User reviews

Stand-up is experiencing a renaissance and "I'm Dying Up Here" is the blueprint for building a masterful comedic series. This is the real deal. the show represents the period with authenticity, the plot and jokes are intelligent, thought provoking, engaging, and most of all -- funny, the characters have real depth and the comedians take it to another level by delivering brilliant performances as actors. Showtime has a hit on their hands.

When I started watching the show, it didn't seem great, I was a bit disappointed, but a few episodes in I felt it had started to move in the right direction so I kept watching. 7 episodes in I'm starting to love it, the characters seem more real, their stories more interesting and it's a lot funnier. I just hope there will be more seasons.

Its not Vinyl. There are no similarities to that show other than it's set in the 70s. Its pretty clear that most of the reviews here are from people that didn't bother to watch a full episode.

This show has solid writing, good character development, and great acting. Melissa Leo, Erik Griffin and Clark Duke are standouts.

This show is different from 99% of the junk being pumped out on the regular these days. It deserves a chance. Leave your hatred for the baby boomers at the door and you might end up having a good time.

Like the tragically cancelled Roadies I'm Dying Up Here has not received it's due praise. It's funny and touching examination of the lives of upcoming comedians masks the true magic of the show, which is to relate universal struggle all of us face in trying to realize our future potential while nurturing healthy relationships and balancing responsibilities right now. Shooting for the top before fizzling out or exploding. Reconciling our past with our present.

I don't know why these amazing shows have so much trouble finding an audience or critical acclaim. It seems like if character arcs are not clearly defined then critics think it is muddled. This is not the case though.

I love this show as I loved Roadies. The history and trade knowledge serve to enrich the themes adding texture and ambiance. I love it. The critics got it wrong but an 80 percent favourable audience score on Rotten Tomatos sounds about right.

As I never saw promotion for this series, I started watching it when I stumbled upon it one night during what was the 5th episode. I immediately had to go back and watch the first 4 episodes. Having lived through this time, I see a lot in this series that seems familiar, bringing back memories of a quite different time. Anyone who doesn't get this show does not realize it is portraying the 70's! A lot of jokes from then do not translate well today but they are telling it like it is, or was. Ron's storyline reminded me of when Jerry Seinfeld actually had a bit part on Benson. A lot of great comics evolved during this period. I believe this show is not meant to be "haha" funny, but to show the struggles of those who make us laugh. Love the cast they do a superb job! Hope Showtime gives this show a 2nd season, a better time slot, and promotes it this time!

You've definitely got to have some sort of comical education to appreciate this show. This history behind the comedy store is one thing but having that comedy mindset and understanding of the clever narrative of this show is a must. Possibly why it wasn't so popular on the mainstream. This show was awesome, refreshing, clever and an articulate comedy. I loved it.

I truly do not understand all the negativity and one star reviews of this show. I don't write a lot of reviews, but felt compelled to when I saw the low rating and negative reviews.

There's only 2 episodes at the time of this review, but I really enjoyed the writing, acting and overall feel of the show. It's not a sitcom, folks. It's a comedy/drama. There are serious moments and situations. That said, there were many laugh out loud moments and I have thoroughly enjoyed what I have seen so far. Melissa Leo as Goldie delivers a stand out performance.

Several reviewers complain about the seventies costuming and sets being over the top. I grew up in the seventies and I think it's spot on and I love the look of the show.

Ignore the one star reviews and give it a try. I'm really glad I didn't let the 6.5 rating stop me from missing out on a great new series.

From the opening music, you understand there is a pall over this show. No, it's not a comedy, and the telling of jokes over the melancholy (borderline depressing) jazz riffs that begin each episode aptly explains exactly what this is. This is a glimpse into the hard life of comedians, and dammit, they aren't pulling any punches.

However there's something unexpected - because it's just hard to do - and that's to make it funny every week, and the writers of the show pull it off. In spades. That's no easy task, considering the crowded cast list. The show list 10 writers, not counting Jim Carrey, and in order to create the depth that this "dramedy" shoots for, I would expect no less. Even if I hadn't looked at the credits, it feels like a full staff of writers are involved. But that's just scratching the surface, because it also aspires to be a drama packed with everything from heartfelt, to love stories, to danger, and here's where it has its work cut out for it.

