Wanda Sykes has booked her first gig after quitting Roseanne.
The comedian and former writer/consulting producer on the since-canceled reboot has inked a deal with Netflix for her first stand-up special on the streamer. Overall, this is Sykes’ fifth stand-up special and first in two years.
The comedian was the first to quit ABC’s Roseanne revival following star Roseanne Barr’s racist tweet in May. ABC subsequently canceled the show and ordered a Barr-less spinoff. Sykes is not returning to The Conners.
Sykes’ Netflix special will bow globally in 2019 and be produced by her production company (with partner Paige Hurwitz) Push It Productions. Her previous specials were 2003’s Wanda Sykes: Tongue Untied (for Comedy Central), 2006’s Wanda Sykes: Sick and Tired (HBO), 2009’s I’ma Be Me (HBO) and 2016’s What Happened … Ms Sykes (Epix).
Sykes can currently be seen on the ABC comedy Black-ish, for which she has earned a pair of guest star Emmy nominations. Her previous comedy specials have also earned Emmy noms for outstanding variety, music or comedy special and writing in the same category. Her Push It Productions counts NBC’s Last Comic Standing and Unprotected Sets on Epix. Sykes is repped by WME and attorney Roger A. Pliakas.
Sykes is the latest comedian to be scooped up by Netflix as part of the streaming giant’s aggressive efforts to build up its roster of stand-up specials, including a whopping $40 million deal for a pair of Chris Rock one-offs.
