Aziz Ansari Announces Fifth Netflix Special, Calls It His Best

Aziz Ansari will tape his seventh stand-up special — his fifth for Netflix — on Oct. 29 at the State Theatre New Jersey, with the finished hour premiering on the streamer sometime in 2027.

The news carries a bit of history. Ansari was the first comedian ever to release an original Netflix special, which makes this new hour a homecoming of sorts. He'll direct it himself and executive produce alongside Marc Lieberman. Above Average is the production company.

Ansari announced the project with a quote that pokes fun at the very format announcing it. "I'm so excited to provide a quote for another press release about one of my projects," he said. "If anyone is reading beyond the headline, please know I'm very excited about this special and I believe it's my best one."

What's the track record behind that claim?

The claim lands on top of a long shelf. His previous Netflix hours are "Buried Alive" (2013), "Live at Madison Square Garden" (2015), "Right Now" (2019) and "Nightclub Comedian" (2022). Before Netflix, he released "Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening" in 2010 and "Dangerously Delicious" in 2012.

That's roughly one special every two years for over a decade, a steady output rate for a comic who also works in television and film.

Who is Ansari beyond stand-up?

He broke through as Tom Haverford, opposite Amy Poehler, on the NBC sitcom "Parks and Recreation." He then created and starred in the Netflix series "Master of None," which won him two Emmys. Earlier, he co-created and starred in the MTV sketch comedy series "Human Giant."

His film credits include "Funny People," "This Is the End," "I Love You, Man" and the recently released "Good Fortune."

Ansari is widely regarded as one of the most celebrated comedic voices to emerge in the 2010s.

What does this change for viewers?

Not much immediately — the premiere window is loose, pegged only to 2027. The taping date is the concrete milestone: one night, Oct. 29, at the State Theatre New Jersey, where the hour gets recorded before a live audience.

For Netflix, the special extends a partnership that dates back to the platform's earliest push into original comedy. For Ansari, it's a chance to test his own "best one" verdict against four previous Netflix hours audiences can already stream.