11 Innovators Who Changed Comedy in 2021

#11 JOE DEROSA: JOEY ROSES SOCIAL CLUB

Nobody expected to see a sandwich shop make our list of comedy innovators, but isn’t that what makes it innovative? During the pandemic, while everyone was examining alternate revenue streams, headlining comedian Joe DeRosa teamed up with The Stand comedy club to open a pop up sandwich spot, in New York City, inside the club. They called it Joey Roses. It was a huge hit and a win for everyone.  It was such a hit that DeRosa just opened a beautiful stand alone location and its much more than a place to get a great sandwich. DeRosa has built a social club on NYC’s Lower East Side, with a full bar, where, if comedy isn’t already happening, it will.  Open till midnight and sometimes beyond, at the very least, you’ll see comics hanging out there, like one big comedy table. It may not change comedy, but it will undoubtedly inspire others to see if they can’t make multiple talents work together.  #sidehustle

#10 CHRIS GETHARD: NJ IS THE WORLD

Is Chris trying to narrowcast? Or is he bringing New Jersey to the rest of the country? Maybe both, but his all-things NJ podcast is more than just a single show dedicated to his home state. It’s a little network, or an Umbrella of projects celebrating, exploring and roasting the Garden State. There are three primary series under the NJitW canopy- WO Town, Voices from the Jughandle, and a Food Review Show plus monthly Q&As. Call in segments keep things interactive, there are interviews, and additional Patreon content, of course.  Gethard is bringing back the guilty pleasure of local radio but on a national scale. And doing a deep dive into a smaller subject matter brings unexpected pleasures, hilarious stories, and new appreciation for a state that has gotten a bad rep. Turns out New Jersey has amazing foods to discover and a lot of crazy traditions, strange customs and unique culture. Remember how fascinating the story of Action Park was when we all watched the documentary on NJ’s most dangerous theme park? Well it turns out NJ has a lot more to talk about.  Putting the microscope up to a smaller topic can be revealing, interesting and unique, and Chris is the perfect guide to this mysterious world.

#9 WANDAVISION

Heralded for its unique and innovative re-creation of a different sitcom every week, and killer performances by the cast, WandaVision’s creativity paid off with 23 primetime Emmy nominations and 3 wins. WandaVision could have easily just been another cookie cutter and lazy entry into the superhero genre. Even if you love the MCU you’d have to agree for the most part they all follow a pretty similar formula but WandaVision is different. The series is a nine episode tribute to sitcoms, using the MCU as its character base. Every episode showcases a decade in television by filming in the style of that era’s most popular sitcoms. The first episode focused on Wanda and her neighbor getting into I Love Lucy style hijinks in a 1950’s setting, then episode two moved into the 60’s using Wanda’s superhero identity as the Scarlet Witch to seamlessly parody Bewitched. By the time we get to episode three and it’s an obvious Brady Bunch parody in the 70’s, we were all having fun guessing the shows that would get referenced in the next episodes. The star of WandaVision is Elizabeth Olsen, the younger sister of the Olsen Twins, so when the 80’s episode was near, it was obvious a Full House style episode was coming and this did not disappoint. The 90’s episode was straight Malcolm in the Middle which will excite sitcom fans since the show doesn’t get the true credit it deserves for completely changing the filming style of the classic family sitcom. They ended the decade with tributes to the 2000s with Modern Family and Elizabeth Olsen is so good as the Claire Dunphy-esque mom that it seems like an episode of the show itself.  WandaVision figured out a way to do all these episodes without it seeming like a cheap trick. Without spoiling the plot, it all makes sense within the context of the story and Elizbeth Olsen is so damn good in it, but as great as she is, the amazing performance from Kathryn Hahn as Agatha -the neighbor throughout every episode- seems like it could not be done by anyone else. Even if you don’t care about the MCU and you just love TV, you’ll enjoy this bizarre show. You may not understand or care about a lot of the stuff going on, but who understands 90% of most TV plots these days anyway?

#8 DANA GOULD IS HANGING WITH DR. Z

Everyone’s trying to expand the talk/comedy universe, with shows trying all sorts of twists on the genre. But none of them are quite as twisty, or as funny as Dana Gould’s Hanging with Dr. Z.  Gould plays Dr. Zaius, the character from Planet of the Apes, if he had his own talk show. It’s Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show meets Sci Fi meets (obviously) Planet of the Apes with a nod to Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Gould released 11 episodes this year, holding court in as Dr. Z with guests like Bobcat Goldthwait, Patton Oswalt, Andy Richter, Will Forte, and even Dana Gould himself. The show follows Tonight Show format, complete with a mini monologue,  a one man band complete with host-bandleader banter, hilarious “sponsors” and a guest beamed in via the magic of Dr. Z’s old timey tv set. Episodes are beautifully produced, the wardrobe and makeup is fantastic, and the set is gorgeous,. Each new episode clocks in under ten minutes each. The first season was so well received that a kickstarter to fund Season 2 raised almost triple the funds requested so it’s pretty certain that we’ll see more. The idea was birthed out of sporadic appearances by Gould in character on Talk Shows and at live events, and when the lockdown started, Gould decided to take the premise and run with it.  It’s the Darwinian Comedy you didn’t know you needed, until now, and it’s bound to inspire other creative spins on the talk show format.

