Netflix viewers have declared they’ve seen ‘comedy gold’ after a new stand-up special was added just in time for Twixmas.
If you’ve already caught up on all the Christmas TV specials and raced through the latest episodes of Stranger Things – Wake Up might be exactly what you need.
The debut special of American-Canadian comedian Robby Hoffman, the special has been billed by the streaming service as ‘hilariously pushing the limits of comedy with red-hot, controversial takes’.
For those unaware of the rising star, Hoffman began her career as a writer and is best known for working on shows including The Chris Gethard Show, Baroness Von Sketch Show, Workin’ Moms, and Odd Squad.
Her first stand-up special – I’m Nervous – was released in 2019, which came a year after she was named one of Comedy Central’s Up Next comedians.
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She also later went on to be cast in Hacks, in which she plays Randi alongside stars Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder.
That role also earnt Hoffman an Emmy Award for outstanding guest actress in a comedy series, with the New York Times labelling her a ‘breakout star’. She also appeared in an episode of the comedy drama Dying for Sex, which was released earlier this year.
This month her Netflix special Wake Up, which was directed by John Mulaney, was added onto the streaming service. Since then, critics and viewers alike have rushed to share their praise of the stand-up special.
‘Just saw this last night, it was HILARIOUS. So funny. Love Robby,’ Marceline posted on Instagram.
‘Hands down one of the best stand ups in a long time! Yes!!’ user Adriane shared.
‘Legitimately one of the best stand up I’ve seen in years,’ Alexander echoed.
‘Watched this on Netflix last night. Very funny. High recommend,’ TJ added.
Meanwhile another wrote: ‘Hilarious special – watched it twice, back-to-back and laughed more the second time.’
Growing up as one of 10 children in a Hasidic Jewish family in Brooklyn, Hoffman recently spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about how ‘everybody’ in her family was funny.
‘Where I noticed that it was different from others was when I got into a rich school on scholarship. My mother thought this was a very good opportunity for me, but I was class clowning. I was a bit of a Dennis the Menace,’ she explained.
‘But as I spent time in these circles and made friends with people who came from what I thought were good families, I maybe had a sense about dancing for my food or something like that. But it came naturally. Then, at some point, I remember it feeling like a thankless job to be the entertainment – to be the fun one in the group.
After watching her single mother support 10 children, Hoffman planned to study accounting as a way to study for the least amount of time and make a significant amount of money soon after.
But during this time, she discovered the Just for Laughs comedy festival and her passion for stand-up, eventually rejecting an offer to work at an accounting firm to pursue comedy.
Although she’s been working in the comedy scene for a decade, 2025 marked her finding a mainstream audience.
However, Hoffman told The Los Angeles Times she was anything but an ‘overnight success’.
‘I never had connections or the fast track in any way, shape or form. So, I just got used to slow and steady wins the race,’ she said.
Ahead of the release of Wake Up, acclaimed comedian Mulaney called Hoffman a ‘legend at the top of her game’.
Following the release of Wake Up, she’s now busy filming the fifth season of Hacks, developing a TV show, appearing in a new comedy series from Steve Carell and Ted Lasso creator Bill Lawrence, as well as preparing for a stand-up tour.
Robby Hoffman: Wake Up is streaming on Netflix.
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