Podcast

Isn't That Special

Arts, Comedy, Performing Arts, Stand-Up

What could be more pointless than ANOTHER Podcast? How about one that's focused on the grating and tediously over-populated world of streaming stand-up comedy 'specials'? Can we sweeten the pot by making the hosts two old gits whose love of comedy and social relevance have long since faded to nothingness? If that sounds like just the thing you're looking for then boy do we have 30-40 minutes of your listening time to waste that you'll never get back!
Hosts are Bill and Mark and tech production and artistic direction is by Christian. We'll only publish full names when we hit 10K subscriptions and start to monetize.

Episodes
76
Releases
Weekly
Typical length
1 hr 22 min
On air since
2025
Latest episode
6 days ago

Episodes

76 episodes, newest first

  1. Review: Men Are Pigs, Tim Allen

    Season 4, Episode 1

    Show notes

    It's a brand new Season 4 but the same ol' banal chatter as we get to grips with drug habits of the youth of today and debate joining a bowling league and what the genre of 'garage music' actually means. We once again shamelessly ride the zeitgeist wave as we review Tim Allen's breakout special Men Are Pigs. You can watch it for free on Youtube : Men Are Pigs.You should watch it before listening to the review.

    Theme music: El Cha Cha Man by Juanitos. Juanitos, led by Juan Naveira, is the single French rock'n'roll and soul band mixing latin soul, exotica, acid jazz, punk, vocal pop and sometimes reggae roots in the Jackie Mittoo style. They are very good.

    1 hr 31 min
  2. Review: Comedy Camisado, Hannibal Buress

    Season 3, Episode 14

    Show notes

    We wrap up our award winning 3rd season with a return to Chicago talent and Hannibal Buress' special Comedy Camisado. But first up we discuss vital information on how to hide your internet presence, how to deal with gout (yes - gout) and how to draft your fantasy league team. You can watch this weeks special on Netflix or wherever you illegaly download your 'content' : Comedy Camisado.You should watch it before listening to the review.

    Theme music: El Cha Cha Man by Juanitos. Juanitos, led by Juan Naveira, is the single French rock'n'roll and soul band mixing latin soul, exotica, acid jazz, punk, vocal pop and sometimes reggae roots in the Jackie Mittoo style. They are very good.

    1 hr 16 min
  3. Review: The Diceman Cometh, Andrew 'Dice' Clay

    Season 3, Episode 13

    Show notes

    What a fun show! LOL. We revisit open mic aspirations, discuss apple scrumping misdemeanours of our youth and talk about the politics of inheritance distribution. Yay! You can watch this weeks special The Diceman Cometh by Andrew 'Dice' Clay for free on that there internets on Youtube: The Diceman Cometh. You should watch it before listening to the review.

    Theme music: El Cha Cha Man by Juanitos. Juanitos, led by Juan Naveira, is the single French rock'n'roll and soul band mixing latin soul, exotica, acid jazz, punk, vocal pop and sometimes reggae roots in the Jackie Mittoo style. They are very good.

    1 hr 20 min
  4. Review: Road Work, Dave Attell

    Season 3, Episode 12

    Show notes

    The pervading mood is very negative as we discuss theft of propery, leaving cultural events early and bring up the thorny issue of overhauling our moribund show format. Regular listeners may be excited that we have a double gong close to the show. Or not. You can watch the special on Amazon or wherever you illegaly download streams on the internet: Road Work. You should watch it before listening to the review.

    Theme music: El Cha Cha Man by Juanitos. Juanitos, led by Juan Naveira, is the single French rock'n'roll and soul band mixing latin soul, exotica, acid jazz, punk, vocal pop and sometimes reggae roots in the Jackie Mittoo style. They are very good.

    1 hr 26 min
  5. Review: Power and Chaos, Fern Brady

    Season 3, Episode 11

    Show notes

    We keep the international flavour flowing with our first ever Scottish comedian in this week's review. But first we tackle the thorny issues of sublimation, Twin Peaks and American football viewing etiquette. This week's special is the 2022 special Power and Chaos by Fern Brady. You can watch the special for free on Youtube or wherever you illegaly download streams on the internet:Power And Chaos. You should watch it before listening to the review.