If I were to try and compare it to something, I would compare it to M.A.S.H. - now don't get me wrong, rarely does anything compare to that fantastic show, though I mean it in the way of attempting comedy of all sorts, from witty to silly, right next door to death and pain.

It does not fire on all cylinders. It could be better. I feel there are too many characters, and some of the stories are thin. After all, how well can you really flesh out 12 or 15 characters and make them all intricate, complete beings? Some story lines suffer and you might wish certain characters were explored more, and some you may really not want to know about at all. A few are just plain unlikable. However for balance, there are a few who really charm, and you just wish they had more screen time.

There are gems in this show. Some great moments, yet sometimes bogged down a bit by stories better left unexplored and actors better left off-screen.

Some overact, in my opinion, embarrassingly so. Specifically first billed Melissa Leo, who I keep hoping, now after watching 8 episodes, that she would tone it down a bit - or more than a bit. Yes, we all know what she's going for: brash, East coast, hard drinking, self- made, female-trailblazer, kick-ass club owner. We get it, but she insists on shoving her overblown personality down our throats in each episode. It gets tiresome. That being said, I have to say that I want very badly to like her, and in her more subtle moments, she just about pulls it off. She needs to stop being a caricature and start being a character.

Ari Graynor is the saving grace of this show, and the heart. She lights up a room when she enters it. Hell, she'd light up a room backing into it. As well, honorable mentions go to Michael Angarano, Erik Griffin, and even the sullen, sarcastic, fatalistic character "Bill Hobbs" played by Andrew Santino. There's good acting here.

Bottom line, I'm having a good time with this interesting concept of a comedy-drama, and although there are things I wish were a bit different (as well as a bit of a slower pace) I have found myself looking forward to each subsequent episode, because it's getting better and finding its stride.

I hope it stays around. I need to find out who makes it as a big comedian and who goes back to a life of mediocrity.

After a 'first career' in ordinary work, I decided to take a fling at stand-up comedy at the Comedy Zone in Jacksonville Florida for a second life. It's a major club that draws "A-list" comics from L.A. And NYC for the Thursday-Sunday shows. Us rank neophytes are given the opportunity to do 5-12 minutes on a Tuesday-Wednesday, and we learn from the local club owner who is a national booker of comic talent. We had to pay and complete an 8 week class, and then meet the standard in our 'graduation show' to be part of the team. About half make it.

I'm Dying Up Here is so much like what we go through every week. We get paid nothing, we get one free drink each night we work, no food. I drive 50 miles one way to the club, at least twice a week. The owner is like Goldie - he knows the business, he's demanding but supportive, and if we work another club, we're in trouble. But he knows his stuff. Some who have come up this way have done well, going on to Hollywood and Vegas. We've met Arsenio, Tom Arnold, Sheri Sheppard, Ralphie May, Bob Saget, etc.

You want to know what it's really like? Like "I'm Dying up here" - minus the sex. Or maybe it's just me... Look for a club that has a comic class - try it.

Unlike the one previous review, I thought that this was an accurate, insightful look at the 70's comedy scene in Hollywood. The styles, cars, and outside shots looked exactly like the somewhat sleazy look of Hollywood in the 1970s. I lived in the Los Angeles area during that period and that is exactly how people dressed. And sleaze. Yes, it was a pretty sleazy place but I was fascinated by it all. There are a lot of different characters to remember but the character, Clay Abruzzi, was the most memorable. I enjoyed this look at the past.The story line is more dark than it is funny but it seems truthful.

There's a few things that you should know about this before heading in. Firstly, it's mot particularly funny. There's a few scenes that might amuse, but both the stand up bits and the humour in the show is pretty juvenile. It amounts to "your mum" jokes, racial observation (black people say so and so), and fairly basic sexual humour. Perhaps this is an accurate reflection of how comedy has evolved, but really don't expect to chuckle.

