Jim Gaffigan specials in order are Beyond The Pale, King Baby, Mr. Universe, Obsessed, Cinco, and 5 others. His most recent special is Dark Pale on Prime.
A well-known American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer, Jim Gaffigan’s material often addresses laziness, religion, general observations, and fatherhood.
He uses little profanity in his routines and is considered a “clean” comic.
Gaffigan collaborates substantially with his wife, Jeannie Gaffigan, with whom he shares five children. The family of seven is Catholic, a frequent topic in his comedy shows.
The comedian has released several successful comedy specials, including Quality Time, Obsessed, and Cinco, all of which have received Grammy nominations.
Most recently, Gaffigan released his 10th stand-up special, Dark Pale, featuring some of his most adventurous material to date.
While he may still joke about fast food, his evolution as a comedian becomes apparent in this special. Let’s take a close look at his impressive collection of 10 specials, presented in chronological order.
Jim Gaffigan Specials In Order
Jim Gaffigan specials in order include Beyond the Pale, King Baby, Mr. Universe, Obsessed, and 6 others. The comedian’s recent special is Dark Pale.
The comedian broke into the national consciousness with his first special, Beyond the Pale, in 2006, where he appeared more hilarious than ever with his distinct style of self-deprecating observations.
He returned with yet another special, titled King Baby, in 2009. It is a follow-up to the platinum-selling Beyond the Pale.
Gaffigan opens his third special, Mr. Universe (2012), using his secondary, imaginary audience member voice to examine his opening joke. He then uses a similar voice to criticize the first voice.
He burst back on the scene with his highly anticipated fourth comedy special in 2014. His obsession with new food topics comes to fruition in this special titled “Obsessed.”
He continued his journey by releasing six more specials in the subsequent years, all of which have been adored by the audience. Please refer to the table below for a glimpse of these remarkable shows.
| Beyond the Pale | 2006 |
| King Baby | 2009 |
| Mr. Universe | 2012 |
| Obsessed | 2014 |
| Cinco | 2017 |
| Noble Ape | 2018 |
| Quality Time | 2019 |
| The Pale Tourist | 2020 |
| Comedy Monster | 2021 |
| Dark Pale | 2023 |
1. Beyond the Pale
Jim Gaffigan first comedy special Beyond the Pale was released on January 29, 2006. The special is best known for his signature bit complaining about Hot Pockets.
He also cuts loose on other topics such as Catholicism, holidays, and his favorite activity: doing nothing in this special.
The special became a hit on the back of an extended riff about Hot Pockets and their effect on the human digestion system, which is now something of a comedy standard.
With an IMDb rating of 7.8, this special has garnered a host of exclamatory remarks from users, who refer to it as “Almost Perfect,” “Really Funny,” “Wickedly funny,” and more.
You can stream Beyond the Pale on Netflix.
2. King Baby
Gaffigan’s King Baby, released on March 29, 2009, hilariously revolves around bacon. It shows his ability to humorously romanticize overindulgence and laziness, unlike any other comedian.
Recorded in Austin, TX, King Baby is mostly about laziness, leading the comic to discuss things like escalators, moving walkways, and watching obscene amounts of television without moving.
Most of the laughs come from his lengthy riffs on bacon, ketchup, and how bologna’s spelling is beyond comprehension.
PopMatters’ Andrew Winistorfer says, “It is a tighter performance DVD than Beyond the Pale but it lacks the truly memorable riffs that the latter had.”
However, the special has received generally positive reviews from the viewers.
You can watch King Baby on Netflix. It is also possible to buy it on Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, and YouTube, as download or rent it on Amazon Video online.
3. Mr. Universe
Gaffigan’s Mr Universe was released on April 11, 2012. Inspired by Louis C.K.: Live at the Beacon Theatre, he self-financed this special and released it on his website for $5 per download.
The comic jumps from topic to topic cracking jokes on a varied number of topics, including family, Disney World, McDonals, and much more.
It has attained an IMDb rating of 7.7. Moreover, it has a 92% audience score on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 4.1/5.
“You Will Laugh So Hard You’ll Lose Your Breath,” stated an IMDb user. “Well worth seeing and filled with clever jokes and insights,” another added.
Mr. Universe is available on Netflix. You can also buy the special on Redbox as a download or rent it on Redbox online.
4. Obsessed
Gaffigan’s eagerly anticipated fourth comedy special, “Obsessed,” premiered on April 27, 2014. This hilarious special delves into a variety of topics, including exercise, eating habits, and weddings.
