David Farnor | On 04, Jun 2016

Amy Schumer. You’ve probably heard the name and you’re probably scared of it. “Who is this Amy Schumer?” you cry in terror. “Why do I keep hearing her name? How do you spell it again?”

Well, now’s your chance to find out all of these things: all four seasons of her show, Inside Amy Schumer, are now on Sky Box Sets, along with her HBO special, Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo. To help you prepare, here are seven things you should know about the comedian. Including who she is.

1. She’s a comedian

Amy Schumer started out doing stand-up, but her laughs soon got her a bigger audience, following a stint on NBC reality series Last Comic Standing. Now, she’s so funny she’s got her own programme, Inside Amy Schumer, a variety show that mixes sketches and stand-up with interviews – all boasting the kind of intelligent humour that isn’t afraid to satirise the sexist male-skewed way that shows can often be judged.

2. She’s just hit the big time

Why is everyone talking about Amy Schumer now? That’s partly because she’s just had a movie released in cinemas, Trainwreck. With an Emmy nomination and a Peabody award under her belt, having a leading role in her own feature-length script highlights just how much she’s broken through to the big time – in short, UK people have heard of her, which means she’s officially made it.

Of course, that just puts more pressure on her to become really successful before her Last F*ckable Day.

3. She’s hot

Amy Schumer is so hot right now, but is she hot? That’s the subject of an entire 12 Angry Men parody in the third season of her show, as Jeff Goldblum, Paul Giamatti and others act out a black-and-white debate on whether she’s sexy enough to deserve her own show. Complete with dildos.

4. She won’t take no sexist crap from nobody

Amy Schumer’s brand of comedy is often fiercely feminist, satirising everything from the media’s portrayal of ideal bodies and gender stereotypes in showbiz to sex and relationships. In case you haven’t noticed so far, she rarely misses her mark. That includes porn (told from a female perspective) and – in one of her best sketches – a boy band pastiche about a girl who doesn’t need to wear make-up.

5. She likes to fall over

Never afraid to make a prat out of herself, Amy loves a chance to dive on the floor, preferably groaning loudly. She did just that at The Time 100 party this year on the red carpet – in front of a bemused Kanye and Kim Kardashian. She recalled the stunt on Jimmy Kimmel Live – a conversation that, thanks to another of her skits poking fun at sexist late night talk shows, it’s impossible to take seriously.

6. She’s honest

Amy Schumer might be playing a version of herself in her show, but in addition to the pop culture references and Hollywood take-downs, part of the comedian’s strength comes from her honesty, whether that’s getting over your ex or the difficulty of finding something to say while sexting.

7. She’s back in the UK

Like The Daily Show, Comedy Central has already realised that there’s no sense in blocking Amy Schumer’s sketches from being watched on YouTube in the UK. But she’s on bigger TV screens too: after Season 1 landed on British shores in January 2014, Season 2 landed in 2015 and (you guessed it) Season 3 landed in January 2016 (quickly followed by Season 4), all four seasons of Inside Amy Schumer are available to stream on-demand through Sky Box Sets.

Not got Sky? You can also stream her via Sky’s contract-free VOD service, NOW. A NOW Entertainment Membership, which includes Comedy Central, FOX, Sky Atlantic and other channels, costs £7.99 a month.

 

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