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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

Straight to VHS

James Veitch

HBO Max · 2020 · 57 min

Slideshow-heavy tech comedy that was pulled from streaming almost immediately.

Watch it free on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sifting through inbox junk and finding logic in tech-support scripts is the main draw of a stand-up set built largely around a projector screen. The performance relies on a signature mix of visual aids, retro gaming references, and highly detailed, petty schemes—including a year-and-a-half-long gag about subtly messing with his roommate’s hair care products. On stage, the performance channels a fastidious, slightly neurotic nerd attempting to apply basic troubleshooting logic to romance and modern communication.

Presented by Team Coco, the hour was released in August 2020 on HBO Max as part of the streaming platform’s first major push into original stand-up comedy. At the time, British comedian James Veitch was enjoying a career peak built on the back of his massive online following for baiting email scammers, and this debut hour was meant to solidify that momentum.

Instead, the release became a brief, strange blip in streaming history. Within days of its premiere, multiple allegations of rape and sexual assault from his college years surfaced against Veitch. HBO Max quickly pulled the special from its library, his agency dropped him, and the show vanished from the public eye. Because of its sudden removal, the hour remains largely unseen, existing mostly as a footnote on internet archiving forums.

The set list

4 bits

  1. Swimming pool blueprint email mix-up

    Responding to emails intended for another pair of Veitches and playfully attempting to get a couple's swimming pool expanded to ridiculous dimensions.

  2. Selling a flux capacitor on Craigslist

    Detailing an internet prank attempting to sell a fictional movie prop online.

  3. Corporate email correspondence with Kinder Surprise and a hair salon

    Visually displaying correspondence where he calls the bluff of customer service and corporate feedback requests.

  4. Accidental antidepressant double dose on the morning of the special

    Narrating a behind-the-scenes anecdote of accidentally taking double his medication and calling poison control in a panic.

How it plays

Tone
Absurdist, silly, and tech-focused prank comedy.
On stage
A nerdy, slightly awkward, self-effacing prankster who interacts with spam emails and declares he is not a 'normal comedian'.
About
technology, scam emails and spam, retro gaming, troubleshooting theory, corporate bureaucracy

What the critics said

Decider gave it a 'STREAM IT' recommendation, praising his visual recounting of email pranks and calling corporate bluffs, while other critics noted the PowerPoint and screenshot gimmick felt one-note and superficial across an entire hour.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: imdb.com, themoviedb.org, screensearch.co.uk, press.wbd.com, decider.com, letterboxd.com, mikesellari.com, chortle.co.uk, en.wikipedia.org.

Backstory

Released in August 2020 as part of HBO Max's Summer Comedy Festival lineup; shortly after release in September 2020, allegations of rape and sexual assault from college alums emerged, leading HBO Max to remove the special from the platform.

Details

Released
Runtime
57 min
Where
HBO Max
Director
Austin Reading
Topics

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