It's primarily pretty serious drama. The drama is relatively compelling, well acted, but then there's the second and third things you should know. It's dark, it's not uplifting, it'll leave you feeling sort of glum. And lastly, it's filled with very progressive narratives, as most post-naughties historical works are. And by this I mean, that the characters are quite black and white - the really bad people, are all white men. The women are to be sympathised with. There's the whole racial element. And I don't mean, as one would expect that it's just a current events, period theme. I mean it's sort of blow up into cartoonish proportions, as the progressive narrative tends to do.

So if you looking for something with complex characters that are likeable and hateable at the same time, nuance on the periods issues, or multiple points of view, you may be disappointed. And if you are a centrist, conservative or left libertarian of some variety, you may find it irritating enough based on its every presence in media to give up on it.

That said, if you are a baby boomer, millennial or other individual with leftist tendancies and don't mind something that brings little laughs and is kind of depressing - you'll probably like it. It's a very single lensed somewhat downbeat drama

This drama provides a gritty, bittersweet, and unadulterated glance into the entertainment industry from the perspective of group of comedians. The actors truly brought the characters they played to life. Like most artists on the come up, there are no bells and whistles to jump out at you and immediately grab your attention. It gradually unfolds and is just there for you to watch. This show deserved more publicity. Which is the same point the comedians tried to prove to themselves.

Give it a chance. It's a gem.

Caught this on Sky Atlantic....home of the brilliant Ray Donovan and Hannibal..so I thought...why not?

Firstly..the feel of the 70's is very ,very well put over,,,gets it right every episode.

Secondly the writing is superb...on a par with anything you will see( or hear).

First few episodes are just introducing new characters ...but getting to episode 3 it comes apparent that making people laugh is so much more than telling jokes.

Strong roles and brilliant camera work make this a real gem.

It shows that genius and madness appear together in a comics mind.

Await each episode with anticipation and definitely warrants a season 2, 3, and 4! Keep it coming guys.

This show is awful. It'a hard enough to write a show about comedians. You have to write jokes--and funny ones--weekly if you insist on showing the comedians on stage. This show can't do it. Based very loosely on Bill Knoedelseder's terrific book about The Comedy Store and the comedians who eventually went on strike because they weren't getting paid, this really pale imitation takes place a good six years before the events Knoedelseder wrote about. It's just not interesting. Did I mention it wasn't funny? Whoever compared this to HBO's Vinyl was right on the money. It's doomed. Also, the comment about how the show uses every 70s cliché in the book was also correct. The only thing this show is very good at is showing what a terrible person "Goldie"--Mitzi Shore--is. Do yourself a favor. Read Knoedelseder's book. It's about a thousand times better and, unlike this series, you really feel for the people in it.

I bought into every character in this series. They were believable in their grittiness, their heartbreaks and their triumphs. But Dammit, we need more. An extremely well put together mingling of the characters and their life struggles, past and present. But this series is worthy of another season. All the characters bloomed to their potential by the end of the second season. A third season could be explosive. I have encouraged many people to watch this masterful portrayal of the dark side of comic's lives. Seriously, by the end of the last episode of the second season, we all feel like we were left 'Dying Up Here' for more.

I just finished a two-day binge of the first two seasons of I'm Dying Up Here. To be honest, I approached it with pretty low expectations, so maybe that's one reason why I came away liking the show so much. The pilot really doesn't do justice to the rest of the show--and that's a good thing, because I would always rather watch a show hit its stride and get better than watch it go downhill.

The best reasons to watch this show are the writing and the characters. This show does what the best ensemble shows do well, which is combine and recombine the characters into different situations, so that their relationships with one another become how we understand who they are (just like our relationships do in real life). Even when the characters do something predictable, they usually do it in unpredictable ways. The characters are three-dimensional, flawed but mostly likeable, and I found myself rooting for them when they succeeeded and sympathizing when they failed. The dynamic between tne young and older comics is interesting, and it's intersting to see professional mentorship explored within this particular world. The writing shows a surprising sensitivity and nuance, and there's something about that plus the 70s setting that reminds me of Almost Famous.

