BY DANIEL GILLESPIE - Screen Rant
Netflix has pulled Chappelle's Show from its service after just three weeks due to the comic's anger over the deal's lack of pay. Dave Chappelle's classic Comedy Central series was added to Netflix on November 1st this year after the streamer signed a non-exclusive agreement to stream the show. Chappelle mentioned it was available on the streaming service during his post-election week stint on Saturday Night Live, calling out the fact that he wasn't paid for the deal at all. At the time, the comment was lost among his election comments because the election was dominating headlines.
Chappelle's Show, which ran for three tumultuous seasons in the early 2000s, is considered one of the finest comedy shows of all time. Chappelle, who briefly disappeared from the show only to turn up in Durban, South Africa, saying he was on a "spiritual retreat," vanished from the spotlight for several years after it ended. It's only in recent years that he's re-emerged, producing several hit comedy specials for Netflix. Now, Netflix has pulled Chappelle's Show from their service, responding to the comic's request to do so.
Chappelle posted a video on Instagram on Tuesday titled "Unforgiven," explaining why he asked Netflix to remove the series. In the video taken from a recent stand-up show, Chappelle claims Viacom CBS, who owns the rights to Chappelle's Show, has never paid him for streaming the show and didn't tell him it would be streamed on Netflix. He reveals that when he found out it was on Netflix, he called Netflix and told them it "makes him feel bad." As a result, they agreed to remove it from their platform. He adds that by streaming the show, they would be "fencing stolen goods" and teases the fact he would like to do another season of Chappelle's Show but can't because Comedy Central owns the rights to the name and his likeness from the show. You can watch the full 18-minute video at the link below:
It's a remarkable piece of stand-up, which ends with Chappelle begging his fans not to watch the show on any streaming service unless it's announced he'll get paid for it. Chappelle is no stranger to controversy, covering subjects that other comedians often avoid. He received a lot of backlash for taking on cancel culture in his Netflix special Sticks and Stones and has been criticized for similar sentiments throughout his career.
It remains to be seen whether Chappelle's stance will affect other streamers, including Comedy Central, or whether he will continue not to be paid for it. What is certain is he's passionate about getting paid for Chappelle's Show and taking a stand for what he believes is right. Hopefully, he can make a difference, and networks will give talent fairer contracts in the future, though that may be a naive hope given how the industry typically operates.