After many attempts to figure out just where the hell this year went, we decided to end our search and instead offer up what we remember most fondly about 2024 as part of our annual Year in ReView festivities. Which, in regards to the vast array of comedy releases, was plenty to keep us afloat as we maneuvered the hell ride that was the past 12 months. However, as we quickly discovered, it’s nearly impossible to narrow down the landscape to the common five or 10 selections, so in the spirit of the 12 in ‘24 theme across Vanyaland, we’re looking back at how comedy steamrolled through a dozen fever dream-level months, and in some ways, hopefully helped us mitigate some of the bumps and bruises we sustained along the way.
January: Jacqueline Novak, Get On Your Knees
There was no time wasted in serving up some big laughs in the early innings of 2024. For starters, Pete Davidson delivered a full hour and change of stand-up with his second Netflix special, Turbo Fonzarelli, which felt naturally matured and evolved in virtually every way from his 2020 debut special, and showed off some truly impressive storytelling and jokewriting chops.
Dusty Slay got to work with the quickness too, as his first hour special, Workin’ Man, hit Netflix with as much of a laid back demeanor as the man himself, but packed a punch from the jump as Slay re-introduced himself with a nonstop hour of crushing autobiographical comedy that certainly seemed to have his audience feeling alright, alright, alright as he cruised through a set of highly relatable hilarity.
Before the new year picked up some speed and rolled into a new month, Jacqueline Novak brought the critically-acclaimed power of her one-woman show Get On Your Knees to the masses with a highly anticipated Netflix release. As we wrote when it first landed, “With the flair of a Broadway star and the verbal illustration of a seasoned poet, the longtime New York comedy titan doesn’t shy away from the fact that she’s sharing a full thesis on the psychology of blowjobs and other facets of human sexuality, but the vehicle with which she delivers her brings the show, and really the entire theme into a totally different tier of mastering the stage” – and we still stand behind that.
February: Rory Scovel, Religion, Sex, and a Few Things In Between
Where the first few offerings of 2024 brought us some fresh faces to the special realm, February was a month for seasoned veterans of recorded material. Taylor Tomlinson doubled down on an already busy new year with Have It All, which only further asserted the fact that the hustling comic isn’t planning on phoning it in any time soon as she dug her heels in deep to dissect another batch of internal struggles within the delicate balance of fame, relationships, and trying to process trauma and anxiety while also becoming a bonafide industry behemoth.
Additionally, David Cross unleashed his latest brilliantly articulated diatribe in The Worst Daddy In The World, as he once again wielded his legendary ability to say what we often struggle to put into words, while executing another top-tier hour of comedy to add to his increasingly iconic catalog.
However, arguably the brightest shining star on this list could be Rory Scovel and his multi-dimensional Max special. Although it should come as no surprise to anyone even remotely familiar with the all-star comedy vet’s previous work, Scovel’s most recent recording has virtually everything you could want in a special. Storytelling? Check. Observations? Got it. Improv, crowd work, and absurdism? He’s bringing it in bunches. As the title suggests, there is no topical stone left unturned as Scovel carries on in any direction the wind takes his mind, and instead of inviting his audience along for the ride, it almost feels as if there’s no choice in the matter – and we’re still buckled up, even after all this time.
March: Kyle Kinane, Dirt Nap
As we started to thaw out and the calendar hit March, Preacher Lawson was there to greet us with open arms and that undeniable charm and positivity as he unleashed his sophomore special My Name is Preacher on YouTube. Being a largely clean comic isn’t exact the easiest thing to pull off, but it speaks volumes of Lawson’s talent that he has the ability to relate to a widespread audience on both sides of that spectrum, and we’re lucky to have him.
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In that same breath, Dan Soder might not be a clean comic, but damn it he’s just so fun to watch, and his latest release, On The Road, offers up a 39-minute hall pass to just drop everything and enjoy the musings of a warlock-level stoner who finds unbridled joy in the small things.
Although Soder could easily fill the role as well, Kyle Kinane once again assumed the position as comedy’s cool uncle as he returned with Dirt Nap. As has been the progression of each new hour from Kinane, there’s a palpable growth in perspective and, dare we say, maturity as he uses the stage as a soapbox to delve into the value of seeing eye to eye, while also mixing in all the familiar elements of what makes Kinane so cool in the first place.
April: Alex Edelman, Just For Us
The second quarter of the year started out strong as baseball season approached, and a handful of comedy’s heaviest hitters delivered all-star performances that presented a spray chart that willingly ventured into many different directions — starting with the gleefully psychotic thanks to Ian Fidance and his debut special, Wild, Happy and Free. Perfectly on-brand for the spastic and lovable stand-up punk, the 51-minute hell ride was exhausting in the best ways.
