Classic sketch comedy series Chapelle show is back on Netflix after the streamer removed it in November at the request of creator Dave Chapelle. The comedian broke the news during a performance at Stubbs in Austin, an excerpt he shared on his Instagram. In the NSFW clip, seen by VarietyChappelle thanks Netflix boss Ted Sarandos for staying with him and addresses his troubled relationship with Comedy Central, which was the crux of the removal.
The stand-up comic routinely claimed that his contract with Comedy Central owner ViacomCBS allowed the company to license the series without his approval, which prevented him from receiving royalties for the show. Why does it matter to a successful comedian and actor with a comfortable show on Netflix? Well, these royalty checks increase over time, especially for a canonical comedy that can be watched over and over, like Chapelle show.
“This is a very important moment,” said Chappelle in the new video. “I want to thank Ted Sarandos from Netflix, a CEO with the courage to show my platform [at] financial loss for your company, just because I asked him. ”He continues to talk about the power of his fans in making the show“ useless ”simply by not watching it.
The change seems to have worked, as Chappelle claims that ViacomCBS “corrected the past” and “did something very courageous”. He adds: “After all these years, I can finally say that Comedy Central was a pleasure to do business with.”