Netflix, the world’s leading internet entertainment service, is launching its first local original comedy production from Southeast Asia with one of the region’s most renowned names in comedy — Harith Iskander.
In Harith Iskander’s stand-up comedy special “I Told You So,” the Malaysian “Godfather of Stand-up Comedy” takes the stage with his distinctly Southeast Asian blend of humour, tackling everything from family drama, awkward dating experiences, to social and cultural issues that a lot of Malaysians and Singaporeans encounter on a daily basis in his one-hour special.
“I’m delighted and honoured to be the first comedian from Malaysia to be a part of Netflix’s original production, and bring Asian stand-ups to the global stage,” said Iskander. “We chose to work with Netflix not only because of its vast reach to audiences around the world, but also because of how open they are in embracing our unique flavour of humour that’s so different from mainstream comedies you normally see on TV.”
Since its global launch in 190 countries in early 2016, Netflix has been rapidly growing its footprint in Asia, and expanding its content library to encompass more international content in its catalogue, including new, original, quality storytelling from Asia. The company currently has originals in production or in discussion in over 15 countries and regions this year including Japan, Korea, India, Thailand, Indonesia, and Taiwan.
“We are very excited to unveil the new Asian comedy specials to local fans, and even more excited to introduce top-notch local talent like Harith, Fakkah and Kavin to our audiences worldwide,” said Erika North, Head of International Originals – Asia, at Netflix. “Ultimately, we believe in compelling stories and story-tellers that transcend borders, and we are giving them the creative freedom and the global distribution platform to bring that vision to life.”
In addition to Harith Iskander, Netflix is also bringing Singaporean comedian Fakkah Fuzz and Malaysian stand-up artist Kavin Jay to global screens in early 2018.
The three comedy specials will premiere in all Netflix territories around the world on the following dates: Harith Iskander’s “I Told You So” on January 19, Fakkah Fuzz’s “Almost Banned” on January 26, and Kavin Jay’s “Everybody Calm Down!” on February 2.
