Stand-Up Comedy from the 2000s


   

The laughDB database is dedicated to the funniest comedy movies, stand-up comedy and TV series.

This section is for stand-up comedy from the 2000s. By default they are presented starting with the ones ranking highest on the laugh-o-meter, but you can also sort them by year, title or IMDB rating.


Stand-Up Comedy from the 2000s sorted by Laugh-o-meter (descending) / page 1 of 5


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Bill Bailey: Part Troll posterBill Bailey: Part Troll
      2004 | U.K. | Laughs: 9.1 (Laugh Out Loud) | imdb: 8.4
      who was involved?

After discovering Bill in Cosmic Jam, we braced ourselves for disappointment when, the following afternoon, we started watching this show, produced seventeen years after the first. Indeed, few are the comedians who keep producing fresh material, and fewer still those who improve as the decades go by. You try it sometime. It must be a really hard job. But to our surprise and delight, this show was even better than the first. Perhaps not on all counts, as it was different, and thankfully so; for instance, there were fewer of these wild surreal drifts. But the show made us laugh harder, and on this site that's all that matters.

Part Troll confirms that Bill is the best thing to come out of the UK since Dark Side of the Moon. (Last viewed: September 2013)

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Doug Stanhope: No Refunds DVDDoug Stanhope: No Refunds
      2007 | USA | Laughs: 8.8 | imdb: 8.2
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A social commentary that makes you laugh from relief at hearing someone else than the voice in your head bring out the ignorance, hypocrisy and complacency embedded in our society. One of those rare times when you can see someone on a TV screen use his brain to think about the world he's in. To enjoy Stanhope a threshold capacity for critical thinking is required, so he's not for everyone.But if you love him… you'll love him. (Last viewed: August 2010)

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Dara O'Briain: Live at the Theatre Royal posterDara O'Briain: Live at the Theatre Royal
      2006 | U.K. | Laughs: 8.6 | imdb: 7.9
      who was involved?

This show was my introduction to Dara O'Briain. He made us laugh harder than we had in a while, so he entered this list with a bang. Dara has a beautiful Irish accent that is not too hard to understand. Unlike comedians who try to make you think at the same time they make you laugh, he uses everyday material, but it's very effective, probably because of the amount of audience interaction. Indeed, the back-and-forth with a handful of spectators is very much part of the show, and it is very funny. It also gives the show a very pleasant improvised feel. What with his fast delivery, his capacity to improvise and his ability to remember details about the spectators he picks on during the show, it's obvious that Dara is extremely bright—in the first place, to be a great stand-up you have to be at least very bright. When I read that he has a university degree in math and physics, I thought "Ah, that fits". I'm excited to see more of Dara's shows. (Last viewed: October 2013)

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Wanda Sykes: Sick and Tired DVDWanda Sykes: Sick and Tired
      2006 | USA | Laughs: 8.2 | imdb: 7.3
      who was involved?

I think I may have enjoyed this show even more than Tongue Untied. Wanda's style is unlike that of any other comedian I know—male or female. I find her brilliant. Much of the humor in this show comes from Wanda divulging thoughts that are normally kept private. This gives her a surprising ability to draw laughs out of "dirty topics" without making you feel dirty. Not that the entire hour of the show is spent below the belt: it also visits "serious topics" such as war and medical care. (Last viewed: April 2011)

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Wanda Sykes: Tongue Untied DVDWanda Sykes: Tongue Untied
      2003 | USA | Laughs: 8.1 | imdb: 7.0
      who was involved?

This show was a nice surprise. From seeing her on Curb Your Enthusiasm, I expected Sykes' humor to be on the aggressive side. Instead, I found that she had a light touch. She gave me many innocent laughs on topics as wide as airport security, George W. Bush, the pope, being out drinking, strip clubs, how women test men, and feeling sexy. Thank you, Wanda! (Last viewed: August 2010)

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Bill Burr: Why Do I Do This? DVDBill Burr: Why Do I Do This?
      2008 | USA | Laughs: 8.1 | imdb: 8.4
      who was involved?

This set was my first time watching Bill Burr. He made me laugh, and I'll be coming back for more. Apart from his humor, I really liked his energy—he smiles a lot, he moves around, he delivers at a good pace. (Last viewed: December 2012)

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Eddie Izzard: Circle DVDEddie Izzard: Circle
      2002 | U.K. | Laughs: 8.0 | imdb: 7.9
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Great show. Eddie wears a shiny black outfit. More chuckles than laughs, but I particularly enjoyed the bits about monkeys interacting with humans, about Jesus amidst dinosaurs, and about Darth Vader in the Death Star's canteen. (Last viewed: August 2010)

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Brian Regan: Standing Up DVDBrian Regan: Standing Up
      2007 | USA | Laughs: 8.0 | imdb: 7.9
      who was involved?

