8 best stand-up comedy specials Netflix has streamed

We all love to laugh, right? That ability is part of what separates us from most of the other animals on earth. We know when we are extremely sad, but we know what makes us happy.

Still, not every culture has stand-up comedy either. It is a unique situation. Someone with a microphone is speaking to us for an hour, but it isn't a lecture. They are tasked with building suspense and then delivering a punch-line.

That can be difficult and embarrassing work. When things go bad, everyone knows it. In the case of the eight stand-up specials below (OK, one is not stand-up), however, almost everything went right.

Eight iconic stand-up comedy specials that have streamed on Netflix

John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City (May 1, 2018)

Mulaney certainly had his personal demons before he got clean, but he was funny the whole way through. He dresses like a throwback to the 1940s, and while he never strains to avoid the dirtier subjects, he probably could make reading a menu funny. He is always in full control over his show and that confidence only makes the bots better.

Bill Burr: Paper Tiger (September 10, 2019)

Bill Burr at his most Bill Burr-ness. His trick has always been to seem overly abrasive, but he also is smart enough to know what is coming next in the bit. He never strays too far and somehow keeps us laughing, even at the expense of things we might love. That is because Burr knows we will keep loving those things, though we might see them in a new light.

Nate Bargatze: The Greatest Average American (March 18, 2021)

Not Bargatze's first special, but likely the one that propelled him to stardom. If anyone is the new Bob Newhart, it is Bargatze, and his dead-pan delivery helps us feel better as human beings somehow. The comedian never sees himself as better than us; he is one of us.

Bo Burnham: Inside (May 30, 2021)

This one is likely the most bleak of all the specials. Plus, this is cheating a bit as Burnham is not doing stand-up at all. Instead, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Burnham created shorts, made them into something that resembled a documentary of his daily life, and helped get us through the isolating year. This is not always hilarious, but it was important.

Jimmy Carr: His Dark Material (December 25, 2021)

Not for the faint of heart, Carr knows he will offend, but the title of the special is apt. He will make light of the more serious (and depressing) parts of our lives. The only issue is his annoying laugh, which he knows is annoying and is why he does it. Still, if one can get past that, his comedy is pure gold.

Trevor Noah: I Wish You Would (November 22, 2022)

Noah appears to be one of the nicest and smartest people you ever not get to meet. Because of that, we are at ease at the beginning of his specials and simply want to listen to what he has to say. He makes poignant observations and slips in social commentary, but he never seems wrong about what he says. He also is never overly harsh. We, therefore, want to believe everything he says.

Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool (November 21, 2023)

Birbiglia's stand-up, while always funny but sometimes quite trite early in his career, has evolved a great amount. He has left the more Mitch Hedberg-fused bits behind and started telling stories that, at times, have very little humor. The comedian is brilliant, even though he would never admit to being such.

Dusty Slay: Workin' Man (January 16, 2024)

Slay might be the most laid-back comedian you will ever see. He's Southern, and he plays off of that, but only to come across as genteel and warm. He delivers his bits as if they are only accidentally funny. They aren't. Slay is smart and knows what makes us laugh.