Jim Gaffigan Unveils 'Bourbon Set'; 'Comics Who Won 2025' Submissions Open

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View on web New reader? Subscribe SUBSCRIBE. IT'S FREE. Christmas has come early! No...just another edition of the Comedy Means Business newsletter, to add to your weekend read. I do come bearing a gift, though, with the announcement of a new whiskey-themed comedy special from Jim Gaffigan that you can view on YouTube at this very moment. Business is slowing down ahead of Thanksgiving, so it's a short newsletter today. My Comics to Watch list for 2026 is nearly finished, so submissions for that are closed. It'll arrive as part of this newsletter on December 8. However, because I'm an overarchiever / glutton for punishment, I'm hoping to put out another list next month for which I am still in need of submissions. That would be my list of the Comics Who Won 2025. While Pollstar's list of the top-grossing touring comics of the year will be a component of the piece, I'm not looking for the obvious stories here. We all know Nikki Glaser is having a moment. What I'd like to put together is a list of "sneaky winners" — not necessarily the Sebastian Maniscalcos of the world, but comics who crushed it this year at whatever level, with a big leap in their ticket sales and/or social following, the launch of major new projects, etc. Forget the stale bios. What I need to see is, "This is where this performer was in 2024 — and this is where they are now."  The more granular you can be in the detail you provide, the better chance you have that your client will make the cut. So get your submissions in now. Hoping to run this piece just ahead of the holiday break. With all that said, let's proceed...  THE DEADLINE EXCLUSIVE - #1 JIM GAFFIGAN SELF-RELEASES 'LIVE FROM OLD FORESTER: THE BOURBON SET' Jim Gaffigan (Brennan Clark) DEADLINE EXCLUSIVE: Jim Gaffigan fans, rejoice! The comic has just taken to YouTube to unveil Live from Old Forester: The Bourbon Set, a special that seems destined for a lot of Thanksgiving viewing, where he sets his sights on the world of whiskey. Take a gander here. Gaffigan shot the special at The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts in Louisville KY, with oak barrels lining the stage. It was inspired by his deep dive into the bourbon world over the last years, with the launch of his own small batch bourbon called Fathertime. Gaffigan partnered with college friend Stu Pollard to parlay his passion for whiskey — and parenting — into the creation of Fathertime Bourbon in 2024. Named for "the occasional brief period of peace and reflection every hardworking father earns," with a label that features his paternal grandfather, Fathertime is a high-rye Kentucky bourbon that releases in small batches each spring and fall. Noting that "Stand up is all self-assignment," Gaffigan said, "With Live from Old Forester: The Bourbon Set I let my love of bourbon lead the way. At this point I'm not sure if bourbon is a passion or a mid-life crisis but I love it. Since this was such a niche endeavor I didn't even go to a big streamer. I just wanted to get this material out there for the other bourbon geeks." Mike Lavin directed and Stu Pollard produced The Bourbon Set, whose executive producers include Jim Gaffigan, Jeannie Gaffigan, and Alex Murray. Chimichanga Productions, 3 Nuts Studios, and Lunacy Unlimited are the production companies. >>> More DISCOVERY OF THE WEEK MYQ KAPLAN Myq Kaplan (Mindy Tucker) I’m admittedly very late to the party on this week’s Discovery of the Week, Myq Kaplan, who released the excellent new hour (and four minutes) Rini on Wednesday. 20 years into his stand-up career, Kaplan’s special takes its name from Rini Voskressensky, with whom he’s been in a relationship for nearly a decade. He collaborated closely with her on the project, which is described as “equal parts a comedy special and a thesis on love.” In the special, Kaplan offers advice to his past dumb self while discussing his evolving thoughts on traditional marriage, polyamory, quantum physics, psychedelics, music, God, and more. What comes across strongly in the special is that the guy loves language and knows how to use it. He’s the kind of comic who can get lost in the shuffle but deserves very much to elevate in the business. Kaplan has been seen on The Tonight Show, Conan, The Late Show with David Letterman, and Late Night with Seth Meyers. A finalist on Last Comic Standing who has also appeared on America’s Got Talent, he previously put out the 2014 hour Small, Dork, and Handsome, as well as a half-hour for Comedy Central Presents. His album Vegan Mind Meld was one of iTunes’ top 10 comedy albums of the year, and his newest album A.K.A. debuted at #1. Kaplan is repped by Independent Artists Media, Throw It Hard Entertainment, and Cohen & Gardner. Check out Rini here. COMEDY ROUND-UP Touring Jim Breuer Sets North American Tour For 2026 Specials Netflix Dates Robby Hoffman Comedy Special ‘Wake Up’ Directed By John Mulaney ‘SNL’s Sarah Sherman Sets Premiere Date For Debut Comedy Special ‘Live + In The Flesh’ Tom Segura Fast-Tracking Fifth Original Netflix Special ‘Teacher’ For December Premiere ‘The Daily Show’s Jordan Klepper Explores President Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize Quest In Latest Special Podcasts Whitney Cummings Taps Studio71 To Oversee Video Expansion & Ad Sales For Her Podcast ‘Good For You’ Signings Karlous Miller Inks With IAG Film/TV News DEVELOPMENT Charlie Hall Developing Comedy Series ‘C-League’ At Hulu With Alec Berg & Amy Solomon Taika Waititi Inks First-Look Deal With 20th TV, FX Prods. & Hulu, Sets Up ‘Last Look’ Fashion Comedy ‘The Earliest Show’: Ben Schwartz & Lauren Lapkus Reprise Roles In Cult Comedy For Amplify Pictures & Funny Or Die TV Series ACQUISITIONS Netflix Snaps Up April Prosser Comedy Spec ‘Smother In Law’; Hello Sunshine To Produce Netflix Lands Comedy Spec ‘Aunt Roxie’ From Johnny Rosenthal; Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort, Amy Williams To Produce Kumail Nanjiani & Emily V. Gordon Set Comedy ‘Compulsive Liar’ At Amazon MGM Studios CASTINGS Veronika Slowikowska & Luke Kirby To Star In Comedy ‘Close To Nowhere’ Chelsea Peretti Latest To Join Jonah Hill’s ‘Cut Off’ At Warner Bros. Leighton Meester & Jared Padalecki Board Netflix Rom-Com Based On Katherine Center’s ‘The Bodyguard’; Andie MacDowell Among Others Set              The Comedy Means Business newsletter runs bimonthly on Mondays. Sign up to receive our companion podcast here. The pod can also be found on Apple, YouTube, and Spotify. Got a tip, pitch, comment, feature idea, or Discovery of the Week? Reach out at mattgrobar@deadline.com. This email was sent to punjabsvera@gmail.com by Deadline. Please add email@email.deadline.com to your address book to ensure delivery to your inbox. Visit the Preferences Center to update your profile and customize what email alerts and newsletters you receive. Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2025 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. 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