Mike Birbiglia Reflects on Family and Pancakes in New Netflix Special
âWhen I was a kid, I always viewed my dad as larger than life,â Mike Birbiglia says in the trailer for his upcoming special. âHe was a doctor, and in his free time, he got his law degree. Thatâs how much he didnât want to be a dad.â
The stand-up comedian muses on parents and pancakes (well, âpancake,â singular) in âThe Good Life,â streaming on Netflix on May 26. The one-man show sees Birbiglia open up about his dadâs recent stroke and how it made him reevaluate his own parenting approach.
Birbiglia also talks about his own health, and how it might affect his breakfast servings. âA few months ago, Jenny had made me pancake,â he says. âSheâs deeply familiar with my health profile, so she knows the right amount of pancakes for me to eat. Itâs pancake.â
Birbiglia began touring âThe Good Lifeâ in October, performing it six times in New York at the Beacon Theatre. He developed the show after the release of his Emmy-nominated 2023 special âThe Old Man and the Pool,â which also streamed on Netflix.
In a statement announcing the special, Birbiglia referred to âThe Good Lifeâ as âthe most personalâ because âitâs not in my past. Itâs my life right now.â
âAt certain points during the tour I literally thought on stage: âWhoa. Am I really gonna tell this story?â But thatâs sort of the idea behind these shows. I try to probe into whatâs most painful in order to figure out whatâs most funny,â he added.
âThe Good Lifeâ is directed by Seth Barrish and designed by Beowulf Boritt and Aaron Copp. Birbiglia, John Skidmore and Joe Birbiglia executive produce, and Best Kept Secret is the production company.
Birbiglia is also known for his specials âThe New Oneâ and âMy Girlfriendâs Boyfriend,â among others. He also wrote, directed and starred in the 2016 indie film âDonât Think Twice,â and he hosts the podcast âWorking It Out.â

