Earlier this month, Dave Chappelle made his long-awaited return to sketch comedy this month by hosting Saturday Night Live for the first time in his career. Now, there’s word that the comedian has signed a deal with Netflix that will see three of his stand-up performances added to the streaming service next year.
Two of those performances are set to be taken from Chappelle’s personal vault, and will debut concurrently some time in 2017. One set was recorded at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles in March of this year, while the other was shot at Austin City Limits Live in April 2015.
The third special will be an original production for Netflix, with Chappelle collaborating with director Stan Lathan, who also helmed his seminal HBO special and partnered with Russell Simmons to produce Def Comedy Jam. No premiere date is set for the third special, according to a report from Variety.
Netflix already boasts a broad selection of stand-up comedy, with sets from acclaimed comedians like Hannibal Buress, Jim Jefferies, Jen Kirkman, and Louis C.K. However, it’s clear that the streaming giant is eager to ramp up this section of its library, especially in terms of exclusive content.
In October, it was announced that Chris Rock will end an eight-year stand-up hiatus by filming two new specials for Netflix. The company will apparently pay $40 million for this content, which demonstrates just how much of a priority comedy is at this moment in time.
Of course, many of Chappelle’s fans will be hoping that his deal with Netflix will be a precursor to a more substantial return to sketch comedy. There’s been an unwavering demand for more Chappelle’s Show since the series came to a close in 2006, but it remains to be seen whether the comedian could be convinced to produce another show in the same vein.
Some of the best shots in Grok Imagine’s AI-made Odyssey don’t contain actors. Ancient landscapes stretch into the distance. Close-ups of grimy hands suggest people who have touched something rougher than a keyboard. For a few seconds, the illusion holds.
https://twitter.com/imagine/status/2113712964419063911
YouTube videos could soon look better without eating quite so much data, right? Thankfully, the platform plans to introduce a new video format called AV2 on its web player in early 2027, promising more efficient streaming and potentially fewer playback hiccups on slower internet connections. The big headline is a roughly 30% improvement in compression efficiency over AV1, YouTube's existing video format. That doesn't guarantee every video will use 30% less data, but it could make streaming a little easier on both internet connections and data allowances.
What is AV2, and why should viewers care?
YouTube is changing how its Home page works, giving viewers more control over what shows up there and making some of the app’s most-used sections easier to reach. Custom Feeds are now replacing the existing topic chips for eligible users, while YouTube is also testing a redesigned top bar on mobile that moves Subscriptions closer to the Home feed.
YouTube first started experimenting with Custom Feeds earlier this year, letting you type out what you wanted to watch and turning that request into its own stream of recommendations. Now, the feature is starting to look less like a side experiment and more like something YouTube actually wants people to use as part of their everyday Home page.