Mike Birbiglia‘s “The Good Life” has found a home at Netflix, which will release the one-man show on May 26.
His fourth comedy special for the streamer, “The Good Life” sees Birbiglia open up about his father’s recent stroke and how it made him reevaluate his own approach to parenthood.
“Over the years I’ve done a lot of personal shows but somehow this one is the most personal because it’s not in my past. It’s my life right now. So there’s really no filter,” Birbiglia said in a statement. “At certain points during the tour I literally thought on stage: ‘Whoa. Am I really gonna tell this story?’ But that’s sort of the idea behind these shows. I try to probe into what’s most painful in order to figure out what’s most funny.”
Birbiglia began touring “The Good Life” in October, performing it six times in New York at the Beacon Theatre. He started developing the show after the release of his Emmy-nominated 2023 special “The Old Man and the Pool.” His other specials include 2017’s “Thank God for Jokes” and 2019’s “The New One” for Netflix, as well as 2013’s “My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend” and 2008’s “What I Should Have Said Was Nothing.” He also wrote, directed and starred in the 2016 indie film “Don’t Think Twice,” and he hosts the podcast “Working It Out”
Birbiglia, whose specials each revolve around a central story, popularized his form of narrative, theatrical comedy. For “The Good Life,” he reteams with director Seth Barrish and executive produces alongside John Skidmore and his brother Joe Birbiglia. The special is produced by Best Kept Secret and designed by Beowulf Boritt and Aaron Copp.
