10 Comedy and Stand-up Specials to Stream on Peacock

These comics may be funny, but their talent is no joke. You might know Peacock as the home to hilarious comedy series and movies, but let it be known that the streamer also has an impressive catalog of stand-up, sketch comedy, and comedy that transcends categorization. For guaranteed laughs, check out these 10 specials on Peacock. 

Chris Fleming: Hell  

From the beginning, Chris Fleming: Hell lets you know it's far from a normal stand-up special. Instead of starting with a classic, heroizing shot of a comedian walking on stage to a roaring crowd, the off-beat and self-deprecating Fleming falls into the stage steps with his torso and limbs jutting out impossibly and is told by a producer that he’ll have to be put down like a horse. The rest of the surreal special (stand-up mixed with songs and sketches) plays out like we're on an otherworldly journey with Fleming into hell — but he makes it fun. Fleming's singular style of comedy is teeming with specificity and unabashed absurdity. At one point, he sings a song about whether he should buy a gerbil or a carton of raspberries (both cost $4.99). The comic says the special is for "theater people who don't get cast," but really, it's for everyone who could use a good laugh.  

Stream Chris Fleming: Hell. 

Kevin Hart: Reality Check 

In one of the most popular stand-up specials of 2023, Kevin Hart performs from Resorts World in Las Vegas to crack up a sold-out crowd with honest conversation in his first stand-up hour in three years. In this hilarious tell-all, he gets honest about his fame, Black Twitter, and the time his friends had the maybe-less-than-genius idea to sneak drugs on a plane to Mexico. 

Stream Kevin Hart: Reality Check and be sure to check out Kevin Hart’s unfiltered talk show Hart to Heart.  

Would It Kill You to Laugh? 

With every sketch in this Emmy^®-nominated special anchored by the truly unmatched comic pairing that is John Early and Kate Berlant, Would It Kill You to Laugh? is an absurdist delight from start to finish. Running through the special is an appointment-TV reunion interview with Meredith Vieira, with Kate and John, playing themselves as though they were massive celebrities who’ve had a falling out after their sitcom, He’s Gay, She’s Half-Jewish, ended. Never has the phrase, “What have you been up to?” been so cutting. From a family of humanoid beavers at an airport to a revolutionary new way to pay with melted caramels, the special never lets up, and if you watch it and say you didn’t laugh: 

Stream Would it Kill You to Laugh? . 

Sean Patton: Number One 

Some stand-ups are joke machines able to hit you with punchlines at every opportunity, while others are more like storytellers, with humor arising from the situations they describe. Both kinds of stand-up have their merits, but with Sean Patton, you don’t have to choose. In Number One, Patton weaves together joke after joke into stories about his OCD, a recent breakup, and experiencing hurricanes in his hometown of New Orleans, for a result that’s both heart-wrenching and hilarious. 

Stream Sean Patton: Number One. 

Jena Friedman: Ladykiller 

In her latest stand-up special, Jena Friedman probes some of the biggest issues facing American women, from reproductive rights to expectations in marriage and motherhood. As a true crime series host herself, she probes why America is obsessed with dead women. Her material is fiendishly dark, but it never feels gratuitous. Having worked on The Daily Show and The Late Show, Friedman is no stranger to satire, and her comedy is as incisive as it is hilarious.  

Stream Jena Friedman: Ladykiller. 

Jo Firestone: Good Timing 

The Critics’ Choice Award^®-nominated special Good Timing is a stand-up special like no other. Instead of taking center stage, comic Jo Firestone (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon) hands it over to 16 spirited senior citizens who are trying their hands at stand-up for the first time. The special follows Firestone’s four-day comedy workshop where she brings her humor and insightful guidance to help the seniors navigate the world of punchlines and timing. The culmination of their efforts is an unforgettable live stand-up show, which may be charming and heartwarming, but is just as raunchy and unafriad.  

Stream Jo Firestone: Good Timing. 

Josh Johnson: Up Here Killing Myself 

Stand-ups have always mined their personal lives for material, but in Josh Johnson’s form-breaking and intimate special Up Here Killing Myself, he takes that to the next level – framing his stand-up as therapy. Cutting mid-sentence between shots of Johnson talking to a therapist and performing to a crowd on a stage designed to look like a therapist's office, he puts us in the position of his shrink. And as shrinks, we should definitely lose our licenses since we can’t help but laugh at everything our patient says.  

Stream Josh Johnson: Up Here Killing Myself. 

Saturday Night Live: The Best of Will Ferrell 

For SNL superfans, Peacock is a true treasure trove, with every single episode available to stream going all the way back to the Oct 11, 1975 series premiere hosted by George Carlin. (Fun fact: back then, the show was actually called NBC’s Saturday Night.) But beyond the show’s regular episodes, Peacock is also home to the many amazing best-of specials that clip together highlights of some of the most prolific hosts and cast members, like Amy Poehler, Chris Farley, John Belushi, Chris Rock, and Christopher Walken. Will Ferrell himself has garnered three best-of specials, and for good reason. Each of the three volumes offers non-stop laughter from sketches that will show you why they’ve since become so iconic. We’re taking: “Celebrity Jeopardy,” “Harry Caray,” “Dissing Your Dog,” “Get Off the Shed!,” “Spartan Cheerleaders at Tryouts,” and, of course, “More Cowbell.” 

Stream The Best of Will Ferrell Vol. 1, Vol. 2, and Vol. 3.  

Want to know who's on SNL? Find more information about the SNL Cast!

Joyelle Nicole Johnson: Love Joy 

In her first-ever hour-long stand-up special, Joyelle Nicole Johnson walks on stage as though it’s her hundredth. Johnson's confidence, joy, and effervescence are simply infectious, and as a comedian at the top of her game, she has no trouble turning your smile into loud, unabashed laughter. The special begins with messages from comedy legends like Seth Meyers, Maria Bamford, and Michelle Buteau wishing her well ahead of the special. It’s as though they’re welcoming Joyelle into their ranks, but her comedy proves she needs no introduction.  

Stream Joyelle Nicole Johnson: Love Joy. 

Carmen Christopher: Street Special 

A tough crowd is no problem for Carmen Christopher. In Street Special, his audience hasn’t purchased tickets to see him, nor have they purchased any tickets at all, nor do they often even want to be watching stand-up. The conceit of the special is that Christopher performs guerilla-style stand-up on to unwitting strangers on the streets of New York City, and the best moments are when he’s able to get the passersby to crack a smile despite their best efforts not to. Sometimes cringe-inducing, but always in the best way, this special isn’t one to miss.  

Stream Carmen Christopher: Street Special . 

And for all things funny, check out Peacock's huge collection of comedy TV shows and comedy movies. 

Note: Content availability is subject to change. Titles are not ranked.