Demetri Martin paced himself a bit more in his own on-brand effort, Deconstructed. Always one to be thinking outside the box, the new hour offered elements of Martin’s ever-evolving creative vision that felt similar yet fresh at the same time, oversized notepad and all, as he posed a new batch of musings that still leave us with the feeling of “man, I wish I thought of that.”
The April showers of comedy didn’t stop there, though, as Alex Edelman brought his critically-acclaimed one-man show Just For Us to the screen, and proceeded to stomp the yard with brute force, brilliant writing, and an unrelenting energy that was felt from his roots in Brookline to the dark, racist underbelly of Queens. With a virtually perfect weaving of stories that illustrate moments in his life, from celebrating Christmas as a young Jewish kid in Boston to strolling into a white nationalist gathering in New York City, Edelman orchestrates a masterful pace that is equal parts hilarious, poignant, and outright infuriating without skipping a beat. Although not surprising, given his past work, this special is bound to be an example of creative greatness for quite some time to come.
May: Ali Siddiq, The Domino Effect 3: The First Day of School
Rachel Feinstein has been a household name in the comedy game for quite some time now, and for good reason. With her sophomore special, Big Guy, Feinstein delivered a new hour to Netflix that held back zero punches while packing major laughs, all the while further solidifying her rightful place in these “best-of” conversations with her unapologetic and all-too-understandable approach that doesn’t let up for a second.
On the other hand, Dan Licata isn’t exactly a household name – yet. However, if you have the idea and drive to fill a high school auditorium with a bunch of dudes and throw a full arsenal of wonderfully crafted immaturity at them, as is the overall basis of his hometown special For The Boys, then it’s only a matter of time before he becomes a part of the regularly scheduled programming in the stand-up realm.
Speaking of school, Ali Siddiq brought his own type of lessons and cautionary tales with him in the third installment of his already hyped Domino Effect stand-up series, dubbed The First Day of School. Spoiler alert, this special isn’t about school, but Siddiq handles the telling of his journey through the prison system following a drug trafficking conviction with an academic precision that keeps you drawn into every detail that Siddiq shares with levity, drama and honesty.Ending well beyond the usual hour mark, you might just find yourself, just as we did, not really worried about the time, but rather captivated by the comedy vet’s willingness to be real and open, while also being unfairly hilarious in the process.
June: Adam Ray, Like & Subscribe
The dog days of summer wore on, but it was Adam Ray who brought the heat with his YouTube-released special, Like and Subscribe. With the experiences of a grown adult and the wonderment of a child, the Seattle native let it rip from start to finish as he shared story after story detailing the oddities of his family, his thoughts on the absurdities of the world around him and, of course, his own shortcomings. What sets this one apart from the rest of the ocean of specials that washed ashore this past year is that Ray is, at face value, on the fast track to being an all-time comic’s comic. He’s just in it for the love of the game, and it shows more and more with each time we watch this hour to facilitate that oh-so-needed belly laugh amongst the bullshit.
July: Chad Daniels, Empty Nester
It isn’t exactly a given, but with the standard that Steve Hofstetter holds for the quality of his recorded material, it was only natural that he delivered a killer follow-up to his 2023 special with Me, Myself and I.D., as he picked up where he left off with a calculated, articulately crafted hour that sought to dissect and dismantle a myriad of socially-focused topics, as well as his own outdated viewpoints that he’s come to terms with.
Narrowing the lens to focus on the homefront, we’re not discounting the fact that dealing with your kids growing up and leaving the house can bring on many feelings. But what we do know, at least in the case of Chad Daniels, is that the extra space around the house made way for quite possibly the most thoughtfully executed hour of comedy in his career. With his second special in as many years, the Minnesota native made his way to Netflix with Empty Nester to let everyone in on, among other topics, what it’s like dealing with the emotions that come with seeing his children, who have become as much of a focus in his comedy over the years than any other subject, go and build lives of their own. There are moments that tug at the heart strings, for sure, but in true Daniels fashion, the occasional “Aww” quickly gets decimated by the deliciously judgmental perspective of a man who knows what he’s about and strives to find a laugh in everything.
August: Langston Kerman, Bad Poetry
The face-melting nature of August had us thinking about colder times more often than we’d like to admit, and within longing for those lower temps, we remembered the mastery of Gary Gulman’s most recent special, Born on 3rd Base, which made its way to the masses at the very tail end of 2023. As luck would also have it, the album version of the hour wasn’t released until August 2024, and we’re going to ride the wave of technicality here, even if we’ve already waxed on about the genius of Gulman throwing around words like “bicuspids” and presenting a convincing argument regarding the reasons why Pop Tarts are bullshit, because it was just that good.
No technicality was needed, however, for Adam Sandler’s I Love You. It’s been a real treat having the Sandman back in the stand-up realm these last few years, and the specials he has turned out, packed with jokes and his wildly underrated guitar work, have been a sight for sore eyes, and his latest was no exception. Just a legend at work doing legendary shit, per usual.
