Netflix has announced its first ever foray into live action events, with the recipient of the world’s most famous slap at centre stage: Mr Chris Rock.
The show, titled Chris Rock: Selective Outrage – the comedian's second special for Netflix – will air on Saturday March 4, at 10pm EST, or for us in the UK, at 3am on Sunday March 5. Rock will be beaming in live from the Hippodrome Theatre in Maryland, Baltimore, but there will also be live pre-event entertainment from LA’s The World Famous Comedy Store, with appearances from Ronny Chieng, Arsenio Hall, Leslie Jones and Deon Cole, titled The Show Before The Show. After the historic stand-up, there will be more live action with David Spade and Dana Carvey presenting The Show After The Show. Netflix are really running with this, huh?
How will it work?
A ‘watch live’ button will flash up on screen from 2.20am GMT and you’ll be put through to a members room. Then at 3am, the show will look like any other production on Netflix and you’ll be able to click through and watch.
Netflix add: “Throughout the special, members will be able to rewind, pause and jump to exactly where Rock currently is in his set. If you’re joining the party late, you can play from the beginning or start watching live. The special will be available for streaming immediately following the live event.”
It won’t have passed some eagle-eyed viewers by that Chris Rock: Selective Outrage is set to be broadcast just a week before the Oscars, almost exactly a year to the day that Will Smith lunged at Rock for telling a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, at the ceremony.
While Rock has never fully addressed his assault on a global stage, it’s been reported that he will fully address the moment in his comedy special.
Meanwhile, as for the date of the live broadcast alining with the Oscars’ ceremony, “It really was a factor of when Chris felt like he was ready and when the technology was ready,” Robbie Praw, Netflix’s vice president of stand-up and comedy formats, said. “I know you’re looking for a more fun answer than that, but that’s really what it came down to.” Sure, sure.
