June 23, 2025 | New York City: Marc Maron, the beloved comic voice and podcast pioneer, is launching his second HBO comedy special, Panicked, on August 1 at 8 p.m. ET PT. The special will stream on HBO Max, too, which is yet another big step in Maron’s career as a comedian and a social critic.
Maron Returns to HBO With Raw, Unfiltered Comedy
With Panicked, Maron is set to mix his biting humor and real talk, but now he’s going to be even more uncensored. The special, filmed in New York City and shaped from bits he polished during his latest “All In” tour, has Maron facing the fears of this rough period. From politics that keep moving in new directions and natural disasters that shake us up, to raw moments about family and past pain, these topics touch it all.
“I feel that this is the best work I’ve done,” Maron said in a statement to the press. He further said, “Everything came together. The direction, the production design, the shirt, and the bits. HBO gets me, and I’m thrilled to be presented by them.”
Nina Rosenstein, HBO’s executive vice president for Late Night and Specials, couldn’t hide her excitement, saying, “Marc is one of the all-time greats.” She also said that his standup makes you laugh and hits deep at the same time; he’s funny, honest, and truly one of a kind.
Navigating Grief, Politics, and the Human Condition
Maron likes to keep his comedy true to himself, but Panicked is brave enough to wrestle with today’s chaos directly. The special brings together tales of his dad’s fight with dementia, the constant danger of wildfires in Los Angeles, and tough memories from his childhood. Maron tries to find light and jokes in the middle of tough moments, and that feeling runs through all his recent work.
Maron told GQ he believes jokes can do more than just make us giggle. “There’s something vital and uplifting about simply sharing a humorous story that carries some weight,” Maron told GQ, highlighting how he connects with people through laughter, even in serious moments. Maron’s mix of being open and funny has turned into his signature style, winning him praise from everyone.
A Career at a Crossroads: The End of WTF and New Beginnings
Panicked is hitting screens at a crucial time for Maron, who’s preparing to end his well-known podcast, WTF with Marc Maron, before winter. The podcast has been around since 2009, with more than 1,600 episodes and big names like Barack Obama, Robin Williams, and Carol Burnett as guests.
Maron’s interview with Robin Williams made it into the National Recording Registry, which proves the show’s huge cultural impact. Even though he’s doing well with his podcast and acting in Netflix’s Glow, the movie To Leslie, and soon in Apple TV+’s The Stick, Maron still feels stand-up is what he was meant to do.
“I’m not an arena act… I use [stand-up] to delve into personal truths. It’s about being acknowledged and encouraging people to consider things from a different perspective,” Maron told Deadline.
Looking Forward: A Special That Reflects the Times
Panicked is Maron’s sixth stand-up show and his second one for HBO. It comes after his 2023 hit, From Bleak to Dark, where he talked about grief, getting older, and losing his partner, director Lynn Shelton. Right now, people feel a bit more hopeful, but there’s still that worry about today’s problems.
As Maron told GQ, “Once you recognize the situation and the sense of futility surrounding it, there’s something vital and uplifting about simply sharing a humorous story that carries some weight.”
Maron’s Panicked shows he’s still stretching what stand-up can be, bringing crowds giggles and a feeling they’re not alone in these unsure days. HBO’s Rosenstein said, “We’re really excited to team up with him again for his second HBO special.”