#7 PETEY

Petey went from a struggling musician who got his first record deal immediately before the pandemic to a viral comedy Tik Tok star with millions of followers in the course of one year.  He showed us that being stuck alone in your home with only yourself to talk to can lead to great creativity. Pre-pandemic, Petey had no aspirations to do comedy, and now he has become one of the most shared and liked comedy creators on the TikTok platform.  With the exception of his editor, Will Crane, Petey is a one man crew.  His comedy is all do it yourself.  He writes multiple players into his sketches, and he plays all of them without even changing his persona.  There’s nothing to suggest he’s a different character other than the writing itself, Will’s perfect edits, and maybe a t-shirt change.  His delivery is truly unique- he has a quick cadence all his own with rapid edits to match.  You might be familiar with his “chopping it up” video that exploded as a catch phrase after his video went viral.  Petey’s latest video, a bunch of guys (all Petey) watching Mean Girls, has racked up 2 million views in just over a week. A sketch about finding a baby hand “fossil” has over 9 million hits.  He’s figured out how to work the algorithms to get his work seen and heard by millions, and he has the content to back it up. His hilarious videos also brought new attention to his music, inspired by 2000’s indie rock. And in true Petey style, he plays all the instruments.  In a sea of imitators on TikTok, Petey is totally original with a voice unlike anyone else, but now he’s showing others the way to create an evolving style comedy that is a perfect fit for the new distribution mediums. Follow him at PeteyUSA.

#6 SAM MORRIL: FULL CAPACITY

What Andrew Schulz did for the comedy special, (see innovators 2020) Sam Morril is doing for the comedy documentary in 2021.  As comedy clubs were just starting to open up, and film crews weren’t really working, Sam saw a moment that needed to be captured on camera- the return of stand up comedy to the stage in New York City.  Comedians were rusty. They hadn’t really performed in six months or more, or they had only performed outdoor shows, zoom shows, rooftop shows. Their material was dated, and their performance skills were rusty. And the clubs initially had conditions nobody was prepared for- plexiglass booths for the performers, limited capacity crowds, mask,- and everyone nervous about the new rules.  Sam captured all of it, through interviews with comedians, footage of performers talking at the table or outside of clubs, and some stand up clips that are truly hilarious. Directed by Matt Salacuse the special features Sam, Comedy Cellar owner Noam Dworman, club booker Estee Adoram, club manager Liz Furiati, Dave Attell, Ray Romano, Rosebud Baker, Ronnie Chieng, Rachel Feinstein, Sam Jay, Robert Kelly, Joe List, and dozens more. The doc was shot DIY style, and distributed on Sam’s own YouTube channel. Almost 400,000 people have watched the doc already, proving that you no longer need a distributor or a production company to make a documentary and have it be seen by a sizeable audience. It’s a great watch, it will be a part of comedy history, and will surely inspire others to follow in Sam’s footsteps.

#5 JO FIRESTONE: GOOD TIMING

When something has the name Jo Firestone attached, two things are guaranteed.  It will be funny, and it will be incredibly original, and oftentimes experimental.  And that’s exactly what Good Timing is. In this hilarious and adorable hour, Firestone coaches a group of elderly wannabe stand up comedians for four days to prepare them for their first time on stage, in a real theater. The special grew out of a class Jo was teaching in comedy at a place called Greenwich House- an outreach center that offers programs in the arts, education and social services. She had some spare time and thought it would be interesting to teach comedy to senior citizens.  When the pandemic hit, the class became a zoom class. In June when the world started to open up, her students got together to prepare for a real show, in a real theater. The four day in-person crash course was filmed, as was the performance along with one-on-one interviews with each of the students. Both the process and the result is funny, poignant, beautifully shot. This is the most genuinely feel good comedy hour from start to finish, and there’s no better illustration of the healing power of comedy and creativity.  Watching Good Timing, you become invested in the success of each of the aspiring elder comics, and you get to share in the thrill they feel getting laughs on stage. Firestone is a patient and encouraging teacher, and everything about this special is life-affirming and inspiring.

