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Promotional art for Hello World
Cover image credit: Promotional image via Prime Video

Hello World

Nate Bargatze

Prime Video · 2023 · 60 min

A clean, deadpan hour about the struggles of modern adulthood.

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

If you want to understand how Nate Bargatze works, watch him spend several minutes explaining why he refuses to ever buy ice again. The premise is petty, the stakes are nonexistent, and his escalating panic about never buying the correct amount of ice perfectly captures his specialty: making the minor annoyances of suburban life feel like monumental survival struggles. He performs with a deadpan bafflement that turns everyday incompetence into an art form.

Recorded on a 360-degree rotating stage at the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, Arizona, the 2023 special Hello World is Bargatze’s first Amazon Original. It arrived at a pivotal moment in his career, just as he was transitioning from a favorite of late-night talk shows and Netflix showcases to a massive touring act capable of packing arenas. Notable segments include a protracted battle with the lighting system in a dark hotel room, a confusing golf outing with his wife, and the disadvantages of being the firstborn child. He also spends time explaining his profound ignorance of how the economy works and recounts a strange encounter involving a bald eagle.

The hour was a significant success for Prime Video, setting a record as the platform’s most-streamed original comedy special within its first month by drawing nearly three million viewers. Reviews highlighted his ability to deliver clean, family-friendly material that feels genuinely funny to adults rather than merely safe.

The set list

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

    Playing golf with his wife closer

    Recounts his wife ignoring an exact tee time and endures playing four holes by himself with only a driver.

  2. Birth order and firstborn disadvantages

    Observes how parents have no money or preparation for their first child, whereas the youngest child is raised by parents who seem like trillionaires.

  3. What happens when a bald eagle touches your head

    Explores the bizarre, unexpected absurdity of having an encounter with a bald eagle.

  4. Wife mowing the lawn

    Willing to let his wife cut the grass, but insistently demanding she inform the neighbors that it was her idea.

  5. Digging a koi pond for his mother

    Realizes through unexpected physical exhaustion how difficult digging an actual hole in the ground is.

  6. Spending the day on his sister's boat

    Points out that on a lake, everyone piloting a boat is either drunk or eleven years old.

  7. America's gun worship versus visiting a phone retailer

    Contrasts the easy, open-range access to firearms in a sporting goods store with a Verizon store where phones are tethered and can't even reach your ear.

  8. Father installing a screen door

    Recalls his father finding a screen door and installing it with the handle on the wrong side relative to the inner door.

How it plays

Tone
Wholesome, clean, family-friendly, relatable, and devoid of cynicism.
On stage
Deadpan, self-deprecating, folksy, and understated; portrays himself as affably clueless and the dumbest person in the room while delivering thoughtful storytelling.
Pace
Methodical, easygoing cadence with a calm, deadpan Southern drawl; constantly moving to play all sides of the 360-degree round stage.
About
family life and marriage, birth order dynamics, growing up in the 1980s and 1990s with Christian parents, saying dumb things and personal ignorance, aging and medical visits

What the critics said

Praised by critics and reviewers for his exceptional storytelling, sharp joke structuring, impeccable deadpan timing, and ability to deliver top-tier, laugh-out-loud comedy entirely free of profanity or cynicism.

In the room: Consistently laughing and highly engaged, responding warmly to the rotating stage and relatable family humor.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: imdb.com, bbfc.co.uk, rottentomatoes.com, decider.com, vulture.com, wng.org, en.wikipedia.org, goldderby.com, press.amazonmgmstudios.com.

Backstory

Known as 'The Nicest Man in Stand-Up', Bargatze released his first Amazon Original special filmed on a 360-degree stage in the round, maintaining his signature clean, TV-friendly comedic style.

Details

Released
Taped
Celebrity Theater, Phoenix
Runtime
60 min
Where
Prime Video
Director
Mike Lavin
Topics
Before
The Greatest Average American (2021)
After
Your Friend, Nate Bargatze (2024)

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