Some people have complained in their reviews about the decor and clothing on the show, because they think it's too over the top. As a child of the 70s, I beg to differ; if anything, there are too many contemporary touches in the character's costumes. (Just watch anything on TV from the early 1970s and see what I mean). The same goes for the interior design; it look exactly as I remember things looking, especially the kinds of places where relatively flashy people lived. I also read some complaints about the amount of smoking on the show--but I remember the 70s, and (even through the 80s) we lived in a haze of the stuff. I also have to say that I appreciate that, for the most part, the show depicts drug use in a frank and mostly unmoralizing way; it doesn't glamorize , but it also doesn't preach. Also, lest I forget, the comedy spots are actuallly really dang funny. The show's raison d'etre isn't to only be funny; but, as a show about comics, it carries the water it needs to in order to make things belieable.

I also read a few comments that compared this to HBO's dreadful Vinyl. That's nonsense. Vinyl was an unholy mess, so unbelievably silly and while it took itself so seriously--and it was BORING. The only interesting scenes took place in the record company offices. The characters were utterly flat, their problems barely registered over all the sound and fury signifying nothing, and to top it all off, their David Bowie had a double chin and the "new discovery" young singer sounded like a mid-2000s American Idol contestant. Plus, you don't need a dramatic zoom shot every time someone does a line of coke--and people don't always yell when they do one. Please. There's no comparison. Vinyl was a mess and shouldn't have been made in the first place.

I'm Dying Up Here is a good show with potential to be a great one, but a few things get in the way. The drama sometimes verges on being a little soapy, with a lot of emotional weight invested in who's sleeping with Cass (our protagoneuse)--lots of wailing and gnashing of teeth because apparently every guy in the whole comedy world wants to be with her. She's adorable, but come on--not every funny guy is a sad sack who expresses his insecurites by glomming onto women. Early on in the show, things got a little self-aware, with lots of harping on about the "alchemy" of comedy as a remedy for personal damage, and owning your pain, and things like that--which would better be shown than told in most cases. It seems like the show laid off talking about catharses in the second season, and I think that was an improvement. From time to time, there are a few speech anachronisms in the dialogue (I think "getting in your own way" is 2000s jargon, although I could be wrong about that); they're not egregious, but the show is otherwise so good that they stick out when they happen. People spoke differently in the 70s; I don't think I've heard one person say "terrific," and that word was the 70s equivalent of "awesome." But these are mostly quibbles, and they're mostly forgiveable, because the show gets so much more right than it does wrong.

I really hope that Showtime extends this show's run for a nice, long time. As HBO has become the network for giant, epic, CGIfests in its original programmng, Showtime has stepped up and dug for gold in humanist stories like this one. I like dragons as much as the next gal, but I also want to to watch people with interesting lives. The next Sopranos won't come from a show about a zombie apocolypse; it's going to be a psychologically astute character study (which was what the Sopranos really was underneath it all).

I'm disappointed in Showtine for pulling the plug on this witty trip back to the early days of stand up.

The well written dialogue gave the ensemble cast plenty of opportunities to show their gifts for comedic timing and acting range alike.

It's sad when pay channels act like the networks. I'm going to miss this show.

This new "Showtime" series is funny with laughs a good comedy, yet it's filled with plenty of drama and serious stuff of life. Set in 1970's California the series deals with race, culture, gender, drugs, and acceptance as it's a look into the comedy scene at a start up club in L.A.. It's a start up for all of the characters involved as they try to break into the funny business. Yet all along each episode is a behind the scenes journey into the life and personal struggles of each character as it's a life look away from and behind the mike. Also the series pushes the pad with it's brash dialogue and wit that's funny and brash and it's a celebration on sex, alcohol, and drugs. Overall good funny free spirited drama series to watch on the comedy culture.

