Best movies & TV Shows like Showtime at the Apollo

Stand up comedy by Martin Lawrence, filmed in the Majestic Theater in New York City. Martin Lawrence talks about everything from racism, to relationships, to his childhood.

Time Is Illmatic is a feature length documentary film that delves deep into the making of Nas' 1994 debut album, Illmatic, and the social conditions that influenced its creation.

The Original Kings of Comedy achieves the seemingly impossible task of capturing the rollicking and sly comedy routines of stand-up and sitcom vets Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, and Bernie Mac and the magic of experiencing a live concert show. Director Spike Lee and his crew plant a multitude of cameras in a packed stadium and onstage (as well as backstage, as they follow the comedians) to catch the vivid immediacy of the show, which is as much about the audience as it is about the jokes.

Four of today's hottest black comedians headline this Queens of Comedy video special, a follow-up to Spike Lee's "The Original Kings of Comedy". Adele Givens, Mo'Nique (from UPN's The Parkers), Sommore, and Laura Hayes (from BET's Comic View) present a very provocative adult program with riffs on everything from the size of various body parts, to the habits of men, to former president Bill Clinton.

One of comedian Richard Pryor's later stand-up performances. As foul-mouthed as ever, Pryor touches on most of the same topics as in his previous live shows.

Richard Pryor delivers monologues on race, sex, family and his favorite target—himself, live at the Terrace Theatre in Long Beach, California.

Jerry Seinfeld returns to the club that gave him his start in the 1970s, mixing iconic jokes with stories from his childhood and early days in comedy.

Awesome: I Fuckin' Shot That! is a 2006 concert film of the Beastie Boys. It was created by giving camcorders to 50 audience members of a sold out concert at Madison Square Garden on October 9, 2004. The audience members were instructed to keep the cameras rolling at all times. The DVD of this concert movie was released on July 24, 2006 in the UK and July 25, 2006 in the US.

A 1983 stand-up comedy film featuring the comedy of Bill Cosby. Filmed before a live audience at the Hamilton Place Theatre, in Hamilton, Ontario. Cosby gives his comedic views on people who drink too much and take drugs, going to the dentist, marriage and parenthood.

The American comedian/actor delivers a story about the alternative Hip Hop scene. A small town Ohio mans moves to Brooklyn, New York, to throw an unprecedented block party.

Taped live and in concert at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. in August, 1983, Eddie Murphy: Delirious captures Eddie Murphy's wild and outrageous stand-up comedy act, which he performed in New York and eighteen other cities across the U.S. to standing-room-only audiences. Eddie's comedy was groundbreaking, completely new, razor sharp and definitely funny.Eddie Murphy pontificates in his own vulgarly hilarious fashion on everything from bizarre sexual fantasies to reliving the family barbecue, and is peppered with Eddie's one-of-a-kind wit. Laugh along as Eddie reminiscences of hot childhood days and the ice cream man intermixed with classic vocal parodies of top American entertainers.Experience Eddie Murphy at his best, live and red hot! Delirious! Uncensored and Uncut!

After years of putting her career ahead of love, stand-up comic Andrea Singer has stumbled upon the perfect guy. On paper, he checks all the boxes but is he everything he appears to be?

A young man searches for the "master" to obtain the final level of martial arts mastery known as the glow. Along the way he must fight an evil martial arts expert and rescue a beautiful singer from an obsessed music promoter.

Comic Hasan Minhaj of "The Daily Show" shares personal stories about racism, immigrant parents, prom night horrors and more in this stand-up special.

From the Piney Woods School in the Mississippi Delta to the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York City, this toe-tapping music film tells the story of the swinging, multi-racial all-women jazz band of the 1940s.

The controversial bad-boy of comedy delivers a piercing look at his life, lifting the metaphorical smokescreen that he feels has clouded the public view, commenting on everything from the dangers of smoking to the trials of relationships, and unleashing a nonstop litany of raucous anecdotes, stinging social commentary and very personal reflections about life.

Sarah Silverman appears before an audience in Los Angeles with several sketches, taped outside the theater, intercut into the stand-up performance. Themes include race, sex, and religion. Her comic persona is a self-centered hipster, brash and clueless about her political incorrectness. A handful of musical numbers punctuate the performance.

Dave Chappelle takes on gun culture, the opioid crisis and the tidal wave of celebrity scandals in this defiant stand-up special.

