Hulu Sets Ralph Barbosa Comedy Special

As Hulu continues to bulk up his comedy coffers, the platform announced a new hour from comedian Ralph Barbosa.

The news comes just weeks before Hulu rolls out its ambitious stand-up initiative, which it has cheekily titled “Hularious.” Jim Gaffigan will serve as the brand’s guinea pig, with his new special, Jim Gaffigan: The Skinny, kicking it off Nov. 22. Other hours, from major names like Bill Burr, Sebastian Maniscalco and Roy Wood Jr., will follow. The Barbosa special has not yet been dated, and its focus, at least for now, is being kept under wraps.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

• Jim Gaffigan on the End of His Time as Tim Walz on 'SNL': "I Feel More Gratitude That I Had the Opportunity"

• Japan's Hirokazu Kore-eda to Direct Family Drama Series 'Asura' for Netflix

• Hulu's Amanda Knox Series Sparks Local Uproar as Filming Gets Underway in Perugia

Unlike Burr, Gaffigan and Maniscalco, who are all arena-playing vets, Barbosa is considerably greener in his career. In fact, the 28-year-old made his debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in early 2023, and then swiftly kicked off his theater tour, Ralph Barbosa: The Super Cool Ass Tour, the following year. This is not his first special, however. His last one, 2023’s Ralph Barbosa: Cowabunga, was released on Netflix, which remains the 800-pound gorilla in the increasingly competitive market for stand-up specials. Prior to that, Barbosa released hours on what was then HBO Max (Entre Nos: The Winners 3) and YouTube (Don’t Tell Comedy). The latter has since racked up more than 6 million views.

In recent months, Hulu has leaned heavily on the promise of the Disney portfolio and the acting and writing opportunities that come with it to try to lure comics like Barbosa away from those other platforms. Its curation is said to be another point of leverage. Unlike Netflix, for instance, which drops specials on a weekly basis, Hulu is committed to a monthly release plan, with the promise of a real marketing push each time. Other Hulu hours from Andrew Santino, Zarna Garg, Chris Distefano, Atsuko Okatsuka, Ilana Glazer, Jessica Kirson and Matteo Lane are already set.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter

• A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise

• What the 'House of the Dragon' Cast Starred in Before the 'Game of Thrones' Spinoff

• 'Yellowstone' and the Sprawling Dutton Family Tree

Sign up for THR's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.