Sneaking in under the radar in many respects, though, was Langston Kerman’s Bad Poetry. Yes, John Mulaney directed it and that automatically attracts, but he didn’t put the work in for Kerman, who delivered his unique world view with heart while remaining characteristically laid back, engaged with his audience and taking everyone along for the ride as he unpacked his thoughts one punchline at a time.
September: Jay Pharoah, Jared
There’s nothing like a dose of unmedicated energy to get things going as the calendar turns into the final quarter of the year, and that’s exactly what Adam Conover delivered in his very first stand-up special, aptly titled Unmedicated. With an approach anchored in his signature brand of high-octane curiosity, Conover took a deep dive into a number of topics, including his experiences with Adderall as a kid, and how big pharma affected the bigger picture in regards to our society’s short attention span and other issues that have spawned from it. Ya know, the fun stuff.
Delving into the tough topics are necessary, and we commend Conover and others for taking that on, but sometimes, you just a little direct silliness, and Jay Pharoah did just that with his second special, the autobiographical Jared. Wielding his eclectic catalog of impressions alongside a brightly colored suit that brings a certain Eddie Murphy-esque attitude back to stage, the Saturday Night Live alum stays true to what makes him such a special talent to begin with, and the result is just a bonafide good time.
October: Tom Papa, Home Free
By and large, we’ve all been subject to the wringer these last few years, and Ali Wong was no exception. Of course, hardship of any kind is nothing to overlook or make light of, but Wong rose from the ashes of divorce to bring us all up to speed on how he’s handling the dating scene in her fourth Netflix special, Single Lady, and as Wong has become known to do, she stuck the landing perfectly.
As if there wasn’t enough heartache flowing through the comedy pipes smack dab in the throes of spooky season already, Rachel Bloom brought the big guns with Death, Let Me Do My Special – a multi-faceted exploration of grief, the gift of life, and the full gambit of emotions that accompany life-changing experiences. Through both music and spoken word, Bloom weaves a tapestry that delicately balances the soul-crushing darkness of loss with the humor found somewhere within it, leading to one of the most breathtaking displays of creative force all year.
Now, darkness can only be scattered by light, and true to the comedic genius of Tom Papa, that’s exactly what he brings with yet another lighthearted and crowd-leveling effort in Home Free. We could all learn a thing or two about how to see the world from Papa, who still chooses to discuss even the worst thing on his mind with an overwhelmingly positive and easygoing demeanor, but doesn’t spend too much time in the muck. Instead, he found a whole new set of topics and experiences to dissect with candor, curiosity, and humor that volleys between an almost sarcastic hopefulness and a playful darkness that moves along with a deliberate, consistent and perfectly timed pace.
November: Anthony Jeselnik, Bones and All
As we veered head-on into the holidays, it was a true delight to see a familiar face like Jim Gaffigan deliver what we knew was going to be another top quality hour of comedy. His consistency has been his greatest ally over the years, in that he’s never just phoned it in. With his latest hour The Skinny, which kicked off Hulu’s soirée in the stand-up special production realm, Gaffigan is as sharp as ever, and with a pivot away from the food-based humor that so many people have paired him with for the past two decades, a more complex perspective shines brightly as the all-time midwestern dad remains to be the angel on our shoulder, albeit with a bit more sass the older and more exhausted he gets.
As for the devil on the other shoulder, Anthony Jeselnik came back in full force with Bones and All just in time for the Thanksgiving break. At this point, people know what they’re getting with the legendarily crass comic, and with the new hour, his willingness to be the bad guy is kind of the draw. Of course, his jokewriting only gets stronger, and his ability to build a story up only to tear it down in favor of the next groan-inducing punchline is elite. But it’s quite possible that the most enjoyment is found in the fact he increasingly doesn’t give a single fuck about crossing lines. In fact, he’s actively moving the line deeper into our comfort zones every time he opens his mouth, with this special being the prime example of the moment, and it’s just the nature of his approach that, the more his audience squirms and clutches their pearls, the more he’s going to lean in, show his teeth, fog up our glasses, and then give us a little wink. In a time where some comedians feel they’re renegades and stand-up cowboys for “saying what needs to be said” or whatever, it needs to be understood that Jeselnik is actually the dangerous modern comedy badass we’ve waited for, and this hour further strengthens that notion.
December: Fortune Feimster, Crushing It
Although she won’t be the only marquee name with a new special closing out the year, as Ronny Chieng is bound to make the holiday home stretch a little more bearable with his next Netflix release, Love To Hate It, Fortune Feimster kicked off the year’s final stanza with a bang in her own Netflix return in Crushing It. From her familiar and lovable southern charm, to the always refreshing willingness to be an open book and point the finger in the mirror when necessary, with equal parts thoughtfulness and levity, Feimster has further solidified exactly why she’s consistently in the conversation about the best of the best in the comedy game today.