Chris Rock brings his critically acclaimed brand of social commentary-themed humour to this HBO Special, extolling his razor-sharp wit and wisdom on such topics as gun control, President Clinton, homophobia, racism, black leaders and relationships.

A biographical documentary on the late great comedian Bill Hicks and his career; in particular the censorship by Letterman that scarred it.

While Rudy Ray Moore is best remembered today for his outrageous blaxploitation movies, such as Dolemite and The Human Tornado, he started out as a standup comedian who broke barriers for off-color comedy on such "party" albums as Eat Out More Often. Rude is a performance film which captures Moore on-stage at a comedy club, delivering the rhyming rap routines and epic tales of sexual conquest that first made him famous.

A filming of a burlesque act in 1954 Harlem, complete with singers, baggy-pants comics and "exotic" dancers.

Aubri Callahan is an aspiring comedian and ghost writer for Bella Delmonico, acclaimed stand up comic and owner of the Vista Theater. Performing at the Vista is a key step on the way to stardom and despite her natural talent, Aubri patiently waits for her time to shine, writing jokes for Bella in the shadows of the comedic giants that came before her. When The Vista Theater Variety Show lands in Aubri’s lap she must plan the whole event and find a headliner all before Christmas eve, just three weeks away.

A stand-up comedian and his three offbeat friends weather the pitfalls and payoffs of life in New York City in the '90s. It's a show about nothing.

Chocolate News is a satirical news show hosted and head written by David Alan Grier with an emphasis on African American culture. The show aired on Wednesday nights at 10:30 PM on Comedy Central as a lead-in to their other news satire programs, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. The show also aired in Canada on The Comedy Network. On March 10, 2009 a Comedy Central representative confirmed that Chocolate News would not be renewed for a second season.

The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the CBS Sunday Night Movie, which ran only one season and was eventually replaced by other shows. In 2002, The Ed Sullivan Show was ranked #15 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show airing weeknights at 12:35 am Eastern/11:35 pm Central on NBC in the United States. The hour-long show premiered on March 2, 2009, and is hosted by actor, comedian and performer Jimmy Fallon, an alumnus of Saturday Night Live. Hip hop/neo soul band The Roots serve as the show's house band, and Steve Higgins is the show's announcer. The third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman, the program originates from NBC Studio 6B in the GE Building at 30 Rockefeller Center in New York City. The show typically opens with a brief monologue from Fallon, followed by a comedy "desk piece," as well as prerecorded segments and audience competitions. The next segment is devoted to a celebrity interview, with guests ranging from actors and musicians to media personalities and political figures. The show then closes with either a musical or comedy performance. The show frequently employs digital media into its comedy, which has become crucial to its success. Fallon has been appointed to become the next host of The Tonight Show, where he will succeed the current host Jay Leno at the conclusion of the 2014 Winter Olympics, with fellow SNL alum Seth Meyers slated to replace Fallon.

Seth Meyers, who is "Saturday Night Live’s" longest serving anchor on the show’s wildly popular "Weekend Update," takes over as host of NBC’s "Late Night" — home to A-list celebrity guests, memorable comedy and the best in musical talent. As the Emmy Award-winning head writer for "SNL," Meyers has established a reputation for sharp wit and perfectly timed comedy, and has gained fame for his spot-on jokes and satire. Meyers takes his departure from "SNL" to his new post at "Late Night," as Jimmy Fallon moves to "The Tonight Show".

Living Single is an American television sitcom that aired for five seasons on the Fox network from August 22, 1993, to January 1, 1998. The show centered on the lives of six friends who share personal and professional experiences while living in a Brooklyn brownstone. Throughout its run, Living Single became one of the most popular African-American sitcoms of its era, ranking among the top five in African-American ratings in all five seasons. The series was produced by Yvette Lee Bowser's company, Sister Lee, in association with Warner Bros. Television. In contrast to the popularity of NBC's "Must See TV" on Thursday nights in the 1990s, many African American and Latino viewers flocked to Fox's Thursday night line-up of Martin, Living Single, and New York Undercover. In fact, these were the three highest-rated series among black households for the 1996–1997 season.

Louis C.K. stars as a fictionalized version of himself; a comedian and newly divorced father raising his two daughters in New York City.

