Netflix has laugh-out-loud solution if you can't wait for Only Murders season 4

Two months is a long time in TV. So, if you can't wait until the end of August for the return of Only Murders In The Building, head to Netflix for its stars, Steve Martin and Martin Short, in stand-up mode — and a bit more.

With a title almost as long as its 73 minutes running time, Steve Martin And Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget For The Rest Of Your Life is a one-off special that took place on stage at The Peace Centre in Greenville, South Carolina. Filmed in 2018 in front of a packed house, it's a celebration of a near 40 year friendship, as well as the pair's individual talents. But, although the film arrived on Netflix some three years before the first series of Only Murders tapped into our obsession with true crime podcasts, it’s something of a partner piece to the successful comedy/drama.

There's none of the stellar guest stars, who are such a vital part of its formula, nor is there any sign of those infamous Pickwick Triplets. But with opening credits in an art deco style worthy of The Arconia, and both Martin and Short already showing similarities with their alter-egos, Charles and Oliver, the stage was clearly being set for what was to come. All it needed was Selena Gomez and some gut milk.

An Evening You Will Forget starts with Martin and Short trading gags at each other’s expense — "Steve is so pale he looks like a coloring book that hasn’t been colored in yet" — in a series of pit-pat stand-up routines. Martin is the more dignified of the two, compared to his friend’s manic energy, but no less funny. And, in case you think he's gone away, that wild and crazy guy occasionally bursts out as a reminder.

Diehard fans will adore the familiarity of the routines and comparative newbies who love Only Murders will find them hard to resist. The second half gives the two their own solo moments in the spotlight: Martin’s skill with the banjo and Short’s outrageous Jiminy Glick, as well as his uncanny ability to turn himself into a set of bagpipes, are the highlights.

Yes, it's stagey and it's been carefully crafted, but it's also laugh-out-loud funny and the rare moments when they fluff their lines are truly priceless. Nominated for four Primetime Emmys — Only Murders has been showered with awards and nods – it’s an energetic mix of laughter, nostalgia and comforting comedy. Exactly what you need between now and the start of season four.

Only Murders In The Building season 4 premieres August 27 on Hulu for US audiences and on Disney Plus for the UK. New episodes release weekly.