Prepare yourselves what-the-fuckers, what-the-fuck-buddies, and what-the-fuckarinos. Comedian and host of WTF Marc Maron is once again ready to immortalize an hour of comedy, and this time he’s sidestepping Netflix, which has released three of his four hourlong specials (2013’s Thinky Pain, 2017’s Too Real, and 2020’s End Times Fun) and Epix (2015’s More Later) to live out his lifelong dream of releasing a special on HBO. “I’ve wanted to do an HBO special my entire life,†Maron said in a statement accompanying HBO’s announcement. “Not since I started doing comedy, but since I started watching comedy as a kid. It was where the real comedy happened. Always. I’m honored to be working with them. It’s been a hard few years and the hour I’ve been working on is very provocative and personal. I trust HBO to present it properly because they have the courage to have a point of view as a network. AND they get the deep funny.â€
Among other things, listeners of WTF know that this “provocative and personal†material will touch on the tragic death of Maron’s girlfriend and collaborator, director Lynn Shelton — who directed Too Real and End Times Fun — and his father’s battle with dementia. The upcoming, still-unnamed special will be taped at New York City’s Town Hall on December 8 and will be directed by veteran special director Steven Feinartz. It will debut on HBO in 2023.