Netflix Comedy Boss Chat + Power List Alumni Show Guide For Netflix Is A Joke 2026; Eisenberg, Blotnick & Fisher Specials

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View on web New reader? Subscribe SUBSCRIBE. IT'S FREE. Hello, and welcome back to Comedy Means Business. It’s May 4, which means both the third edition of Netflix Is a Joke Fest and Star Wars Day are upon us — may the force be with you, and may the traffic patterns be ever in your favor. In today’s issue, I have a chat with Netflix comedy bosses Tracey Pakosta and Robbie Praw, who reflect on paring the fest back to one week, the decision to roast Kevin Hart, a shift away from the multi-comic special as a platform for incubating talent, and more. I also have a piece outlining who from Deadline’s recent comedy power lists is playing NIAJ, and where you can catch them. Add to that, exclusive items on a new special from Ophira Eisenberg, produced by the great Lewis Black, plus new hours from Emmy Blotnick and Jourdain Fisher that will me among the first coming to Gorilla Comedy+. ICYMI, my most recent podcast guest was Ari Shaffir, who stopped by the studio to discuss The End, a project marking the culmination of many years producing longform comedic storytelling shows, as well as his recent travels off the grid through South America. ​​​​​​​Watch that ep here. With all that said…. TUDUM… NETFLIX IS A JOKE FEST: EXEC CHAT TRACEY PAKOSTA & ROBBIE PRAW ON TURNING FEST INTO ONE-WEEK "SUMMER CAMP," UPCOMING KEVIN HART ROAST & EVOLUTION IN STREAMER'S TALENT INCUBATION STRATEGY Robbie Praw and Tracey Pakosta (The Collective You/Netflix) This evening, Netflix unfurls the third edition of Netflix Is a Joke Fest, its sprawling, citywide comedy showcase that in just four years has become one of the buzziest gatherings of comedians in the world. While this year's edition has been condensed from 11 days to a more focused, seven-day run, the scale remains formidable, with more than 500 comics and 475+ shows set at venues all across Los Angeles, as part of this celebration of comedy in its many forms. From the perspective of Tracey Pakosta and Robbie Praw, who oversee Netflix's efforts in comedy, the shift is about recalibrating from a level of scale that felt "unnecessary." This year, the festival leans into growth areas in comedy like live podcasting, while emphasizing cross-pollination between stand-up, film and television, and more. A week out from the festival, Pakosta and Praw told Deadline about the "summer camp" vibe they're going for this year, programming strategy, the place of Netflix in today's comedy ecosystem, and more. >>> More DEADLINE COMEDY POWER LIST ALUMNI DESCEND ON LOS ANGELES WHERE YOU CAN CATCH THEM AT NETFLIX IS A JOKE Clockwise Top L-R: Jordan Jensen, Chloe Radcliffe, Max Amini, Leanne Morgan, Jimmy O. Yang and Morgan Jay (Getty Images Courtesy/Saeid Kaveh/Todd Rosenberg/Nathersonn) As Netflix Is a Joke Fest descends on Los Angeles for the third time, with 500+ artists set for 475+ shows across more than 45 venues, a good number of them are stand-ups Deadline has been tracking via a triad of Comedy Power Lists, notching the Comedians Ready to Break Out in 2025, the Comics Who Won 2025, and the Stand-Ups to Keep an Eye on in 2026. Taken together, our 18 comics playing the festival — from Atsuko Okatsuka and Mo Amer to Morgan Jay, Jordan Jensen, and Jimmy O. Yang — have moved well north of 1.5 million tickets over the past year. A number have crossed the 200,000-ticket mark individually while leveling up their business. And as out on the road, this group's impact can be felt online, where their reach extends across tens of millions of followers and billions of views. Below, we break down where you can catch alumni from across our lists performing throughout the week of May 4-10. >>> More THE DEADLINE EXCLUSIVE - #1 OPHIRA EISENBERG SETS NEW SPECIAL 'I USED TO BE NICER' PRODUCED BY LEWIS BLACK Ophira Eisenberg in I Used To Be Nicer (Courtesy of Stark Raving