Plot Synopsis

This half-hour series -- called THE HALF HOUR for its first five seasons and then re-named to COMEDY CENTRAL STAND-UP PRESENTS... -- features veterans and rising stars of comedy, starring in their first Comedy Central solo specials. Each 30-minute episode of Season 1 was filmed in front of a live audience at the Royale in Boston, starring one of these comedians: Neal Brennan, Na'im Lynn, Joe Mande, David O'Doherty, Garfunkel and Oates (Kate Micucci & Riki Lindholm), Michael Palascak, Jesse Popp, Rory Scovel, Maronzio Vance, Nick Vatterott, Theo Von and Brendon Walsh.

Season 2, which premiered on Friday, May 3, 2013 at Midnight ET/PT on Comedy Central, featured 30-minute sets from each of these comedians: Cristela Alonzo, Joe DeRosa, Nikki Glaser, Erik Griffin, Andy Haynes, Lil Rel Howery, Ben Kronberg, Mike Lawrence, Gabe Liedman, Jared Logan, Sean O'Connor, Sean Patton, Jonah Ray, Dan Soder, Brody Stevens, Dan St. Germain and Baron Vaughn. Plus, the first airing of each Season 2 episode featured extended sets, running with limited commercial interruptions.

THE HALF HOUR returned for its third season on Friday, June 6, 2014 at Midnight ET/PT, as Comedy Central showed back-to-back new episodes. The season opener featured Chris Distefano, followed by Michael Che in the night's second show. Subsequent Season 3 episodes featured 30-minute sets from these comedians at The Royale in Boston: Kurt Braunohler, Fortune Feimster. Rachel Feinstein, Ron Funches, Chris Gethard, Tommy Johnagin, Damien Lemon, Adam Newman, Mark Normand, Yannis Pappas, Joe Wengert and Joe Zimmerman.

On Saturday, August 22, 2015 at Midnight ET/PT, Comedy Central premiered the 14-episode fourth season of THE HALF HOUR, featuring Liza Treyger and Hampton Yount in back-to-back new episodes. Filmed again at The Royale in Boston, Season 4 also feature sets from comedians Tone Bell, Michelle Buteau, Sean Donnelly, Phil Hanley, Randy Liedtke, Joe List, Sam Morril, Barry Rothbart, Andrew Santino, Beth Stelling, Brooks Wheelan, and Andy Woodhull.

Season 5 of THE HALF HOUR premiered on Friday, August 26, 2016 from Midnight-1am ET/PT, as Comedy Central broadcast back-to-back new episodes. Filmed at The Civic Theatre in New Orleans, the fifth season features sets from Cy Amundson, Erik Bergstrom, Ahmed Bharoocha, Matthew Broussard, Naomi Ekperigin, Nate Fernald, Noah Gardenswartz, Emily Heller, Martha Kelly, Joe Machi, Drew Michael, Aparna Nancherla, Jacqueline Novak, Mike Recine, Ramon Rivas II, Ali Siddiq, and Nick Turner. The season opener (Midnight), featured Noah Gardenswartz, a comedian based out of New York who was most recently featured on ADAM DEVINE'S HOUSE PARTY. In 2014, he was selected as one of the New Faces at the Montreal Just For Laughs Comedy Festival and in 2015, was a semi-finalist on NBC's LAST COMIC STANDING. Then, the night's second new episode (12:30am), was highlighted by Ramon Rivas II, a stand-up comedian and eminent Latino from Cleveland, OH, who was selected as a Comic To Watch by Comedy Central in 2015. His yearly AccidentalComedy.com Fest (Aug 26-28) continues to establish Cleveland as an emerging hotbed for comedy in the Midwest. This was going to be his first TV appearance until he won his @MIDNIGHT WITH CHRIS HARDWICK debut on June 21.

The 13-episode sixth season of this series, now called COMEDY CENTRAL STAND-UP PRESENTS..., premiered on Friday, September 15, 2016 from Midnight-1am ET/PT on Comedy Central. Featured comedians in Season 6 include Chris Redd and Yamaneika Saunders on the premiere night and then Adam Cayton-Holland, Anthony DeVito, Jo Firestone, Solomon Georgio, Casey James Salengo, Sam Jay, Josh Johnson, Joel Kim Booster, , Julio Torres, Shane Torres, and Jenny Zigrino later in the season, wihch was filmed at The Civic Theatre in New Orleans.

Season 7 of COMEDY CENTRAL STAND-UP PRESENTS... premiered on Friday, September 28, 2018 from 11pm-Midnight ET/PT on Comedy Central, debuting back-to-back new episodes featuring Langston Kerman (11pm) and Megan Gailey (11:30pm). Filmed at the Civic Theatre in New Orleans, other comics in the seventh season include: Devin Field (Oct 5); Emmy Blotnick (Oct 5); Ryan O'Flanagan (Oct 12); Chris Garcia (Oct 12); Tim Dillon (Oct 19); Sarah Tiana (Oct 19); and Mike Lawrence (Oct 26).
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The eighth season of COMEDY CENTRAL STAND-UP PRESENTS... premiered on Friday, October 18, 2019 from 11pm-Midnight on Comedy Central, with back-to-back new episodes: Jaboukie Young-White (11pm) and Vanessa Gonzalez (11:30pm). Comedy Central continues to air back-to-back episodes of the 12-episode season on Friday nights at 11pm through November 22:

Friday, October 25th: Dulce Sloan (11pm); Will Miles (11:30pm)

Friday, November 1st: Tom Thakkar (11pm); Mia Jackson (11:30pm)

Friday, November 8th: Joe Kwaczala (11pm); Nore Davis (11:30pm)

Friday, November 15th: David Gborie (11pm); Allen Strickland Williams (11:30pm)

Friday, November 22nd: Charles Gould (11pm); Sara Schaefer (11:30pm)