This show was an incredibly realistic portrayal of the 70's and it's criminally underrated by lame sources like Rotten Tomatoes (probably because it's very non-PC and shows an authentic dose of how much more crass social dialogue was back in the day aka lots of racial slurs). There are definitely moments of hilarity, but just because it is about comedians does not mean it's meant to just be a comedy show...it deals with lots of dark themes we all face in every day life (addiction, death, depression, failure...etc). Excellent show, can't wait for Season 2 because by the end of this last episode I was left wanting more and finally feeling intimately connected to each character.

A wonderfully cast and expertly drawn piece on the trials and heartbreak of up and coming comedians in the 1970s. There are plenty of direct characterizations along the way: Johnny Carson, Richard Pryor etc. The novelette follows a group of comedians, bound by love and friendship, through the brutal and unfunny path to stardom. There is heartbreak and villainy galore, My only criticism is in Melissa Leo's portrayal of Goldie, the hard-to-like owner of LA's premier comedy club, and launching pad for countless comedians, based on Mitzi Shore. Ms. Leo is a scene-grabbing, irritating presence throughout. Her whiskey-chugging, cigarette over smoking (while chomping on the filter) is a turn off that ruins the scenes of far better actors. She is incapable of engendering sympathy in a character that is seemingly supposed to do just that. Please watch this excellent series, don't fast-forward Ms. Leo's scenes, as they are necessary, and enjoy the rest.

'Comedy' is the truth I would give it a 10 but i want to leave room for the one... I'm Dying up here'' is a blast from the past in so many ways. You don't normally see what is behind it all in this business and what a struggling aspiring artist goes through and this one nailed it on the head!!! I am not shocked at what this profession has to go through and endure, all dignity put aside and pride to hide...it really is a tough road to fame fortune and glory and all that jazz to what a person goes through to achieve it all. When i was watching this my impression was it all seems very realistic down to earth. Unveils secrets and guess what its all good nobody who's made it is complaining 'Comedy' is the truth. Behind all of the madness is the joy of giving and receiving that so called gift of laughter which is a temporary fix like band-aid healing experience that works for everyone. a two way experience receiving the turn around, of your pains into joys and laughter

i love the art. to be able to make those kind of connections with others its a healing mound and wall breaking down of madness a satisfying release of untold personal stories and experiences delivered.. expressed and told so that YOU the audience can feel good about the dysfunction ugly and painful truth.. told by comedians. it is better to laugh than to cry,turn your pains into laughter, this show is exciting! I look forward to more. Kudos you got it spot on.

cheers. Catherine Kiki Love

My only problem with this show is that none of the comedian characters have ANY good material. I know they're all supposed to be up-and-coming, and they often receive feedback from Goldie and each other that they're "not ready" and "not good enough," but even when a comic is supposedly "killing" and the whole club is cackling at one of their bits, the material is just really bad. There are still funny situational moments in the show, but the stand-up sets all just seem poorly written to me-like sometimes the punchlines don't even make sense. The actors are decent at delivering the material as if it's good, though, and that's something. Similarly, the banter among the comics usually isn't as funny as they act like it is. The dialogue is snappy but not necessarily humorous when it's supposed to be.

Aren't series about comedians supposed to be...funny? This show is like the Tom Hank's film Punchline: A narrative about comedians with very few actual laughs. The sad part is that this show has several REAL LIFE comedians who should be able to make you laugh. Unfortunately, they don't.

Melissa Leo, as always, is good. And the show has a keen eye on how life was during the 1970s (one noticeable flaw is that all of the vehicle are of 1970s vintage instead of the range from mid-1950s until the early 1970s that would have been on the road at the time) although many of social and political attitudes are that of its 21st century filming period.

Not a bad drama. Just not a funny series about comedians.

Wonderful characters. Captivating. All well-acted. Like anybody trying to get ahead in any line of work, only more so in an outgoing line of work. Even the ones I don't like I'd like to know. Great stories artistically intertwined. Drama, pathos, joy. Organic development. Jokes on stage are just right -- some bad, some good, but obviously not yet professional, cause that's why they are at Goldies. The professional humor is off the stage. The things people say authentically in the spur of the moment, that they work to capture every night.