Comedy Central Presents: Eddie Gossling

Eddie Gossling spends much of his stage time trying to convince the audience (and himself) that he is a street-tough thug, laying out the specific, desperate lies a suburban softie must use to talk his way out of physical confrontation. He delivers his material with a relaxed, slightly off-kilter charm, slipping effortlessly in and out of cartoonish voices. His bits are at their best when they lean into the bizarre, including a detailed recreation of a highly disorganized alien abduction and an analysis of why Episcopalian priests are the stingiest people alive.\n\nFilmed at the Hudson Theatre in New York City, the half-hour set aired on February 20, 2004, during the eighth season of Comedy Central Presents. The special capped off a massive month for Gossling, who had made his late-night television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! just weeks prior. His dry, absurd style resonated strongly with the network’s core audience, leading the special to be voted the fourth best in Comedy Central’s history during its 2005 Stand-Up Stand-Off bracket tournament. Gossling later transitioned into working primarily behind the camera, writing and producing for Tosh.0 for twelve seasons.