I was impressed that none of the material repeats that from 2004. For the most part, just as funny as I Walked on the Moon. I took off one quarter of a star because of the parts of the show when Brian mentions his children—cute but not funny. Very strong show overall. (Last viewed: April 2011)

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Bill Maher: Be More Cynical DVDBill Maher: Be More Cynical
      2000 | USA | Laughs: 7.8 | imdb: 6.9
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Wherever you live, and particularly in the USA, there is so much stupidity in the mainstream culture that when someone points his finger at it and shows things for what they are, you can feel a relief that releases laughter. This is what Maher does here. He does it well—without rage or insults, but with a smile. My favorite segments where the one about society's fixation on kids and the one about government telling you what's bad for you. Some of the material will age poorly as it bears the stamp of current events, but I would watch the show again, unlike The Decider, another Maher show. (Last viewed: March 2011)

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Dave Chappelle: Killin' Them Softly DVDDave Chappelle: Killin' Them Softly
      2000 | USA | Laughs: 7.8 | imdb: 8.8
      who was involved?

Unlike his later awful show entitled For What It's Worth, this is a fine set where Dave showcases his keen intelligence (rather than the far more widespread ability to name reproductive organs) and puts it to the service of making us laugh. To great effect, Dave alternates seamlessly between a casual "black" voice and a straight "white" voice, leaving you to wonder how he sounds when he is just himself. Topics include discovering how leniently police handle a white friend of his driving intoxicated, assessing a politician's character, and differences in male-female approaches to storytelling.

Update (2021, eight years later): this set aged well. I've grown increasingly disappointed with Dave's recent sets and wanted to watch this one to check whether his earlier material still worked for me. It does. And some of the topics are painfully current.

(Last viewed: Oct 2013 October 2021)

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Whoopi: Back to Broadway posterWhoopi: Back to Broadway
      2005 | USA | Laughs: 7.7 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 7.9
      who was involved?

Taken as a piece of theatrical performance, as a monologue, that show was enjoyable for me. As stand-up comedy, it was a waste of time.

Incarnating various characters, Whoopi reminisces on some times of her life — some personal, some public, such as the war in Irak — and invents others. It has historical value, it's often touching, but it's not the kind of material that can trigger laughter, at least not for me: in the case of Irak, not that long after the events.

Some of the personal topics include waxing, menopause and depression: maybe some of you all will be curious about Whoopi's experience or find something you can relate to.

(Last viewed: December 2019)

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Louis C.K.: One Night Stand DVDLouis C.K.: One Night Stand
      2005 | USA | Laughs: 7.6 | imdb: 7.9
      who was involved?

This short show is really good value. The adult portion of the set might be a bit long, but there are really good segments about marriage and kids, with material that feels like it came out of an original mind, rather than from the big pot of stale material so many comedians seem to be dipping into. (Last viewed: January 2013)

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Russell Peters: Outsourced DVDRussell Peters: Outsourced
      2006 | Canada | Laughs: 7.5 | imdb: 8.1
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A Canadian of Indian origin does a whole show on various ethnic groups that compose the US and Canada. The audience is multi-cultural, and they love it—there must be something cathartic and therapeutic about someone addressing your cultural group, for a change. Russell's jokes will not make history, but I like how he interacts with the audience, and he brought me good laughs and a smile. (Last viewed: September 2010)

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Ricky Gervais: Politics DVDRicky Gervais: Politics
      2004 | U.K. | Laughs: 7.4 | imdb: 7.8
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Gervais is so politically incorrect that he can make you ashamed of laughing at his jokes! I enjoyed this show's dark and naughty sense of humor, though at times I almost wanted to make sure no one saw me watching. I couldn't help laughing, but even as I laughed I had to feel sorry for Ricky' victims. One is left wondering if the man on stage is truly mean, or if his meanness is only his act.

I found the pacing excellent, full of pauses in the right places, except for a crude segment purporting to describe a funny pamphlet. It went on forever: Ricky certainly knows how to stretch a bad joke. (Last viewed: April 2011)

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Gad Elmaleh - La Vie Normale posterGad Elmaleh - La Vie Normale
      2000 | France | Laughs: 7.3 | imdb: 7.8
      who was involved?

For me, Gad is a genius. I'm not aware of another contemporary stand-up comic who is able to switch between characters with such ease. Not all the material in this show is jaw-dropping hilarious, but much is. I was going to skip it because I'd already seen two of his shows; I'm glad I didn't. (Last viewed: June 2015)

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