    Theme music: El Cha Cha Man by Juanitos. Juanitos, led by Juan Naveira, is the single French rock'n'roll and soul band mixing latin soul, exotica, acid jazz, punk, vocal pop and sometimes reggae roots in the Jackie Mittoo style. They are very good.

    1 hr 32 min
  6. Review: From Moscow...Idaho, Yakov Smirnoff

    Season 3, Episode 10

    Show notes

    It's all happening in our 10th episode of the current series! We discuss crabs, sport stadium organ players, attractiveness of people of different countries and feature a call in from somebody who actually met this week's comedian. And what a comedian! This week's special is From Moscow...Idaho starring Yakov Smirnoff.. You can watch the special for free on Tubi or wherever you illegaly download streams on the internet: From Moscow...Idaho. You should watch it before listening to the review.

    Theme music: El Cha Cha Man by Juanitos. Juanitos, led by Juan Naveira, is the single French rock'n'roll and soul band mixing latin soul, exotica, acid jazz, punk, vocal pop and sometimes reggae roots in the Jackie Mittoo style. They are very good.

    1 hr 22 min
  7. Review: The Performance Film, Lenny Bruce

    Season 3, Episode 9

    Show notes

    In the first part of a gruelling recording double header we discuss funny restaurant names, how to hold a microphone and problems with handling tempered glass. As an afterthought we review the 'historically important' Lenny Bruce Performance Film. You can watch the actual special on Youtube for free!: The Lenny Bruce Performance Film. You should watch it before listening to the review.

    Theme music: El Cha Cha Man by Juanitos. Juanitos, led by Juan Naveira, is the single French rock'n'roll and soul band mixing latin soul, exotica, acid jazz, punk, vocal pop and sometimes reggae roots in the Jackie Mittoo style. They are very good.

    1 hr 10 min
  8. Review: Happy To Be Here, Tig Notaro

    Season 3, Episode 8

    Show notes

    A somber mood prevails as we share Dolly Parton reminiscences and also introduce a brand new Slingblade segement. For our special we turn to Tig Notaro and her 2019 special Happy To Be Here You can watch the actual special on Netflix or wherever you go to get your illegal downloads: Happy To Be Here. You should watch it before listening to the review.

    Theme music: El Cha Cha Man by Juanitos. Juanitos, led by Juan Naveira, is the single French rock'n'roll and soul band mixing latin soul, exotica, acid jazz, punk, vocal pop and sometimes reggae roots in the Jackie Mittoo style. They are very good.

    1 hr 28 min
  9. Review: Prodigal Daughter, Taylor Tomlinson

    Season 3, Episode 7

    Show notes

    This week we go full Sheena Easton mode! With a recap of Vegas trip exploits and a discussion of The Sopranos also but mainly its about Sheen Easton. We review another comedy megastar with the latest offering from Taylor Tomlinson: Prodigal Daughter. You can watch the actual special on Netflix or wheerver you go to get your illegal downloads: Prodigal Daughter.You should watch it before listening to the review.

    Theme music: El Cha Cha Man by Juanitos. Juanitos, led by Juan Naveira, is the single French rock'n'roll and soul band mixing latin soul, exotica, acid jazz, punk, vocal pop and sometimes reggae roots in the Jackie Mittoo style. They are very good.

    1 hr 13 min
  10. Review: Standup For Drummers, Fred Armisen

    Season 3, Episode 6

    Show notes

    Come celebate the inescapable march to the grave with a special birthday episode of your favourite podcast! We have an in-studio party catered with restaurant leftovers and a bit of a chat about buying food from the boot (or 'trunk') of a car in the supermarket car park (or 'parking lot') before reviewing Fred Armisen's comedy special Standup For Drummers. You can watch the actual special on Netflix or on your illegal firestick : Standup for Drummers.You should watch it before listening to the review.

