Stand-up and sketch comedy’s continuing boom, which has reverberated in TV shows, films and earbuds around the country, can seem intimidating to newcomers.
The bounty of material, however, shouldn’t break any backs on the way to finding new laughs. Here are some recommendations based on well-known releases that should give curious but casual consumers a guide.
If you liked “Trainwreck,” check out “Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo”
New York-bred comic Amy Schumer’s creative and professional ascent has been nothing short of stunning. Her Judd Apatow-directed movie “Trainwreck” dealt with relationships and sex in refreshingly frank ways, but her stand-up digs deeper and more playfully on those subjects. This year’s HBO special “Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo” shows a side of Schumer not seen in “Trainwreck” or her Comedy Central sketch series, “Inside Amy Schumer” (as great as it is). With a subtle but meaningful directorial touch by Chris Rock, it’s a snappy way of exploring her evolving persona and subject matter.
If you liked “Documentary Now!” check out “Look Around You”
“Saturday Night Live” veterans/buddies Fred Armisen and Bill Hader split the difference between stylistic homage and slow-burn humor in their IFC series “Documentary Now,” which spoofed iconic docs such as “Grey Gardens” and “The Thin Blue Line.” While the results were nice to look at, they left me a little flat. A funnier, faster-paced homage to vintage educational films is the short-lived, two-season BBC series “Look Around You,” which improbably nails the tone and production values of aging film reels while providing laugh-out-loud moments of inspired absurdity.
If you liked “Key & Peele,” check out “Mr. Show”
Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele’s brilliant, five-season run on Comedy Central ended in September. But just because their cinematic sketches and painstaking attention to detail have left us (for now) doesn’t mean you’re left without airtight, high-concept sketches. HBO’s seminal ’90s sketch comedy “Mr. Show with Bob & David” was as much of an influence on “Key & Peele” as their time on MadTV or more obvious forbears like “Chappelle’s Show,” and required viewing for sketch fans in general. Further research: this year’s four-episode Netflix series “W/Bob & David,” which not only revives “Mr. Show’s” players and aesthetics but features Key in one boundary-pushing sketch.
If you liked “Saturday Night Live” this year, check out Kyle Mooney’s other work
Successful ensemble shows are always a group effort, but “Saturday Night Live’s” Kyle Mooney has shined (however quietly) since he joined the cast in 2013, offering ridiculous “Look at me!” characters alongside consistently solid supporting roles. He polished his deadpan persona in man-on-the-street interviews for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and his sketch group Good Neighbor, characters from which have made it onto “SNL” over the years. Look them up on YouTube while waiting for Mooney’s short but very funny-looking turn in next year’s “Zoolander 2.”
If you liked “Master of None” or “Boyish Girl Interrupted,” check out Kill Rock Stars’ comedy roster
At the risk of oversimplifying what makes Aziz Ansari’s new series and Tig Notaro’s new special (both on Netflix) so groundbreaking, it’s safe to say both are fearlessly championing viewpoints rarely seen in most sitcoms and top-selling stand-up specials. Longtime punk and indie label Kill Rock Stars has invested heavily in its stand-up roster in recent years, reaching out to diverse voices including Emily Heller, Nathan Brannon, Hari Kondabolu, Cameron Esposito, Ian Karmel and more. It turns out comedy is a brilliant way of dealing with progressive, topical subjects that enlightens and entertains.
John Wenzel: 303-954-1642, jwenzel@denverpost.com or @johnwenzel
