Netflix is going to drop a ridiculous amount of stand-up on us in 2019

By William Hughes | July 10, 2018 | 8:51pm

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Over the last few years, Netflix has swiftly established itself as the new destination for televised stand-up, supplanting old mainstays like Comedy Central, and even the venerable institution of the HBO hour-long special, as the place where up-and-coming comics (and established arena-headliners) go when they want to put a new set of material in front of the non-comedy club world. But beyond supporting big, sometimes troubling names like Ricky Gervais and Dave Chappelle, the streaming service’s comedy programmers have also shown a welcome dedication to using the platform to promote voices that might not otherwise get mainstream attention, with specials like Hannah Gadsby’s bracingly affecting Nanette, and showcases of lesser-known talents like The Comedy Line-Up, dominating its recent releases.

Today, though, the company announced that it’s doubling—or maybe quadrupling?—down on that inclusive approach, with Vulture reporting that Netflix is about to launch a new “stand-up comedy event series” highlighting the work of 47 international comedians in half-hour chunks. The unnamed series will be filmed in association with the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal, plus locations in São Paolo, Mexico City, Mumbai, Berlin, and Amsterdam, and will feature sets recorded in a number of languages, including French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Dutch, German, and English.