Ellen DeGeneres' "last" special is coming to Netflix

Ellen DeGeneres, formerly of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, will have one “last” stand-up special, according to Deadline. The new hour will premiere on Netflix later this year on the heels of her recent tour, “Ellen’s Last Stand…Up Tour.” She previously partnered with Netflix on her last special, 2018’s Relatable, which marked the comic’s first foray back into stand-up after a 15-year hiatus.

In a statement about the new hour, DeGeneres said, “To answer the questions everyone is asking me—Yes, I’m going to talk about it. Yes this is my last special. Yes, Portia really is that pretty in real life.”

“It” is, of course, DeGeneres’ talk show scandal, in which the long-running series overwhelmingly known for “niceness” was accused of being a toxic workplace. Much of the toxicity allegedly stemmed from other producers, but many allegations asserted DeGeneres wasn’t that nice behind the scenes. She publicly denied any wrongdoing or complicity in the show’s toxic culture, but apologized that it existed nonetheless. According to early reviews of “Ellen’s Last Stand…”, she joked that she “didn’t know how to be a boss” and told the audience that the controversy has “been such a toll on my ego and my self-esteem.” During a Q&A, she said, “I couldn’t gain perspective. I couldn’t do anything to make myself understand that it wasn’t personal… I just thought, ‘Well this is not the way I wanted to end my career, but this is the way it’s ending.’”

It’s unclear why Degeneres has decided this is her “last” special, especially so soon after quitting her other job. Maybe it’s because she seems to sincerely believe that her career ended and she was “kicked out of show business,” though the fact that she’s getting a likely lucrative Netflix special undermines that belief. Maybe it’s because she’s seen the industry turn on her too many times (in the ’90s, she infamously faced homophobic backlash after coming out via her eponymous sitcom). Maybe she’s just doing the thing we always wish obnoxious, wealthy celebrities would do and is retiring to live a quiet life of luxury. Of course, this is all predicated on “last” actually being true, and in Hollywood, retirements are never really permanent. Most likely, she’ll just find other things to do that don’t require touring comedy material around the country.

Another point of interest is that the new Netflix special will be produced by Ben Winston and his production company Fulwell 73. Winston is best known as a producer for The Late Late Show With James Corden. (In 2017, Corden became a fifth partner in Fulwell 73 alongside Winston, Leo Pearlman, Ben Turner, and Gabe Turner.) Perhaps Winston has an affinity for comic talk show personalities whose reputations suffered serious hits in their final stretch of hosting. In any case, it marks the first traditional stand-up special Fulwell 73 has produced. The company has a bit of comedy/variety under its belt with The Jonas Brothers Family Roast and Friends: The Reunion, but no traditional comedy hours. Other Fulwell73 projects include Hulu’s The Kardashians and the Emmy-winning Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium.

Netflix has placed a serious emphasis on comedy, as evidenced by the recent star-studded Netflix Is A Joke Festival. In a statement, Robbie Praw, the streamer’s VP of Stand-Up and Comedy Formats, said, “There is nobody quite like Ellen. She is a true legend and pioneer in so many ways. We can’t wait to bring fans another one of her hilarious comedy specials later this year.”