Comedy Central Presents: Tig Notaro

Long before she became an alt-comedy institution, Tig Notaro took the stage at the Hudson Theatre in New York City for her first major televised showcase. She delivers her material with a quiet rhythm in this 2004 half-hour set for Comedy Central Presents, letting long silences do as much work as her words. The set focuses on the mild absurdities of modern consumerism, featuring a memorable routine about a hot dog toaster sold in the SkyMall catalog, alongside observations about what her cat might be thinking.\n\nAt this early point in her career, Notaro was a rising face in the Los Angeles alternative comedy scene, years away from her breakout Largo performance or her regular television roles. Her style here leans into dry setups, exemplified by a bit about Mattel’s efforts at inclusivity through a wheelchair-using Barbie doll named Share a Smile Becky. The 21-minute set shows a young comic already committed to the slow, deliberate timing that would define her career.