Stand-Up Comedy Routines Available for Netflix Instant Viewing that Might Make Roku Worth It

Stand-up comedy routines on TV have a long history. Too bad the history of good stand-up comedy ended about twenty years ago. Seriously, man, what the heck happened to funny comedians? Used to be you couldn't turn around without seeing some hilarious guy standing against a brick wall. The Netflix instant viewing option allows you to stream choices to your Roku and watch them on your TV. There are plenty of stand-up comics who have DVDs out that are currently available for instant viewing on Netflix. My only wish is that I found more of them funny. Well, I might also wish that there were stand-up videos from Emo Phillips and Steve Martin, but what are you going to do?

Richard Pryor: Here and Now.
Richard Pryor was the king of the filmed concert and his scorching routines have lost little of their incendiary power. This was the Richard Pryor concert film that came after his infamous incident in which a coke pipe burst into flames and sent him running naked down the street on fire. Only Richard Pryor could have made such a horrific life experience the centerpiece of his new comedy routine. Why is there no Richard Pryor today?

Steven Wright: When The Leaves Blow Away.

Steven Wright is the man who gave us the line "It's a small world...but I wouldn't want to paint it." His deadpan delivery of extraordinary surreal one-liners is one of my fondest memories of 1980s comedy. That 1980s were the apex of stand-up comedy and it's been on a long downhill slide ever since. Netflix Steven Wright and enjoy the master.

Lenny Bruce Without Tears.
This is kind of a cheat for inclusion on this list in that it isn't actually a taping of a stand-up routine, but rather a full-fledged documentary. It does include copious clips for the great Lenny Bruce doing his routines, however, and offers at least a glimpse into why this wonderful comedian is usually found near the top of any list of greatest comics of all time. Thank God for Netflix; where else you going to find Lenny Bruce?