Black Productions, Inc.) DEADLINE EXCLUSIVE: Ophira Eisenberg has announced that her new special I Used to Be Nicer, produced by Lewis Black's Stark Raving Black, will premiere on Veeps at 5 p.m. PT on Friday, May 15. In the special, Eisenberg gives a Canadian middle finger to toxic positivity, parenting, marriage maintenance, aging, therapy, and the goddamn cost of eggs. "I've been told my whole life that I'm so nice," the stand-up said. "Is it the Canadian in me? The accommodating woman in me? Well thanks to parenthood, getting a little older, and being told to 'just be positive' one too many times, I can finally say I used to be nicer. Now I'm honest. And it's better for comedy!" >>> More   THE DEADLINE EXCLUSIVE - #2 EMMY BLOTNICK & JOURDAIN FISHER SET SPECIALS WITH NEWLY LAUNCHED STREAMER GORILLA COMEDY+ Emmy Blotnick and Jourdain Fisher (Mindy Tucker/800 Pound Gorilla) DEADLINE EXCLUSIVE: Emmy Blotnick and Jourdain Fisher are taking new specials to Gorilla Comedy+. They'll be among the first to debut on the recently announced streaming service of 800 Pound Gorilla, launching May 5. Blotnick's What's Her Secret? will be available for streaming exclusively on Gorilla Comedy+ starting May 18, with a worldwide YouTube release slated for June 16th at 7 p.m. CT. Fisher's Bits & Pieces premieres on the streamer May 25, with a worldwide YouTube release slated for June 23rd at 7 p.m. CT. In the follow-up to her album Party Nights, Blotnick returns to the stage of Brooklyn's Union Hall with absurd yet relatable takes on marriage, dogs, and Hailey Bieber's skincare for "dull women." In his first self-produced special, filmed at the Comedy Cellar, Fisher riffs on life as a Southern transplant in New York, covering growing up poor with strict parents, high school struggles, politics, and more. >>> More   COMEDY ROUND-UP: 4/21 - 5/4 Casting FILM Brent Pella Sets Cast For Psychedelic Comedy ‘Peaking’ Cannes Market Ralph Fiennes, Colin Farrell & Wagner Moura Set For Comedy ‘Art’ From Director Fernando Meirelles & Screenwriter Christopher Hampton; 193 Launches For Cannes Market Mark Rylance To Star In & Make Movie Directorial Debut With Comedy ‘Nice Fish’ Alongside Michelle Williams, Jim Lichtscheidl & Isabella LaBlanc — Cannes Market Awkwafina, Anthony Ramos & Ken Jeong Dark Comedy ‘Kaet Might Die’ Heads To Cannes Market Digital Bobby Lee & Andrew Santino Team With All Things Comedy On ‘The Bad Game Show’ Development Stage 32, Pathfinder Media Film & Todd Biermann Set First Winner Of New Comedy Screenwriting Contest Blink49 & Canadian Comedy Brand Yuk Yuk’s Form Joint Venture For Live Stand-Up & Digital Content Projects​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ Hirings/Promotions IAG Hires Dru Bass As Talent Agent, Ups Shadman Ishraq To Agent In Comedy Touring Late-Night Ben Gleib Launching First Late-Night Talk Show For YouTube; ‘The Daily Show’s Stewart Bailey Showrunning With Black Eyed Peas’ Keith Harris Set As Band Leader Pilots Rachel Bloom Comedy Pilot ‘Do You Want Kids?’ Not Going Forward At ABC Podcasts Sam Jay & Alex English Set Comedic History Podcast ‘Look Back At It’ With iHeartPodcasts & ‘Workaholics’ Trio ​​​​​​​ Production Elizabeth Banks Stars In Comedy Series Ordered By Apple TV From Liz Heldens, Matt Ward & 20th TV ​​​​​​​ Promoter Pact AEG Presents Sets Strategic Partnership With Comedy Promoter Outback Presents Specials Stavros Halkias Sets New Netflix Special Anjelah Johnson-Reyes Sets Seventh Special ‘Ugly Baby’ – Watch The Trailer Zach Zucker Sets Debut Comedy Special For Clown Alter Ego Jack Tucker ‘SNL’ Alum Emil Wakim Bringing First Full-Length Comedy Special To Netflix Signings ‘SNL’s Jane Wickline Signs With WME              RECOMMENDED READING CBS’ ‘Eternally Yours’: The Story Of 11-Year-Old Script That Wouldn’t Die & The Podcast That Helped Bring It Back To Life – And Find A Lead   Our companion Comedy Means Business podcast runs bimonthly on Mondays. 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