The concept of hitting the road as an undiscovered comic, grinding out shows and hopefully capturing the attention of some Netflix, HBO or Hulu executive along the way, is a pipe dream. Even so, a network special does not guarantee a comedian long-term success — if you define it like comedian Ali Siddiq does — owning your own work. "If somebody comes to me with $30 million, it is still going to be a conversation about ownership," he said on "Salon Talks."
Many remember Siddiq from his appearances on HBO's "Def Comedy Jam" and "Live From Gotham." Those performances led him to be named Comedy Central's No.1 Comic to Watch. Later, he recorded a one-hour special for Comedy Central in the Texas jail where he once served time called "Ali Siddiq: It's Bigger Than These Bars."