Def Comedy Jam is a HBO television series produced by Russell Simmons. The series had its original run from July 1, 1992 to January 1, 1997. The show returned on HBO's fall lineup in 2006. Def Comedy Jam helped to launch the careers of several African-American stand-up comedians.

Comic Garry Shandling draws upon his own talk show experiences to create the character of Larry Sanders, a paranoid, insecure host of a late night talk show. Larry, along with his obsequious TV sidekick Hank Kingsley and his fiercely protective producer Artie, allows Garry Shandling and his talented writers to look behind the scenes and to show us a convincing slice of behind the camera life.

These half-hour specials showcased some of the best up-and-coming comedians of the moment. The show was a pivotal stepping stone for many of today's stand-up stars.

MTV's acclaimed music series showcases today's top artists and rising stars in the industry performing acoustic versions of their songs.

The Chris Rock Show is a late night comedy talk show featured on HBO. It was created by Chris Rock and featured various guests. The show won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program in 1999. It ran for five seasons from 1997 to 2000.

Laugh along with funnyman Jack Benny as he brings his underplayed humor to TV along with regular performers from his radio show days.

Comedy Now! is a Canadian comedy television series which debuted in 1997 featuring the newest in Canadian comedic talent. The show has won numerous Gemini Awards as well as many international awards. It is broadcast in Canada on The Comedy Network and CTV. In the United States, the program airs on Comedy Central. The show has started the careers of notable Canadian comedians, including Brent Butt, Gavin Crawford, Shaun Majumder, Russell Peters, and Harland Williams and has showcased comedians like Eric Tunney.

John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show is a stand-up comedy television series that currently airs on Comedy Central in the United States. Hosted by British comedian John Oliver, who is best known for his work on The Daily Show, the show features new material by both up-and-coming and established comedians. Each episode features four performers, including the headliner but not Oliver.

The prodigiously talented Gleason became a TV icon after he joined CBS from DuMont, where his work on `Calvalcade of Stars' had established many of his trademark characters, including Reginald Van Gleason III, the Poor Soul and Ralph Kramden, featured here, along with Art Carney, in `Honeymooners' sketches. The Emmy-winning mix also featured guest stars, musical comedy, the glitzy June Taylor Dancers and Frank Fontaine's Crazy Guggenheim character.

A weekly variety showcase for the best sketch, characters and stand-up homegrown at the UCB Theatres in LA and NYC. Hosted by Upright Citizens Brigade co-founders Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh and filmed with a live audience at UCB Sunset in Hollywood.

Established and up-and-coming stand-up comedians perform a surreal reconstruction of their own material. In each sketch the comedian plays the role they were born to play - themselves

In this music competition show, judges Tip “T.I.” Harris, Cardi B and Chance the Rapper hit the streets to find the next rap superstar.

Jonathan Ross' Comedy Club showcases the very best new talents performing in a recreation of the vibe and atmosphere of a small comedy venue, all filmed within Covid guidelines. Each episode sees a new faces perform their short but memorable set alongside more established names who will get the opportunity to try out new material.

While working as a staff writer on The Red Skelton Show, local Los Angeles television comedian Carson filled in as host when Skelton was injured during a show rehearsal. As a result of Carson’s performance, CBS created the primetime variety program: The Johnny Carson Show, a traditional potpourri of comedy, music, dance, skits and monologues. The short-lived 1955-56 series served as a precursor of what would come later for Carson, planting the seeds for sketches he would perform on the later The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson such as "Mighty Carson Art Players".

James Earl Jones hosts an interview and performance series exclusively for African-American musicians, comedians, and performers.

Comedy variety series, showcasing cinematic sketches and live performances from Hackney's Moth Club.

The Redd Foxx Comedy Hour was a ABC produced variety show hosted by Redd Foxx (John Elroy Sanford) following his hit sitcom Sanford and Son. It debuted on September 15, 1977 and last aired on January 26, 1978. Despite being rated by critics as entertaining and funny, the show was canceled due to low ratings at the end of it's first season.

Comics Unleashed is a half-hour comedic talk show produced by the Entertainment Studios production company and hosted by Byron Allen, with John Cramer as announcer and DJ Cobra providing music support. The show features a panel of four guest comedians performing their standup bits thinly disguised as a sit-down chat show, sometimes preceded by a brief monologue or joke from Allen. Certain episodes were branded as Comics Unleashed: Hot Chocolate, as the featured comedians on those episodes were all of African descent.