“Chris Rock: Selective Outrage” will become the streamer’s first live-streamed global event when Rock takes the stage at 10 p.m. EST, March 4, in Baltimore. That’s less than a year after The Slap, when Will Smith struck Rock during the live Oscars broadcast. Presumably, there will be no such interruption during this live event. “Chris Rock is one of the most iconic and important comedic voices of our generation,” Netflix VP of Stand-Up and Comedy Robbie Praw said in a statement at the time of the special’s initial announcement. “We’re thrilled the entire world will be able to experience a live Chris Rock comedy event and be a part of Netflix history. This will be an unforgettable moment and we’re so honored that Chris is carrying this torch.”
Rock’s career in comedy began in the 1980s before he came to prominence after a three-season stint on “Saturday Night Live.” A series of acclaimed HBO comedy specials over the rest of the decade helped him reach mainstream stardom, and he later hosted a talk show for the premium cable network from 1997 to 2000. He’s also well known for developing and writing the sitcom “Everybody Hates Chris,” based on his childhood in New York.
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“Selective Outrage” will be Rock’s second stand-up set for Netflix, following “Tamborine” in 2018. And, of course, this is Rock’s first televised comedy special since the infamous Oscars slap, so don’t be shocked if a few jabs at Will Smith make the special.
Netflix doubled down on its commitment to comedy this year, including its “Netflix is a Joke” festival this spring. The Los Angeles comedy festival hosted 330 comedians — including Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes, Pete Davidson, Bill Burr, Aziz Ansari, Dave Chapelle, and others — performing 295 shows across 35 venues in the city. Several of those sets were recorded and later released on Netflix for on-demand viewing, but Rock’s special marks the first comedy special to be recorded live for the streamer.
“Chris Rock: Selective Outrage” streams live on Netflix at 10 p.m. EST, on March 4.
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