It will be only fair to say that stand-up comedians have it somewhat easy today. I am not saying that it is easy to make other people laugh with your words. I wouldn’t be able to do it in a million years. But online video and platforms like YouTube have made it easy to grab a mike and reach out to the world, But it wasn’t the same only a few decades back. I’m Dying Up Here on Showtime takes you to that time when getting recognition for your humor meant being able to make it on the Johnny Carson Show.
I’m Dying Up Here Cast
Developed by David Flebotte and executive produced by Jim Carrey, I’M Dying Up Here takes you to the 70s when the stand-up comedy scene was on the cusp of breaking through in Los Angles. Based on the book I’m Dying Up Here: Heartbreak and High Times in Stand-Up Comedy’s Golden Era by William Knoedelseder, the comedy-drama tells the story of stand-up comedy as we know it today.
I’M Dying Up Here (2017)
Created By: David Flebotte
Cast: Melissa Leo, RJ Cyler, Ari Graynor, Clark Duke
Network: Showtime
Premiere Date: June 4 2017, 10 PM
Streaming on: Showtime
I’m Dying Up Here Plot
I’m Dying Up Here brings you the fictional version of the non-fiction book. So Goldie plays Mitzi Shore, the scout for Johnny Carson and Tonight Show. It gives you the most likely path a budding stand-up comedian had to take at the time to make it big and manage to make a living on comedy.
Goldie’s club was the first step on that path. Perform their, get noticed by her, if you are lucky, you might get a few minutes on the Johnny Carson show. And if you are one of the lucky ones you might even land a show on TV or become a feature in Vegas. But not all were lucky and some even met a bitter end while trying to make a living off the club. The show should be of interest to budding stand-up comedians and can be claimed as a partial history of stand-up comedy in LA. You will get to see versions of famous comedians in and out of the show as they discuss how to make people laugh and crack jokes.
I’m Dying Up Here Reviews
Making a serious non-fiction book into a comedy about stand-up comedy is definitely a tough job. While the series succeeds at times, there is equal amount of Drama in the air, which makes you label it more of a Drama than a Comedy show.
“All in all, like a comic in search of the perfect standup set — the “tight 15” Goldie frequently references — this rambling series would benefit from a dash of ruthlessness, a greater injection of originality and a good deal of relentless honing.” ~ Maureen Ryan, Variety
“Even if I’m Dying Up Here suffers from steadily declining flair, the pilot hooks viewers on the gap between the world of glitzy indulgence these characters are aspiring to and the grimy world of open mics, unpaid quickie sets and dead-end second jobs they’re living in.” ~ Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter
“You might think that a show about stand-up comedians would, you know, make you laugh a time or two. But Showtime’s morose, cliché-riddled new drama I’m Dying Up Here is more likely to make you hate yourself, everyone around you and humanity in general.” ~ Dave Nemetz, TV Line
I’m Dying Up Here Trailer
Watch this I’m Dying Up Here trailer and decide if the new show looks like fun and tell us what you think.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kye0QwGX9E
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