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Promotional art for Hunting Bigfoot
Cover image credit: Promotional image via Prime Video

Hunting Bigfoot

Kathleen Madigan

Prime Video · 2023 · 75 min

A veteran comic’s practical guide to aging parents and roadside cryptids.

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Kathleen Madigan knows exactly what she is doing. If you end up in a tiny Georgia town with nothing to do but pay fifty-five dollars to zip-line into Alabama, she will find the humor in it. She has spent over three decades on the road, honing a style built on casual Midwestern common sense, and her first Amazon Original finds her as comfortably consistent as ever.

Filmed at the Paramount Theatre in Denver, Colorado, the show focuses on the small absurdities of life, family, and the logistics of unexpected encounters. She spends a good portion of the hour on her aging parents, particularly her mother’s reactions to medical emergencies and her father’s stubbornness, while also detailing her own confusion over modern developments like sports betting apps and millennials. The title bit comes from her highly specific, practical getaway plan in the event that she ever accidentally hits Bigfoot with her car.

This release marked her sixth stand-up special, capturing Madigan during a highly active period of touring and hosting her weekly podcast, Madigan’s Pubcast. The hour leans heavily on her signature conversational delivery, which treats the stage like a kitchen counter where she is catching up with friends over boxed wine. It went on to win the Interrobang’s 2023 Comedy Special of the Year in a fan-voted poll.

The set list

5 bits

  1. Visiting a small town in Georgia looking for activities and being told she could zipline into another state for $55.

    Delivered as an opening southern redneck story about the eccentricities of small towns.

  2. A hypothetical plan of action for what to do if you hit a Bigfoot with your car.

    Examines the absurd logistics of dealing with a hairy crime scene.

  3. Jokes about sports betting.

    Observational humor exploring modern betting trends.

  4. Her mother trying to operate a new cell phone and her father potentially having a heart attack.

    Observational family comedy examining her aging parents.

  5. People dressing up as animals at a furry convention to hook up.

    Observational humor highlighting the absurdity of niche subcultures.

How it plays

Tone
Relatable, observational, absurd, and not politically driven.
On stage
Relaxed, down-home veteran comedian described as a mischievously friendly person one might meet in a bar.
Pace
Relaxed and veteran stage cadence, with simple yet effective delivery across a longer 75-minute runtime.
About
Aging parents, Interactions with millennials, Hunting Bigfoot, Life on the road, The Midwest, Boxed wine

What the critics said

Praised for Madigan's veteran prowess, sharp adaptability to modern topics, and relatable humor, though one reviewer noted the 75-minute runtime felt slightly overlong towards the end.

In the room: Enthusiastic and warm response with big laughs.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: bbfc.co.uk, thewrap.com, thefutoncritic.com, rottentomatoes.com, readysteadycut.com, leathgroup.com, harrisonline.com, en.wikipedia.org, primevideo.com, yahoo.com.

Backstory

Filmed during her 'Boxed Wine and Tiny Banjos' tour following the launch of her pandemic-era podcast 'Madigan's Pubcast.'

Details

Released
Taped
The Paramount Theater, Denver
Runtime
75 min
Where
Prime Video
Director
John Irwin
Topics
Before
Bothering Jesus (2016)
After
The Family Thread (2025)

More from Kathleen Madigan

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