In this 70 minutes of non-stop laughs, the comic tackles a cornucopia of new food topics from donuts to fruit to seafood. He also presents humorous anecdotes revolving around his five kids.
New York Magazine Elize Czajkowski says, “This special is slightly racier and more substantial than they may expect, delivered in his distinct and always engaging way.”
Obsessed is considered as a fast-paced special that is worth the watch. It has attained an IMDb rating of 7.6/10.
Jim Gaffigan: Obsessed is available to stream on Netflix.
5. Cinco
The king of clean comedy returned with his fifth comedy special, Cinco, on January 10, 2017. This wide-ranging special earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Comedy Album.
All of his previous four specials joined Cinco in a new exclusive deal with streaming giant Netflix. And all of his kids plus his wife, have gradually become a significant part of his life and work.
“This is my fifth hour special. I have one for each of my children. So. hopefully, this is the last one. Yeah, he tells the audience early in his 73-minute grand performance.
On Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of 6 critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.2/10.
Decider’s Sean L. McCarthy said, “As comedians go, Jim Gaffigan is about as straightforward as they come.”
You can watch Cinco on Netflix.
6. Noble Ape
Gaffigan’s Noble Ape premiered on July 13, 2018. In this special, the comic gets personal as he talks about the medical crisis that befell his spouse.
He describes how Jeannie faced a medical crisis and how he tried to hold down the fort for their children. He speaks about parenting and how it often means multitasking.
The 1 hour 30 minutes long special further covers topics such as Catholic saints, travels, doctors, colonoscopy, and of course, Philly.
“He effectively keeps his storytelling organic while also cleverly echoing previous joke threads,” writes Los Angeles Times’ Gary Goldstein.
Noble Ape is available on Amazon Prime. You can also rent or purchase it on Amazon Instant Video, Vudo, and Google Play.
And for budget-conscious cinephiles, the special is available to watch for free on Pluto or Tubi.
7. Quality Time
Gaffigan’s Quality Time was released on August 16, 2019. The comic covers topics ranging from horses to appendix to dog birthdays and museums in this special.
While employing his typical self-deprecating persona, the comic discusses why we are dishonest about not wanting to attend events and lying to kids in Quality Time.
Decider’s John Serba said, “There’s no reason Gaffigan’s legion of fans wouldn’t find Quality Time funny.”
Quality Time is available to watch on Prime Video. It is available for free with ads on Tubi TV and Pluto TV.
8. The Pale Tourist
Released on July 24, 2020, The Pale Tourist is the actor-comedian’s 8th comedy special. In this special, Jim boldly goes where no stand-up comic has gone before: everywhere.
It comes in two parts -one focused on his observation about Canada filmed in Kitchener and the second part about Spain filmed in Barcelona.
The specials were filmed as part of his The Pale Tourist worldwide tour, in each country, eating the food, meeting people, and learning a bit about the history.
“Not his best work but certainly his most ambitious and audacious endeavor yet,” said Decider’s McCarthy.
Watch The Pale Tourist streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
9. Comedy Monster
Comedy Monster was released on December 21, 2021. The comedy special was filmed at The State Theatre in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota.
After brief dalliances with Amazon Prime Video and VOD, Gaffigan returned to Netflix for Comedy Monster, which is his sixth special available on the platform.
In this special, the comedian delivers his thoughts on the hot mess that was 2021, billionaires in space, bikers, marching bands, and much more.
With an IMDb rating of 6.9/10, the special has garnered mostly positive reviews from the audience.
Watch Comedy Monster on Netflix, Netflix Basic with Ads.
10. Dark Pale
Gaffigan’s 10th comedy special “Dark Pale” debuted on Prime Video on July 25, 2023. The stand-up special is available to stream in over 240 countries.
His new work reveals his bold move into more storytelling, jokes built on deception, and elaborate act-outs.
The pandemic, Gaffigan tells us, has made him question mortality. Dressed in a nice suit and shirt, the comic imagines his own funeral.
He wants an open casket, crumbs on his shirt, arms occasionally rising while a recording of his says, “Don’t worry, I’m in a better place” before saying, “Just kidding. I’m here.”
“As always Jim is a National Treasure,” an IMDb user said. “I’ve noticed that the more political he gets, the less funny his specials become,” another added.
Dark Pale received mixed reviews from viewers. Watch the special on Prime Video.