If you're an aspiring culinary artist, there are plenty of shows to watch for inspiration 鈥� 鈥淐hopped,鈥� 鈥淢aster Chef鈥� and 鈥淭he Great British Bake Off鈥� let viewers watch kitchen magic unfold. But Nicole Byer's Emmy-nominated series "" is gaining traction for turning the premise of cooking competitions on its head. Instead of dishing up exquisite treats, its inexperienced competitors fail spectacularly.

Byer鈥檚 standup routines are confident and provocative. Nearly half of her is about being fat, but she says that humor comes from a place of self-assuredness. Meanwhile, in her podcast 鈥溾€� she opens up about her romantic failings. In the podcast, she invites feedback from friends and former dates about why she鈥檚 still single. Byer performs Friday through Sunday at Raleigh Improv in Cary.