Spesh sees something special in alt-comedians

[Spesh, from E1] a newly formed, L.A.-based production company and distributor of alternative comedy specials, wrapped the final shot of its third special of the year.

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THE AUDIENCE reacts to Bharoocha's jokes. Spesh's specials go on YouTube.

“I think we want to get it more regularly, like one a month would be our 2026 goal,” said Sean Casey, producer of Spesh.

“Three in a year seems low for what we want to do,” added Mike Bridenstine, general manager of the Lyric Hyperion and producer with the company.

Located in Silver Lake, Spesh strives to zag while everyone is zigging, said Jake Kroeger, one of the producers behind the alternative comedy troupe.

Conversations about starting the production company began in 2024 and went into 2025 among Casey, Bridenstine and Kroeger. The three have been around the L.A. comedy scene for years and felt like it was time for a shakeup. They noticed streaming platforms were filled with specials that all looked and felt the same, stylistically speaking, creating a landfill of repetitive comedy.

Through Spesh, their goal is to bring alt-comedy — humor that breaks traditional rules — to the mainstream. They wanted to rewrite the playbook and bring that type of comedy out of 75-seat black boxes behind coffee shops.

“For an art form that’s supposed to be breaking the rules, there sure are a lot of rules,” Bridenstine said. “People are ready for something new,” he added.