Did you know that a good laugh reduces stress, boosts immunity, relieves pain, relaxes your muscles and may even help lower your blood pressure?
Off the back of The Showmax Roast of Helen Zille, Showmax has revealed its latest campaign to get South Africans to laugh more: five of HBO’s biggest recent stand-up comedy specials.
Seth Meyers: Dad Man Walking
| First on Showmax | Stream from Friday, 23 May
Emmy-winning writer, New York Times bestselling author, and Saturday Night Live alum Seth Meyers stars in his first HBO stand-up special, Dad Man Walking.
Known for his dry wit and sharp topical commentary as host of Late Night with Seth Meyers, the veteran comedian shifts his focus to his personal life – from the chaos of raising three young kids, to navigating different communication styles in marriage, to the proper way to cross the street in New York City.
For Dad Man Walking, Meyers was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television.
Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die
| First on Showmax | Stream now
In Someday You’ll Die, Nikki Glaser dives into a wide range of topics, including why she doesn’t want kids, the harsh realities of ageing, her sexual fantasies, and plans for her own death – all in her hilarious, irreverent, and brutally honest style.
The hilarious and unapologetic HBO comedy special won the 2025 Writers Guild of America Award for Comedy/Variety Specials, having been nominated for the Emmy, Golden Globe and Grammy.
Glaser hosted this year’s Golden Globes and has been confirmed to return in 2026.
Alex Edelman: Just For Us
| First on Showmax | Stream now
Winner of the 2024 Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special, the Alex Edelman: Just For Us is taken from the comedian’s Tony Award-winning solo Broadway show.
The HBO comedy special centres on a bizarre experience: in the wake of anti-Semitic threats online, Edelman covertly attends a meeting of white nationalists and comes face to face with the people behind the keyboards. What happens next forms the backbone of the shockingly relevant and utterly hilarious stories in Just for Us.
The Washington Post calls Just for Us “a joyous 90-minute excursion through Edelman’s insights and autobiography … diamond-cut perfection” from “one of the funniest minds of his generation. Or maybe any generation.”
Ramy Youssef: More Feelings
| Stream now
Ramy Youssef returns to the stage to offer his unique reflections on our divided world, the unexpected perils of charitable giving, and more.
The HBO comedy special was nominated for a 2024 Emmy for Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming. In Chicago Sun-Times, Richard Roeper hailed Youssef as “a genuine, brilliant and calming presence who makes us laugh a lot, think quite a bit and maybe even feel a little bit better about how we still have much in common despite all our differences.”
Youssef was previously nominated for Lead Actor and Directing Emmys for his comedy series, Ramy, as well as for Directing for The Bear. He also starred in four-time Oscar winner Poor Things and hosted Saturday Night Live last year. Next up, he stars opposite Steve Carell in Mountainhead, the feature film debut of Succession creator Jesse Armstrong, which launches on Showmax in June 2025.
John Early: Now More Than Ever
| Stream now
In his first HBO comedy special, John Early brings his unique blend of cutting commentary, pop star swagger, and all-around loveable hilarity to Roulette Intermedium in Brooklyn, New York.
In the style of a gritty 70s rockumentary, Early performs stand-up and explosive song covers, from Britney to Neil Young, intercut with Spinal Tap-esque backstage sketches.
John Early: Now More Than Ever was nominated for the 2024 Critics Choice Award for Best Comedy Special, as well as a 2024 Emmy for Outstanding Writing for A Variety Special. The comedy special also has a 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
That’s not all, folks
Showmax is also home to acclaimed stand-up comedy specials from legends like Amy Schumer, Bill Maher, Chris Rock, Ellen DeGeneres, Sam Jay, Tig Notaro, Will Ferrell and Yvonne Orji. Watch them all at www.showmax.com/za.
