jim Gaffigan: Quality Time (2019)
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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