    Theme music: El Cha Cha Man by Juanitos. Juanitos, led by Juan Naveira, is the single French rock'n'roll and soul band mixing latin soul, exotica, acid jazz, punk, vocal pop and sometimes reggae roots in the Jackie Mittoo style. They are very good.

    1 hr 25 min
  11. Review: Cinnamon in the Wind, Kate Berlant

    Season 3, Episode 5

    Show notes

    We're back with the laaaadies for Kate Berlant's 2019 offering Cinnamon In The Wind. Nice title! Forgotten what the advert for Big Red chewing gum sounds like? - no problem, we'll sing it for you! Ever been to the Amsterdam red light district? - no problem we'll describe it for you! You can watch the actual special on Hulu: Cinnamon In The Wind.You should watch it before listening to the review.

    Theme music: El Cha Cha Man by Juanitos. Juanitos, led by Juan Naveira, is the single French rock'n'roll and soul band mixing latin soul, exotica, acid jazz, punk, vocal pop and sometimes reggae roots in the Jackie Mittoo style. They are very good.

    1 hr 20 min
  12. Review: Mostly Stories, Tom Segura

    Season 3, Episode 4

    Show notes

    This week we review comedy megastar Tom Segura in his 2016 special Mostly Stories. But of course first you'll want to hear the scintiallating discussion of the Oh Brother Where Are Thou? movie soundtrack (again), a riveting anecdote about escorting Ani DeFranco to her tour bus and a quick vox pop on swimwear styles. You can see the special on Netflix: Mostly Stories.You should watch it before listening to the review.

    Theme music: El Cha Cha Man by Juanitos. Juanitos, led by Juan Naveira, is the single French rock'n'roll and soul band mixing latin soul, exotica, acid jazz, punk, vocal pop and sometimes reggae roots in the Jackie Mittoo style. They are very good.

    1 hr 7 min
  13. Review: Raw, Eddie Murphy

    Season 3, Episode 3

    Show notes

    Once again we jump into our time machine and go back to the 80s. This time it's to review the seminal Eddie Murphy concert movie Raw. The episode starts with a ramble through World Cup disappointment, Flea Market disappointment and movie sequel disappointment that we hope doesn't leave you feeling disappointed. Pffffffff. You can get the movie to rent or own at your local Blockbuster: Raw .You should watch it before listening to the review.

    Theme music: El Cha Cha Man by Juanitos. Juanitos, led by Juan Naveira, is the single French rock'n'roll and soul band mixing latin soul, exotica, acid jazz, punk, vocal pop and sometimes reggae roots in the Jackie Mittoo style. They are very good.

    1 hr 12 min
  14. Review: Night Owl, Liza Treyger

    Season 3, Episode 2

    Show notes

    Our second episode of Season 3 starts with discussions of how to fix a record player, how to make homemade cocktail cherries and a celebration of our burgeoning international fan base. All this and less before knuckling down to a review of another Chicago alumni comedian with the 2025 special Night Owl by Liza Treyger. You can catch the special on Netflix: Night Owl. You should watch it before listening to the review.

    Theme music: El Cha Cha Man by Juanitos. Juanitos, led by Juan Naveira, is the single French rock'n'roll and soul band mixing latin soul, exotica, acid jazz, punk, vocal pop and sometimes reggae roots in the Jackie Mittoo style. They are very good.

    1 hr 7 min
  15. Review: Silly Silly Fun Boy, Pete Holmes

    Season 3, Episode 1

    Show notes

    We kick Season 3 off with a famous prodigy of the Chicago comedy scene and Pete Holmes' offering Silly Silly Fun Boy. Of course we wend our way towards the actual review with initial discussions on painkillers, having a full life and a special call in interview with America's top pyrographer (that's a wood burning artist in laymans terms)! You can catch the special on Youtube: Silly Silly Fun Boy.You should watch it before listening to the review.

    Theme music: El Cha Cha Man by Juanitos. Juanitos, led by Juan Naveira, is the single French rock'n'roll and soul band mixing latin soul, exotica, acid jazz, punk, vocal pop and sometimes reggae roots in the Jackie Mittoo style. They are very good.

