Amazon Prime Special Review: Rob Delaney – Jackie

Copyright: Amazon Prime

Entering into any hour-long stand-up set these days is a complete minefield. More often than not, you’ll make it out relatively unscathed. An hour of mindless entertainment that doesn’t push the boundary of the performing art form, nor does it sap away at your will to live like many other stand-up comedians have managed over the past few years. Rob Delaney’s latest stand-up show, an Amazon Prime exclusive, is right down the middle in its quality.  

Delaney may be a household name for those that have seen Catastrophe or his various supporting appearances in recent Hollywood biopics like Bombshell. He reminds me of Bill Burr in that regard, although their actual material is completely different. Where Burr throws jokes about political correctness going mad and drinking beer with the dudes, Delaney mediates on the family life, an American living in the U.K. comparing the glaringly obvious differences between the two countries. There are moments throughout where his observations are quite tangible, but there can’t have been all that many since I can’t remember any of them. 

All I do remember is a man that seems to be trying out new material, and not quite bombing. It’s certainly watchable, and at times does border on interesting, but there are far greater stand-up comedians out there, readily available for those willing to seek them out. Maybe it’s my fault. I often like a bit of bite with my comedians, it’s why I enjoy the observations of Stewart Lee so much. Relegating myself to a man making jokes about the inane inner-workings of his family life feels like a step down now, and however pompous that sounds, it’s unfortunately true. 

There are moments of quality, some that paint Delaney as a man that is indeed a comedian. His Twitter is probably a tad funnier than his stand-up material, and considering he rode that wave of popularity into his first forgettable set, it’s no surprise that his latest work doesn’t exactly bring about a great deal of interest. Not something you’ll be roaring with laughter at, but to turn it off and stare into the void for an hour is no viable alternative to chuckling your way through some light material.