Xuenou > Television > Vice’s ‘Dark Side’ Franchise Expands With ‘Dark Side of Comedy’ Spinoff (EXCLUSIVE)
Vice’s ‘Dark Side’ Franchise Expands With ‘Dark Side of Comedy’ Spinoff (EXCLUSIVE)
Vice TV is adding another "Dark Side" series to its growing fan-favorite franchise with spinoff "Dark Side of Comedy."

Vice’s ‘Dark Side’ Franchise Expands With ‘Dark Side of Comedy’ Spinoff (EXCLUSIVE)

Vice TV is adding another “Dark Side” series to its growing fan-favorite franchise with spinoff “Dark Side of Comedy,” Variety has learned exclusively.

The cabler describes the new show as “a fresh look at an art form that has long shined a light on significant cultural issues, and the artists who have managed to create light in times of darkness.”

Joining a “Dark Side” lineup that currently includes “Dark Side of the Ring,” “Dark Side of Football” and “Dark Side of the ’90s,” “Dark Side of Comedy” is a series that “examines the internal battles, unexpected fame and societal pressures that are ever-present in the comedy world; as well as the lasting legacy of the women and men who allow us to see the world through their eyes.”

The first season of the show, which is narrated by Dave Foley, will consist of 10 episodes focused on these comics: Andrew Dice Clay, Chris Farley, Freddie Prinze, Artie Lange, Roseanne Barr, Dustin Diamond, Greg Giraldo, Brett Butler, Richard Pryor and Maria Bamford.

It features comics like Patton Oswalt, Godfrey, the late Gilbert Gottfried, Maria Bamford and more weighing in on these stories.

Per Vice’s logline for “Dark Side of Comedy,” “Comedy has entered a new golden age. Podcasts, social media, and streaming services have all created new life and new laughs for comics living and dead — comics who were once relegated to smoky nightclubs and finite network TV time slots. Similarly, a new generation of comics and comedy fans are reassessing the legacy of legends, some who are even more culturally relevant today than in their prime.”

“Through first-person storytelling, incredible archival, and evocative recreations, ‘Dark Side of Comedy’ explores the intensely personal journeys of the world’s most beloved comics, and the struggles that they encounter behind the mask,” according to Vice.

Vice Studios’ “Dark Side of Comedy” is executive produced by Paul Taylor, as well as Vice TV’s Catherine Whyte, SVP of production and operations, and Vice Studios’ Vanessa Case. Vice TV’s general manager and executive vice president Morgan Hertzan is the executive overseeing the show, which will be distributed worldwide by Vice Distribution.

“Dark Side of Comedy” will premiere Aug. 16 at 9 p.m. on Vice TV.

Watch the trailer for “Dark Side of Comedy,” which is exclusive to Variety, below.