This is it. The big kahuna. The hardest I’ve ever worked on something. The culmination of so many years of effort. I hope you like it haha.

This was the product of filming 50 (ish) gigs over the past year. The making of this special had many challenges. Both expected and unexpected. Gonna gauge the reaction to it and then potentially make a video or two breaking down how I wrote the material and how it was filmed/edited together. There’s also so many alternative takes, failed sets, interesting adjustments, camera malfunctions and random happenings that have been caught on camera. It would be cool to show those as well.

Steve Martin recounted talking to Johnny Carson during an early ‘The Tonight Show’ appearance. Carson leaned in during a commercial break and told him “You’ll use everything you ever knew”. That has 100% been the case with this. It’s brought so many different skill sets into play. As a performer obviously it’s stretched me. But also as a YouTuber, editor, writer and amateur filmmaker. It’s been a huge struggle at times to persevere and get this thing to the level of quality I wanted. But I’m nothing if not stubborn haha.

The thing I’m proudest of, I hear you ask?
Making this special vindicated my belief in the YouTube channel. There’s always a risk as a video essayist that the things you teach can’t be applied in a practical setting. That you’re delivering well intentioned but ultimately pretentious wank. So I was stoked that I kept falling back on the things I’ve talked about for the past 4 years. Word choice, premises, rhythm, camera positions. Every video I’ve made has taught me new things about my own comedy. Which is honestly so cool!

I started the channel as a performer wanting to talk about comedy. But over the years I hid the performer side of myself. I’ve hardly talked about my own comedy in the videos. I’ve never used any of my own stand up as an example (even though there were times when it would have been an interesting point of discussion). I became scared. Scared that when people saw my comedy, they would think I sucked and wouldn’t care about anything I had to say. That my small following would evaporate and I’d be revealed as the imposter I was.

But I don’t feel like that any more. Over the last couple years, I’ve improved dramatically as a performer. My confidence has grown and I’ve found a voice that is weird, occasionally awkward and unique. It’s time to share this part of myself. It’s really exciting. Terrifying sure. But exciting. Who knows, maybe it will bring brighter opportunities for the channel moving forward.

Enjoy ‘Midnight Porridge’ :)

0:00 - Video 1 (The Art Gallery)
2:10 - Graham Norton
12:22 - Video 2 (The Goz)
14:24 - Video Games
19:46 - University
23:38 - Wet Bed
27:19 - The Bath
31:10 - Guitar Dudes
37:55 - Video 3 (The Flat Party)
40:39 - Harry Potter
45:48 - Lego Daddy
48:54: Mirror Man
55:23 - Video 4 (Bear meet Bear)