Hulu today announced the launch of its comedy stand-up brand, “Hulu’s Laughing Now,” which will officially bow in November of this year. Comedian Jim Gaffigan made the announcement from the stage at the Disney Upfront presentation in New York City. Gaffigan will be the first comedian to host a stand-up special as part of the new brand, with his special “The Skinny” launching on the platform Nov. 22. “Hulu’s Laughing Now” will feature 12 comedy specials per year, adding one new comic per month. The Gaffigan special was taped earlier this year in Boston at the Wilbur Theater. The special, Gaffigan’s 11th stand-up special, will launch on Hulu, as well as on Disney+ outside the U.S.
“With the launch of ‘Hulu’s Laughing Now,’ we are excited to round out Hulu’s world-class comedy offering with a lineup of some of the funniest voices in stand-up comedy today,” said Craig Erwich, president, Disney Television Group. “Our slate is a true celebration of the art of stand-up, and we plan to make this a best-in-class destination for comedic talent through partnerships with other areas of The Walt Disney Company, bringing these comedians into our family in a meaningful way.”
Gaffigan is a seven-time GRAMMY®-nominated comedian, actor, writer, producer, two-time New York Times bestselling author, three-time Emmy® Award-winning top touring performer and multiplatinum-selling recording artist. He is known around the world for his unique brand of humor, which largely revolves around his observations on life.
Gaffigan recently co-headlined with Jerry Seinfeld for a sold-out multicity arena tour. He was also recently awarded for being the first comedian to reach 1 billion streams on Pandora. Gaffigan regularly does humorous commentaries on “CBS Sunday Morning” for which he has won three Emmys. In 2018, Gaffigan served as master of ceremony at The Al Smith Memorial dinner. He also had the great honor of performing for Pope Francis and over 1 million festival attendees at the Festival of Families in Philadelphia.
Additional comics will be announced at a future date with launch dates for those specials and other information to follow. Headed into the launch of Gaffigan’s special in November, Hulu will additionally launch a curated collection of licensed stand-up specials ranging from iconic comedy specials to recent releases from 800 Pound Gorilla and Comedy Dynamics, among others.
Hulu is the industry leader in comedy, as the home to comedy series from Hulu Originals, FX, ABC Entertainment and 20th Animation, as well as legacy shows from 20th Century Fox, ABC Signature and acquired series. At the most recent Emmy Awards, Hulu dominated the Comedy Series category in nominations and wins from “The Bear,” “Only Murders in the Building” and “Abbott Elementary.”
