Iconic comedy club in Los Angeles, The Comedy Store, will be the topic of a new four-part docuseries ordered by Showtime, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The series, brought to viewers by Mike Binder, will feature vintage performances, and interviews with comics who developed their skills at the historical club.
The show is expected to premiere in 2020 and will be directed and produced by Binder who was a part of Ray Donovan, and The Mind of the Married Man. Binder is set to work alongside Mike Tollin (Showtime’s The Franchise, One Tree Hill.) “The Comedy Store is a magical place — it’s Juilliard for stand-up comics, the Bolshoi Ballet of comedy,” Binder said. “It’s an honor for me to be able to return home to my roots, and I am so grateful to be able to tell this remarkable story,” he added.
David Letterman, Chris Rock, Richard Pryor, Dave Chappelle, Sarah Silverman, Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, and Whitney Cummings, are just a few names who got their start or developed their talent at The Comedy Store. Mitzi Shore, the longtime owner, died in 2018 and was considered a mentor and “maternal influence,” according to Letterman. Shore’s son Peter and Paul Young also executive produce the yet untitled series along with Jon Weibach. Jonathan Vogler of Mandalay Sports Media, and Adam Eget are producers. Eget is also the creative director of The Comedy Store.
The Comedy Store docuseries will follow I’m Dying Up Here, Showtime’s scripted dramedy. I’m Dying Up Here ran for two seasons in 2017-18 with a setting of the early 1970s in Los Angeles. The series featured Melissa Leo starring as a club owner slightly mirroring Mitzi Shore.