#4 TIM HEIDECKER’S VERY SPECIAL PODCAST EPISODE WITH JEREMY LEVICK & RAJAT SURESH

Comedy madman Tim Heidecker took a break from his regular call-in format to create a very special episode of his Office Hours podcast for Thanksgiving Day.  Instead of his usual show, he delivered a 12 hour long live-cast that was nothing short of brilliant. The episode is a full-on satirization of the most popular podcast on the planet, The Joe Rogan Experience. Okay it wasn’t really 12 hours- more like a little over an hour streamed on a loop– but the restart was seamless so if you missed the first few minutes it would take you at least an hour till you realized you were on repeat, longer if you were drifting in an out. The repeating loop not only creates the sense of an episode gone too long, but there’s a definite wink to the repetitiveness of conversations that go too long. Joining Heidecker are Jeremy Levick and Rajat Suresh, known for their own supreme satire skills that first caught the world’s attention through Twitter.  This is performance art at its finest. The imitation is spot on from the topics covered (cancel culture, psychedelics, immunity boosting crab salts), to the cadence, tone and riffing style heard frequently on JRE. The overuse of isms and buzzwords is hilarious.  The trail offs mid sentence, the digressions, the agreements, and frequency of  “hmmms”, are fantastic. Even small details like live reads, the “set” design, Heidecker’s Space X hat, and maybe it’s my imagination but it seems like they even captured the mic sound of the popular podcast perfectly. This is a full on deconstruction of Rogan and his guests. Like all good impressions or satire, you have to crack the formula of the people you are imitating. Heidecker, Levick and Suresh nail it across the board until the elements are so visible to the audience that it seems almost easy to replicate, but that’s only because they’ve done their job as humorists so flawlessly. Remember, Saturday Night Live’s attempt at parodying Rogan fell flat, while this broadcast became an instant classic. The performers commit fully to this bit, never breaking character, never even announcing what they’ve done. They don’t have to. Whether you enjoy the episode for a lighthearted laugh or as a deeper examination of The Joe Rogan Experience is completely up to you. We’re all “through the looking glass” here, it’s up to you to enjoy the ride.

#3 CARMEN CHRISTOPHER: STREET SPECIAL

Carmen Christopher’s Peacock special “Street Special” is not a normal standup hour. That’s the most important thing to know going into it. Carmen is performing comedy on the street, carrying around a rolling luggage/speaker. But what makes this special “special” is that the jokes are not where the comedy comes in.  The comedy comes from the reactions from the “audience.” With the clubs all shut down, Carmen took to the streets parks and sidewalks, the way musicians might perform for passersby, or outdoor diners. But people aren’t as open to comedy as they are to music. In fact, they want no part of it. Carmen’s targets did not sign up for standup comedy and they definitely did not sign up for the strange alt comedy performance he delivers. And if you’ve seen any videos of people in public the last two years, you know how quick people’s boiling point is these days. Carmen not only deals with that, he mines it brilliantly, digging for comedic reactions. He doesn’t give up when his audience rejects him and you you can’t help but root for him. You want the people to like him and you find yourself laughing at jokes that shouldn’t make you laugh. If you’ve ever seen Carmen Christopher perform live, then you know it feels like a fever dream. Sometimes he grabs audience members, employs small costume changes or music cues and sometimes “gets phone calls” mid show. He’s is a real talent and this 32 minute introduction to his work will have you wanting to see him perform live next time he’s in your town. It’s also a refreshing break from the same hour stand up special Netflix mass produces like Chips Ahoy. That’s not saying it’s better than every Netflix special, but its nice to watch someone actually try something different. Carmen brings anti comedy to the comedy special, creating a hilarious and very original form of anti-comedy.

#2 MELISSA VILLESENOR, BONNIE MCFARLANE FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS

During lockdown everyone struggled with decisions about how to handle events. Awards shows were no exception. Events were canceled, and when they weren’t, questions about format were debated by producers all over Hollywood.  Should we have a host? Can we do this without live presenters? Do we use zoom? Can we do red carpets?   The Film Independent Spirit Awards had one of the more unique responses to all of those concerns–and also the most entertaining. Deciding the show must go on, host Melissa Villaseñor performed in an empty theater.  Her monologue was hilarious, with some of the best writing of any awards show this year. “Tonight, we’re in a place more familiar to independent film fans, a completely empty theater,” she quipped.  The sketches and digital shorts were better than “bigger” award ceremonies. Like the opening sketch that showed Melissa getting some advice from former hosts- via zoom. John Mulaney, Sarah Silverman and Kate McKinnon-were all played to perfection by Villaseñor herself. Later she appeared in character as Kristin Wiig to explain some new changes to the award ceremony. Maybe the funniest short of the night starred Owen Wilson (played by- of course- Melissa), working in a sporting goods store for a Nomadland parody. All of the shorts and sketches are available on YouTube, and very re-watchable. Any skilled comedy writer and performer knows that the unexpected is an opportunity to stretch creativity and the team behind this show understood that. Credit goes not only to Villaseñor’s skills, but also to head writer Bonnie McFarlane’s talents, and of course the entire writing team who not only wrote hilarious comedy but made sure to use all of the incredible talents of the host.