    1 hr 37 min
  16. Review: Best and Worst of the Season 2 specials

    Season 2, Episode 42

    Show notes

    Are you a BIG fan of the show? Seems unlikely, but if you are you'll enjoy this recap of Season 2 and the cut and thrust of the team trying to gain concensus of which specials were the best and worst of our sophomore slump review season! No need to watch anything before this episode so that's a blessing at least!

    Theme music: El Cha Cha Man by Juanitos. Juanitos, led by Juan Naveira, is the single French rock'n'roll and soul band mixing latin soul, exotica, acid jazz, punk, vocal pop and sometimes reggae roots in the Jackie Mittoo style. They are very good

    57 min
  17. Review: Live At The El Rey, Stephen Lynch

    Season 2, Episode 41

    Show notes

    After bouncing around the exciting topics of movie marketing strategies, coping with depression and clown paintings we knuckle down to reviewing the 2002 offering Live At The El Rey by comedic guitar maestro Stephen Lynch. We offer up some takes hotter than a July afternoon in Chicago and you can add yours too by watching it for free on Youtube: Live At The El Rey. You should watch it before listening to the review.

    Theme music: El Cha Cha Man by Juanitos. Juanitos, led by Juan Naveira, is the single French rock'n'roll and soul band mixing latin soul, exotica, acid jazz, punk, vocal pop and sometimes reggae roots in the Jackie Mittoo style. They are very good.

    1 hr 20 min
  18. Review: Dark Little Whispers, Dina Hashem

    Season 2, Episode 40

    Show notes

    We pare it back to a more manageable one hour show this week with opening discussions on Fleetwood Mac, kayaks, camping trips and what constitutes a healthy sugar intake.For our special we cover one of the first ever recorded at The Lincoln Lodge with Dina Hashem's Dark Little Whispers! Watch the special for free on Amazon! (At least I think it's free - it's hard to tell if it's part of Prime or not): Dark Little Whispers You should watch it before listening to the review.

    Theme music: El Cha Cha Man by Juanitos. Juanitos, led by Juan Naveira, is the single French rock'n'roll and soul band mixing latin soul, exotica, acid jazz, punk, vocal pop and sometimes reggae roots in the Jackie Mittoo style. They are very good.

    1 hr 1 min
  19. Review: Night Thoughts, Kumail Nanjiani

    Season 2, Episode 39

    Show notes

    There's no avoiding this so we're going to come right out and say it: This episode reviewing Kumail Nanjiani's special Night Thoughts is 2 hours long. And if you think that is painful to listen to imagine how awful it was recording it! A very long preamble and a 'dishing of the T' as 'the youth' like to say is no excuse. Is 2 hours too long? Only you can decide: Available on Hulu only (yeah, we know) - Night Thoughts. You should watch it before listening to the review.

    Theme music: El Cha Cha Man by Juanitos. Juanitos, led by Juan Naveira, is the single French rock'n'roll and soul band mixing latin soul, exotica, acid jazz, punk, vocal pop and sometimes reggae roots in the Jackie Mittoo style. They are very good.

    2 hr 1 min
  20. Review: Live In Concert (1979), Richard Pryor

    Season 2, Episode 38

    Show notes

    This week's important discussion covers sports in Las Vegas, sandwiches at White Sox games and Swedish culture. For our comedy special we review what is considered, by many, the yardstick by which all other comedy specials are measured: Richard Pryor, live in Concert (1979). Ooooh! I wonder what they'll say about it? It's a bugger to find but is available to watch for free on Daily Motion: Richard Pryor Live in Concert. You should watch it before listening to the review.

    Theme music: El Cha Cha Man by Juanitos. Juanitos, led by Juan Naveira, is the single French rock'n'roll and soul band mixing latin soul, exotica, acid jazz, punk, vocal pop and sometimes reggae roots in the Jackie Mittoo style. They are very good.

    1 hr 34 min

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