THE BEST COMEDY SPECIALS OF THE YEAR

THE YEAR IN CULTURE - COMEDY SPECIALS

- KATHRYN VANARENDONK

1. The Domino Effect, Part 3: First Day of School, Ali Siddiq

Each installment of this series is its own long special, but they all connect as pieces of Siddiq's autobiography, beginning with his childhood and continuing through the six years he spent incarcerated for trafficking drugs. The standout Part 3 centers on the period when Siddiq was jailed and eventually sentenced. It's enormously funny and one of the most moving depictions of a particularly American experience available in any genre: the work of a modern Mark Twain.

2. Get on Your Knees, Jacqueline Novak

Novak follows a structure that curves toward gravity before rebounding into positive feelings, but her idea, which is blowjobs but also the joy of language and creative expression, is so full of ebullience and energy that the show seems to burst its seams. It's overwhelming to watch, and that's exactly the point.

3. Love You, Adam Sandler