HBO Max is going for laughs. It’s greenlit four stand-up comedy specials from Tracy Morgan, Rose Matafeo, John Early and Ahir Shah.
Morgan’s latest special, “Staying Alive,” aired on Netflix in 2017 and addressed his near-fatal accident. At present, he stars in “The Last O.G.” — a TBS show and part of WarnerMedia — which begins its third season next year.
For Early, the HBO Max show marks his first one-hour television special. As an actor, he appears in TBS’ “Search Party.”
“From legends to newcomers, this impressive slate of specials will complement the library of premium stand-up specials that HBO has become known for,” said Suzanna Makos, EVP, original programming, comedy and animation at HBO Max.
Like Early, this will also be Matafeo’s debut comedy special, though she already has an alliance with HBO Max. The streamer and BBC Three have teamed for a six-part comedy, “Starstruck,” written by and starring the New Zealand-born comedian who won the 2018 Edinburgh Comedy Award for best show.
Shah is now touring with “Dots,” his new comedy show. The HBO Max special is also his first TV special. He has enjoyed sold-out runs in London’s West End, and both he and Matafeo will have their stand-up streamer performances produced by Avalon Television.
All four comics will double as executive producers.
To bolster its comedy chops, HBO Max formed a partnership with Conan O’Brien and Team Coco to bring stand-up specials to the streamer. It also bought the rights to a one-hour show from comedian James Veitch, also produced by Team Coco.