Tig Notaro Gets Up Close and Way Personal

Knock Knock, It’s Tig Notaro (Friday, April 17, 9/8c, Showtime)

Trust me, you’ve never seen a stand-up show quite like the one documented in this remarkable road-trip film, in which the brilliantly droll Tig Notaro redefines in-your-face comedy as she travels the country (with fellow comic Jon Dore along for warm and funny support) in such not-so-hot spots as Indiana and Mississippi, performing in fans’ homes and yards to reward their loyalty. The intimacy of these venues adds to the hilarity, along with the spontaneity required when bad weather forces a planned outside gig to go inside. “Is this uncomfortable for everybody?” Notaro asks at one stop. “Great.”

There’s also drama along the way, as cancer survivor Notaro suffers a medical setback, a stark reminder of the reason behind this up-close-and-personal tour: getting to know the fans who stood by her during her darkest days. An ironist like Notaro may shrink at having her act called life-affirming, but the journey shown in Knock Knock truly is.