We’ve all thought about quitting our jobs and traveling the world, but Trevor Noah actually did it. He left The Daily Show after a triumphant run with his sanity and youthful visage shockingly intact after years of covering US politics, the Trump presidency, and a global pandemic. And then he hit the road, touring the world while connecting with people from different cultures. And now he’s passing on some of his learnings to you, dear comedy consumer, in his fourth Netflix comedy special, Where Was I, which drops December 19.
Following last year’s fantastic I Wish You Would and filmed at Detroit’s Fox Theater, the special is directed by David Paul Meyer, who has a long history of working with Noah on The Daily Show and on his past specials.
What’s it all about? The synopsis released by Netflix is short and sweet: “Trevor Noah shares his hilarious experiences from his recent travels around the world, ranging from foreign national anthems to varying cultural norms.” From that, you can assume Noah isn’t going to be spending too much time delivering a Daily Show-light kind of set that fixates on US domestic issues. Which is good. Noah’s ambition to hit the road after the show was made clear on his way out the door and it wasn’t born from a need to do his Trump impression and talk about Lindsay Graham, spreading word of America’s sometimes unique (and sometimes painfully unoriginal) batshittery. The idea that the US is the center of the universe, particularly when it comes to comedy, is outdated and uninteresting. Finding the things that connect us despite borders and other barriers? That’s the true challenge, something Noah has excelled at previously, and something it seems like he’s ready to attempt again with this new special which, again, drops on Netflix December 19.