HBO Sets May 22 Premiere for Josh Johnson's 'Symphony'
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- HBO set a May 22 premiere at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT for Josh Johnson's first comedy special with the network, "Symphony," which will also stream on HBO Max
- Symphony was filmed at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles and finds Johnson reflecting on childhood experiences, the pitfalls of being labeled "nice," family dynamics, and awkward life moments
- Josh Johnson is directed by Jacob Menache, with Johnson, James Dixon, Daniel Bodansky, and John Irwin of Irwin Entertainment serving as executive producers
- HBO's Nina Rosenstein praised Johnson's output, saying "Josh Johnson releases more comedy in a year than most people do in a career" and noting a "musicality" to his work that the special "captures perfectly"
- Johnson is an Emmy-nominated and NAACP Award-winning comedian from Louisiana who currently serves as a rotating host and correspondent on Comedy Central's The Daily Show, where he previously wrote for seven years
- Johnson recently wrapped a 112-city Flowers Tour that he sold out with zero promoter marketing money, and released 38 hours of topical stand-up on YouTube in 2024 alone, with his channel surpassing 500 million total views
Why it matters: Symphony marks Johnson's debut on HBO, the third major streaming/linear platform to host a special from a comedian who runs one of the most prolific content operations in stand-up. For HBO, it adds a touring powerhouse with 500 million-plus YouTube views and a sold-out 112-city run to its late-night and specials lineup, filling a slot that networks increasingly use to reach younger comedy audiences.
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