Dave Chappelle is still very much on Netflix’s home team.
The streamer announced Friday the release of four upcoming comedy specials executive produced and hosted by the controversial comic.
The series of specials is dubbed Chappelle’s Home Team, and each will feature a different comic introduced by Chappelle.
The first to be featured is Earthquake (real name Nathaniel Martin Stroman), and his special, called Earthquake: Legendary, premieres on Feb. 28. Another special will spotlight Donnell Rawlings. One similarity shared by all the featured comics is they’ve been in the stand-up game for at least 30 years.
“I’ve been doing this a long time and comedians like Quake and Donnell are not only friends but have inspired my own career,” Chappelle said. “Anyone in the comedy community knows these names and knows their time to shine is long overdue. I am proud to be a part of this moment.”
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The specials are directed by Chappelle’s go-to helmer Stan Lathan and executive produced by Chappelle, Lathan, Earthquake, Rikki Hughes and Jermaine Smith.
Chappelle is a hugely popular draw for the streamer. But his last Netflix special, October’s The Closer, drew considerable criticism from the media as well as from many of his fans for the comic’s lengthy discussion of the transgender movement, segments that were blasted as transphobic.
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos defended the special amid uproar from some in the streamer’s own employee ranks and later admitted “I screwed up” by not being more sensitive to Netflix staffers. Still, Sarandos backed the program as “consistent with our comedy offering, it’s consistent with Dave Chappelle’s comedy brand and this is … one of those times when there’s something on Netflix that you’re not going to like.”
At the time, The Closer was billed as the last of a six-special package of Chappelle content for the streamer.
Chappelle will also headline a performance at the Hollywood Bowl for Netflix’s Los Angeles-based comedy festival, Netflix is a Joke, which gets underway April 28.
