Comedy Central Presents: Mike Birbiglia

Mike Birbiglia is still an up-and-coming club comic here, but the trademark hyper-specific, self-deprecating storytelling that defined his later theater shows is already fully formed. Instead of chasing high-concept political rants, he focuses on his own profound awkwardness, establishing himself as a comedian who is happiest when he is the butt of the joke.\n\nFilmed at the Hudson Theatre in New York City, the 2004 half-hour special catches Birbiglia at a pivotal moment. He had recently released his self-produced live album, “Dog Years,” and started writing the online travelogues that eventually became his “Secret Public Journal.” This performance is a fast-paced showcase of that early material, built around his transition from a Massachusetts childhood to the indignities of early adulthood.\n\nMemorable bits include his analysis of the dating scene, his struggles to lose weight, and a show-and-tell segment featuring his actual childhood artwork. The centerpiece of the set is his story about moving a bed into a new apartment building. When a neighbor remarks that a rapist wouldn’t own a bed like his, Birbiglia delivers the line that became his early signature: ‘What I should have said was nothing. What I did say was, “You’d be surprised.”‘\n\nThe set is incredibly tight and lacks the theatrical bloat of some of his later off-Broadway productions. Comedy Central viewers responded so well to his clean, awkward persona that the network booked him for a second half-hour special just two years later, cementing his rise from college-circuit performer to national touring headliner.