COMEDIANS of the World: Kick Off 2019 with a Smile

Netflix’s upcoming comedy special features a bit of something for everybody

On January 01, people around the globe will enter day one of their New Year’s resolutions. This means eating better, working out more, and partying less on their paths toward self-actualization. But on December 31^st, everything is still on the table, and a night of getting your last indulgences in before the buzzer means January 01 is a day of recovery. And what better way to survive the aftermath than staying at home on your couch, with your old pal Netflix.

On January 01, Netflix will launch a first-of-its-kind comedy special to help lift our spirits as we ring in the new year. COMEDIANS of the World will showcase 47 comedians from 13 regions in 9 languages. As Netflix puts it, “The ground-breaking series will feature a range of stand-up specials from comedians diverse in style, gender and ethnicity.”

Netflix has dropped the special’s 2001: A Space Odyssey-style teaser. Check it out below:

Netflix has been killing it on the comedy front for years. They’ve locked down the biggest names in comedy like Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle, brought old comedians out of semi-retirement like Chris Tucker and Ellen DeGeneres, and made stars out of under the radar performers like Ali Wong and Hannah Gadsby.

As someone who follows the comedy scene, even I don’t know most of the acts featured in this special. I’m looking forward to kicking back New Year’s Day and possibly discovering my new favourite comedian. One comedian I can vouch for, though, is Nicole Byer. I caught her performance at the Just for Laughs Festival this past September, and she slew the audience. I’m calling it now; tell all your friends about Byer, and you’ll look extra smart when her career skyrockets in a couple of years.

Here’s a list of the talent featured in COMEDIANS of the World:

USA

Neal Brennan
Chris D’Elia
Nicole Byer
Nick Swardson

AUS/NZ

Joel Creasey
Urzila Carlson
Nazeem Hussain
Cal Wilson

QUEBEC

Louis-José Houde
François Bellefeuille
Katherine Levac
Adib Alkhalidey

CANADA

Ivan Decker
DeAnne Smith
Trevor Wilson
Dave Merheje

South Africa

Loyiso Gola
Loyiso Madinga
Tumi Morake
Riaad Moosa

Nish Kumar
Joel Dommett
Mae Martin
Ellie Taylor