Netflix has released the first trailer for Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours to Kill. The original comedy special is Seinfeld’s first in 22 years. In the trailer, the comedian takes on a James Bond-style supervillain, while delivering some of his trademark observational humor. Seinfeld signed on for two comedy specials in 2017, but he and Netflix have been working together on various other projects first, including the acclaimed Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee series, and the Jerry Before Seinfeld special, which documents his early days in the stand-up business.
In the 23 Hours to Kill trailer, Jerry Seinfeld is held captive by a supervillain who has the comedian strapped to a table with a laser beam about to saw him in half. He is able to break free and jumps up on stage to deliver some comedy. Later, we see Seinfeld offer up his captor some comedy advice. The comedian pitches, “How about something about these super villains always wanting to take over the world, but they build these death machines that never work?” The Bond-style villain loves the idea and decides to run with it.
In addition to the first trailer for 23 Hours to Kill, Netflix has released a poster for the comedy special. Jerry Seinfeld is shown with a gun-shaped microphone and has a wetsuit on over the bottom of his suit along with diving fins, which continues to play off of the James Bond vibes of the trailer. The poster is meant to look like an old 007 poster from the 1960s, mixed with Seinfeld and his style of comedy. The comedian also has another special on tap after this one with the streaming service.
Jerry Seinfeld returned to the world of stand-up comedy after Seinfeld ended in 1998. The process of developing and performing new material at clubs around the world was featured in the 2002 documentary, Comedian, and shows just how challenging it was to make a return to the stage after a long absence. After that, the comedian shied away from the stage, performing sporadically. However, fans have been waiting for over two decades for a new original special. Thanks to Netflix, and a lot of money, Seinfeld is returning at a time when the world could use a few laughs.
23 Hours to Kill was shot at New York’s Beacon Theatre and will premiere May 5th, exclusively on Netflix. While this is the comedian’s first original comedy special since 1998’s I’m Telling You for the Last Time, it really seems like he never really left. Seinfeld is played in syndication multiple times a day and can be streamed. Plus, there’s the Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee series, which showcases Seinfeld’s interactions with other comedians, often delivering some of his dry wit to the camera. You can check out the trailer for 23 Hours to Kill above, thanks to the Netflix YouTube channel.
