The Chappelle Show Returns to Netflix

The Chappelle Show has officially returned to streaming on Netflix, ending a turbulent saga between Dave Chappelle, Comedy Central, and its parent company, CBS Viacom.

Netflix began streaming The Chappelle Show on February 12^th, ^once again after being pulled from its streaming service in November of last year. Netflix originally acquired the rights form CBS Viacom to stream the show in October. In November, Chappelle hosted Saturday Night Live, just after the election. He used his monologue to touch on his payment and licensing dispute with Comedy Central, while also poking fun at Trump, COVID, and the state of the country.

Days later, he released a video on Instagram titled Unforgiven in which he discusses the details of his argument with Viacom.

 “These contracts are crazy. You should hear the terminology they say in these contracts. ‘…to use your name and likeness in perpetuity throughout the universe.’ Who the [expletive] could possibly know what that means?”

The contract wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be, according to Chappelle. “People think I made a lot of money from Chappelle Show. When I left that show, I never got paid. They didn’t have to pay because I signed the contract, but is that right? I found out that these people were streaming my work and they never had to ask me, and they never had to tell me. Perfectly legal, because I signed the contract. But is that right?”

Chappelle, who already had a working relationship with Netflix, spoke highly of the streaming service. “That’s why I like working for Netflix. I like working for Netflix because when all those bad things happened to me that company didn’t even exist, and when I found out they were streaming Chappelle show I was furious. How could they not know? You know what I did? I called them and I told them that this makes me feel bad. And you wanna know what they did? They agreed that they would take it off their platform just so I could feel better. That’s why I fuck with Netflix.”

After admitting there was nothing he could do legally to win his battle, Chappelle appealed to his fans. “I’m coming to my real boss. I’m coming to you. I’m begging you. If you ever liked me, if you ever thought there was something worthwhile about me, I’m begging you. Please don’t watch that show. I’m not asking you to boycott any network. Boycott me. Boycott Chappelle Show. Do not watch it unless they pay me.”

After months of silence on the subject Chappelle released a ten-minute-long video, “Redemption Song”.

Chappelle thanks his fans for the boycott. “I asked you to stop watching the show and thank God almighty for you, you did. You made that show worthless, because without your eyes its nothing. And when you stopped watching it, they called me, and I got my name back and I got my license back and I got my show back and they paid me millions of dollars.”

Dave announces that Comedy Central paid him and gave him the rights and licensing back on his show. He name checked the CEO of Netflix Ted Serandos for backing him. He also thanked Chris McCarthy of CBS Viacom for making things right.

The Chappelle Show along with three of his stand-up specials are available for streaming on Netflix.