‘Baby Reindeer’ has been knocked from Netflix No. 1 by a new comedy special — but it won’t stay there

Katt Williams in his stand-up comedy show Katt Williams: Woke Foke — (Image credit: Netflix)

We can all agree that “Baby Reindeer” deserved to be No.1 on Netflix. It held that spot for quite some time, with the show earning a high score of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes due to its incredible performances and ability to convey serious themes. However, its victory soon came to an end when a stand-up comedy show knocked the thrilling drama off the podium.

Now standing in its place is “Katt Williams: Woke Foke”, a comedy special that was live-streamed on Netflix. Since it aired on May 4, it hasn’t earned many positive reviews from audiences, which makes it rise to the No.1 spot even more confusing.

Katt Williams is an American comedian and actor who has starred in movies such as “Friday After Next”, “First Sunday”, “Norbit”, and “Scary Movie 5”. He’s also hosted his own TV special named “Katt Williams: World War III” on Netflix, but that 2022 show didn’t receive much praise either. Now with “Woke Foke” entering the scene, it doesn’t seem like these comedy specials are really taking off.

What audiences are saying about 'Katt Williams: Woke Foke'

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The lack of praise from viewers has given “Katt Williams: Woke Foke” an audience score of 35% on Rotten Tomatoes (as of May 7). Of course, the score is based on personal preferences and ratings, but it seems that people collectively agree this comedy special was a disappointment.

There are comments such as “actually worst stand-up I have ever seen” mixed with “worst Katt Williams stand-up of his career. Didn’t laugh once. There was no point or direction. Just random incoherent streams of thought that didn’t go anywhere.”

Others believe Williams has “done much better” in his previous specials and movies, especially with how he’s presented comedy. “3% comedy, 95% lecture, 2% pictures and video up on a screen” seems to be another shared criticism among audiences. Williams chose to include photos in his show for more ‘wow’ power, but the distracting and random nature of the visual aid meant that people often felt lost when listening to him. Paired with a bunch of sound effects and musical cues, it just didn’t have the intended impact.

Although the majority of viewers are really not pleased, there are some people who enjoyed the show. The reviews include “very good stand-up, a lot of truth-telling and real-life events that were being spoken about” along with “Katt is back and better than ever. He wasted no time rehashing what he said earlier in the year and stuck by his stance as a truth teller.”

You can stream “Katt Williams: Woke Foke” on Netflix if you want to give it a go, but it probably won’t stay in the No.1 spot for long. Otherwise, check out our guide on the top new movies to stream this week or the best shows to watch on Netflix and more.

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Alix is a Senior Streaming Writer at Tom’s Guide, which basically means watching the best movies and TV shows and then writing about them. It’s a dream job for someone who’s been obsessed with storytelling since she first figured out how to work a remote.

Before joining Tom’s Guide, Alix honed her skills as a staff writer with outlets like Screen Rant and Bough Digital, where she discovered her love for the entertainment industry.

She heads to the cinema every week as a tradition, no matter what’s showing. For her, movies aren’t just entertainment — they’re a ritual, a comfort, and a constant source of inspiration. When she’s not at her desk or at the cinema, you’ll probably find her deep into a horror video game on her PC.