‘The Standups’ is an American comedy web series that airs on Netflix and first premiered on July 4, 2017. It has been directed by Troy Miller, who is considered to be somewhat of an innovator when it comes to alternative comedy and has worked on shows like ‘The Office‘ and ‘Arrested Development‘.
The premise of this original is about fledgling standups in their liberating monologues. The streaming service makes a compilation of 30-minute recordings of these stand-up comedians and releases them. We see some of the freshest voices taking the stage to share sly jokes, awkward anecdotes, and hilarious confessions.
Every season sees a new roster of comedians presenting their material. Established comics like Bill Hader, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler have praised the show and encouraged Netflix to continue with it as it gives a great boost and opportunity to untested talents. If you enjoy this show, you can also check out ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel‘ and ‘I’m Dying Up Here‘ which provides a fictional account of what it is like to be a stand-up comedian.
The Standups Cast: Who is in it?
Since ‘The Standups’ gives the stage to some of the freshest voices in the comedy scene in LA, we see different comedians as the cast members in each episode of the seasons of the show. However, in the past few seasons, some of the most notable standouts have been Kyle Kinane, Gina Yashere, and Aparna Nancherla. In their selection of comedians, Netflix has proven that it is wise to have as broad a spectrum as possible so that the jokes are all the more relatable and comedy can be used to its fullest potential, that is, to draw attention to some of the serious topics concerning society.
In this light, Kinane is a more straightforward comedian who likes to jump into his jokes about the oncoming fascist apocalypse. Yashere hits all the nuances as a gay black female immigrant and it is fun to hear the take she has on America. She jokes that she ticks off four out of six of Trump’s phobias. However, Aparna has been the most revelatory for me, since she challenges the very stage presence associated with comedians, that is brash, loud and not afraid to speak up. Here is a woman who takes the stage as a diminutive person and rarely raises her voices, and yet she manages to enthrall the audiences with her performances. One can only hope that we will discover more such treasures in the upcoming season of the show.
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