Everybody's Live With John Mulaney Has Become My Weekly Comfort Show, Especially For 5 Hilarious Ongoing Bits

When it comes to using my Netflix subscription on a weekly basis, I never had watching an original and current late-night show regularly on my bingo card, but here we are. If you haven’t been keeping up to date with 2025 Netflix release dates, you may not be aware that John Mulaney hosts a late-night-style show now called Everybody’s Live With John Mulaney, and I myself didn’t get on the train right away. But since tuning in, the show has become my current obsession.

For some context here, I’m not of the generation that really grew up on late-night television. Sure, on the odd occasion that I’ve been at my grandma’s house or something and need to put something on, I’ll tune into one of the current late night shows, but for the most part all I’ve consumed of the genre has been through YouTube videos over the years… yes out of entertainment, but of the quick pick-me-up kind. So, I’m surprised with myself regarding my habits with Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney, but he’s also one of my favorite comedians, so of course I’m going to tune in. I want to talk about what has kept me marking my calendar week-to-week.

I Think The Weekly Topic Format Really Sets It Apart From Other Shows Like It

When it comes to finding a comfort show, usually it falls in the category of sitcom, but considering comedy series are few and far between these days, I tend to fall back on shows I’ve seen before… which can get pretty stale. So, I’m pleasantly surprised that I’ve currently got Everybody’s Live With John Mulaney to watch every week. While I might have watched a typical late night show from the comedian, I think the reason why I’m really hooked on it is because it actually goes about the format in a new and different way, and it's just so quirky and odd I always know something out of left field is going to happen.

If you haven’t tuned in yet, basically John Mulaney, who of course wears suits as usual, chooses a topic for every episode, and spends the hour discussing it both through a standup monologue, segments and while he has his celebrity guests on the couch. Some examples of the topics are “Should I Lend People Money?”, “Are Cruises Worth It?”, or “Can Major Surgery Be Fun?” I think my favorite was when he questioned if dinosaurs really existed while chaotically deeming it a Christmas episode in the month of April. The topics allow Mulaney to use his humor to get me thinking and flip the late-night genre on its head.

A Fresh Monologue From John Mulaney Always Brightens My Week

I used to have to wait years to catch another John Mulaney special on Netflix, and one time I even bought tickets to see the comedian in person for the tour he was on post-rehab (which was awesome), but another thing I really love about Everybody’s Live is how it allows me see John Mulaney be funny under less special circumstances.

Like the late night format it’s based on, Mulaney always opens the show with a monologue of sorts, but they always operate as fresh standup bits that reflect the topics of the show, and the current events in the world (like a Gene Hackman joke I can’t believe he said) and his own life. I like how he takes the time in these monologues to get personal and talk about his life as a father and such, rather than discuss current headlines. I think this is a big reason this is my current comfort show right now. It feels like I can just sit back and listen to the comedian talk to me through the screen in a more casual fashion.

It’s Fun To See The Celebrity Guests Get Out Of The Late Night Show Format, Too

Much of the time, the reason I actually click on a late night segment on YouTube is because of the celebrity who is involved, but when it comes to Everybody’s Live, I’ve noticed it doesn’t really matter who his guests are, because I’m going to have a good time regardless. But, one reason I really like seeing the celebrity guests on this show is because they are treated completely differently than usual late night shows.

Rather than them being clearly on the show to rope in their new project they have going on, they seem to be there simply to hang out and be part of the conversation. There’s never a moment where they shoehorn in a story out of nowhere or it throws to a clip of what they have coming out that week. John Mulaney brings them on, and they add to whatever topic he is talking about, and just kind of hang out. It’s really refreshing to see, and allows everyone on camera to feel more natural. Also, there's always an expert on the topic being discussed, and it's always fun to see the celebrities interact with them and ask questions, and makes the whole song and dance feel more pedestrian in a fun way.

I Can’t Believe How Funny I Find The Call-In Section Is To Me… Every Single Time

But, my favorite segment of the entire show to tune in to is something I’ve never seen in late night before. The comedian tapes the show live every week and takes calls from fans on a landline phone to further discuss the topic he’s chosen each week. The part I love the most about it, without fail, is how he handles the calls. He asks a follow-up question or two, but out of nowhere, he’ll just hang up on them before we’ve had the chance to really understand what they are talking about, and it gets me every single time.

I’ve started to realize he doesn’t hang up before asking them what car they drive, but I really enjoy how John Mulaney messily handles the whole thing on purpose to keep the bit, because it just always seems to entertain me, or the guests next to him.

And, Saymo Is Always A Star Of The Show

And of course, I can’t end this article without mentioning Saymo, a delivery robot who has an ongoing role on the show. As a resident of Los Angeles, where the show is filmed, I’ve seen these robots (mostly around Beverly Hills), and they are always just so random and confusing to experience. In Everybody’s Live, Mulaney uses the delivery robot to offer guests refreshments and such, and it’s one of those weird, offbeat details that really adds to the show being entertaining for me on a weekly basis.

Anyway, the show airs with new episodes on Wednesday (and is available to stream on demand right after) until the end of May, and I’ll be tuning in to every one of them.