Skip to content
Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy
Promotional art for New in Town
Cover image credit:

Source

New in Town

John Mulaney

Netflix · 2012 · 60 min

A young comedy writer details his absolute terror of eighth graders.

Watch on Netflix(opens in a new tab)

or watch it free on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

John Mulaney steps onto the stage looking like a 1950s television announcer, then proceeds to build intricate, highly structured jokes about his own anxieties and physical cowardice. This hour establishes the exact persona that would define his career. He leans heavily on his boyish appearance and deep fear of confrontation, turning mundane interactions into high stakes absurdism. The standout sequence remains his breakdown of Law and Order SVU, specifically Ice-T’s role as a detective who needs the concept of everyday crimes repeatedly explained to him.

Filmed at the Skirball Theater in New York City, the release caught the comedian at 29 years old. At the time, he was primarily known as a writer for Saturday Night Live, where he co-created the character Stefon.

He proves his ability to carry a longform narrative by describing his childhood fear of quicksand and the psychological warfare of teenage bullies. He also recounts a high school party at a teacher’s house that ultimately led to his sobriety. The title comes from an encounter with a homeless man who aggressively introduced himself by listing his life’s tragedies before cheerfully declaring he was new in town. Critics praised the tight construction of the hour, with Entertainment Weekly declaring him one of the best working comics alive.

The set list

6 bits
  1. The closer (spoiler). Show it

    Visiting a clinic for a medical issue and undergoing a prostate exam closer

    Mulaney narrates a harrowing, true, and disorienting visit to a doctor which ends up with an unexpected exam.

  2. Encountering a homeless man in New York who says he is 'new in town'

    Mulaney breaks down an interaction with a man whose list of woes ends with the flirtatious and bizarre declaration that he is new in town.

  3. Appreciation for Law & Order: SVU and Ice-T

    Expresses his obsession with the procedural crime series and delivers a spot-on impression of Ice-T's exposition delivery.

  4. The joy of doing nothing

    Highlights the sheer pleasure adults experience when plans get canceled and they can do nothing.

  5. High school party thrown by a teacher's son and quitting alcohol

    Recounts a chaotic party from his past as one of the defining reasons he stopped drinking at age 23.

  6. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

    Comically examines the plot mechanics and absurdity of the early 1990s sequel.

How it plays

Tone
Playful, witty, absurd, self-deprecating, and observational.
On stage
Self-deprecating, boyish, preppy, and polite, presenting himself as a tall, poorly preserved child with a childlike sense of wonder at everyday absurdities.
Pace
Fast-talking narrative cadence packed with multiple tags per bit, executed with a deliberate, relaxed theatrical tempo.
About
childhood and growing up, past drinking and partying days, pop culture and television, self-image and awkwardness, daily life and modern absurdities

What the critics said

Praised as a brilliant, laugh-out-loud debut hour highlighting Mulaney's casual perfectionism, immaculate wordcraft, and ability to spin absurdly relatable comedy from personal stories.

In the room: Engaged, highly focused, and enthusiastic theater audience.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: blogcritics.org, bvd.swanlibraries.net, imdb.com, thefutoncritic.com, archive.nytimes.com, avclub.com, vulture.com, laist.com, en.wikipedia.org.

Backstory

Mulaney was approaching 30 and addressing personal life milestones, including his decision to stop drinking at age 23 and childhood experiences.

Details

Released
Taped
2011, Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, New York University, New York City
Runtime
60 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Ryan Polito
Topics
Before
The Top Part (2009)
After
The Comeback Kid (2015)

More from John Mulaney

If you liked this