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Jeff Dunham’s Pandemic Holiday Special Draws Strong Ratings For Comedy Central

Jeff Dunham’s Completely Unrehearsed Last-Minute Pandemic Holiday Special was a hit for Comedy Central. The special, which aired over Thanksgiving weekend, drew 1.8 million viewers in its Friday, November 27, 8 pm premiere, making it Comedy Central’s most-watched stand-up special in five years, according to the network and Nielsen.

Across five telecasts (Friday, November 27 at 8 pm, 9 pm and 10 pm; Saturday, November 28 at 12 am; and Sunday, November 29 at 10 pm), the special drew 4.2 total million viewers, to rank as cable’s second highest-rated and most-watched prime comedy premiere of the year, behind only South Park‘s The Pandemic Special, according to Nielsen Live+3.

Jeff Dunham’s Completely Unrehearsed Last-Minute Pandemic Holiday Special was the first of three comedy specials Dunham has set at Comedy Central and his tenth overall. The other two specials are scheduled to be released in 2021. His Pandemic Holiday Special, which the comedian says featured all-new, untried or tested material, was filmed in Malibu, CA in front of a small, socially-distanced audience and production following Covid-19 safety protocols.

Dunham also served as an executive producer on the special, along with Troy Miller, Michael Rotenberg and Troy Zien of 3Arts. Ryan Moran and Fazeela Shaikh are the Executives in Charge of Production for Comedy Central.

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