Training day
Former mixed martial-arts artist Brendan Schaub has been doing stand-up for only three years, but name recognition helped him secure a one-hour comedy special, "You'd Be Surprised," recorded earlier this year in San Diego. His inexperience shows — for an athlete, he's surprisingly out of breath during much of his routine — but his tales about life as an MMA fighter should appeal to die-hard fans.
9 p.m. Friday, Showtime
Funny girl
Annaleigh Ashford's high voice and kooky sense of humor may remind you of fellow Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth, but the "Kinky Boots" veteran shows she's a complete original in the latest episode of "Live From Lincoln Center," donning a goofy hat for "Lost in the Stars," tooting a kazoo during "Hand in My Pocket" and doing the splits at the end of "MacArthur Park." You'll laugh, you'll cry — and then you'll laugh some more.
9:30 p.m. Friday, TPT, Ch. 2
Bombs away
George Clooney takes his stab at adapting "Catch-22" in this ambitious, six-part undertaking about a bombardier running away from war and right into the arms of dark humor. The series never quite captures the absurdist tone of Joseph Heller's classic novel, but it's not nearly as disastrous as Mike Nichols' 1970 feature film.
Now streaming on Hulu
Staying in the dark
Phoebe Waller-Bridge proves she's the hottest voice in TV Land with a new season of "Fleabag," in which her sardonic, self-loathing cafe owner creates a holy mess by falling for a priest. Waller-Bridge left her job as head writer for "Killing Eve" to craft and star in this six-part follow-up. While it isn't as revolutionary as that BBC America thriller — or her original "Fleabag" play — it still seems like a savvy decision.
Now streaming on Amazon Prime
Neal Justin
