Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out
Comedian Mike Birbiglia welcomes a different comedian or creator each week and together they work out original, untested material. And, occasionally, uncomfortable topics. Join them as they work it out.
162 episodes transcribed39. Nish Kumar: The Sidekick Soliloquy
Episode Date: May 3, 2021This week Mike is joined by British comic Nish Kumar and they discuss Brexit, the craft behind building a one person show, and the time Nish was told...
38. Conan O'Brien: It's His Birthday, Celebrate Him
Episode Date: April 18, 2021Mike welcomes his comedy idol and former boss Conan O’Brien whose hit podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” prompted Mike to demand that they actuall...
37. Jo Firestone: Onomatopizza and the Fyrestone Fest
Episode Date: April 12, 2021In anticipation of this week’s “Worldwide Comedy Pizza Party” Mike welcomes one of the most uniquely funny people alive and the two comics go deep on...
36. Gary Gulman: The Joke Nerd Summit You've Been Waiting For
Episode Date: April 5, 2021These two comedy nerds discuss the elements of math, science, art, and music that go into constructing the perfect joke as they trade collected wisdom...
35. Fred Armisen: The Secret Comedy Rules of Portlandia and SNL
Episode Date: March 22, 2021Mike and Fred have a candid chat about the secret rules of Portlandia and the comedy writing lessons of SNL. Fred describes how they arrived at the ti...
34. Aubrey Plaza: A Four-Quadrant Superstar
Episode Date: March 15, 2021Aubrey Plaza is a beloved comedic actor for her role as April on Parks & Rec & many acclaimed indie films including "Black Bear" which she not only st...
33. Nathan Lane: He Deserves Special Treatment
Episode Date: March 8, 2021Mike is joined by Broadway legend Nathan Lane who just so happened to have changed Mike’s life 13 years ago. 1 month after they met Nathan was the wit...
32. Taylor Tomlinson: Quarter-Life Crisis Meets Mid-Life Crisis
Episode Date: February 22, 2021Taylor Tomlinson is only 27 and already has her own hit comedy special on Netflix called “Quarter-life Crisis.” Mike bonds with this prolific joke wri...
31. The Sklar Brothers: How to Say I Love You, Freshly
Episode Date: February 15, 2021Mike welcomes the great Randy and Jason Sklar as they trade jokes about how to say I love you to your parents without sounding like you’re in the Mafi...
30. Nikki Glaser: The Taylor Swift of Comedy
Episode Date: February 8, 2021Prolific, raw, and hilarious comic Nikki Glaser shares childhood memories of her mom in the Slow Round that she’s not yet willing to tell on stage but...
29. Frank Oz: Frank Being Frank
Episode Date: January 25, 2021Yoda. Miss Piggy. The Muppets Take Manhattan. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. These are just a few entries in the IMDB of Frank Oz. Mike welcomes the show bu...
28. The Lucas Bros: Losing Their Minds Together
Episode Date: January 18, 2021Keith and Kenny Lucas join Mike for an episode that alternates between utterly serious & supremely silly. They discuss their moving Vulture essay "Our...
27. Rachel Bloom: The Inception of the “Please Stop The Ride” Musical
Episode Date: January 11, 2021The award-winning co-creator and star of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Rachel Bloom joins Mike as the two of them crack into a format never explored in this pod...
26. All Jokes Considered: The Staff Picks The Best Of 2020
Episode Date: December 21, 2020A comedy extravaganza featuring Sarah Cooper, Hasan Minhaj, Tig Notaro, Jimmy Kimmel, Maria Bamford, John Mulaney, Ira Glass, Jon Laster, David Sedari...
25. Ira Glass: The Highly Anticipated Return
Episode Date: December 14, 2020Since Ira Glass was Working It Out’s inaugural guest in June 2020, listeners have frequently requested his return. This week the podcast has its first...
24. Natasha Lyonne: No F**kin’ Around
Episode Date: December 7, 2020Mike welcomes the great Natasha Lyonne, co-creator and star of the hit Netflix series Russian Doll. Natasha opens up about her own process as well as...
23. Ramy Youssef: Kicked in the Golden Globes
Episode Date: November 23, 2020Mike welcomes award-winning comedian Ramy Youssef. The two friends discuss the unexpectedly controversial elements of his hit series “Ramy.” They also...
22. Abbi Jacobson: The Broad City Makeout Party
Episode Date: November 16, 2020Mike is joined by the co-creator and co-star of the comedy classic “Broad City.” They discuss the show’s origins, why we should all hope to “fail flam...