Young Comedians Special

Young Comedians Special is the name of a series of annual standup comedy specials that aired on HBO from 1976 to 1992, with one final installment debuting in 1995. The specials began as installments of HBO's standup special series On Location for the first few airings, with comedian Freddie Prinze hosting the first installment. Each special is a showcase format spotlighting several new young comedians, hosted by an established star. HBO's Young Comedians Specials introduced audiences to many now-famous comedians, including Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, Ray Romano, Jay Leno, Jon Stewart, Ellen DeGeneres, Sam Kinison, David Spade, Judd Apatow, Drew Carey, Andy Kaufman, and Paul Reubens's character Pee-Wee Herman. The series was discontinued after the 1995 edition.