User reviews

The names, the faces, the anecdotes, the history, the place, the ups, the downs, the turn arounds, the insanity, the laughs, and the humanity all bundled up together. If you love comedy and miss this series, you'll have a hole in your life that will never be filled.

I watched "I'm Dying Up Here" (back in) 2017 barely aware it was inspired by historical events, seeing this now felt ...like ventolin 4 an asthmatic !

Great memories of some of the most solid comedians of our time-I'm a little disappointed in the reliance on nutjobs like Carrey, Letterman and Apatow (what a putz) but I think Binder wanted to use his friends for the name recognition so whatever.

The Wayans boys, Kinnison, Allen, Keaton (he was damn funny, no seriously) Dice, Byron Allen, Rogan, Roseanne, Wright, etc., back when comedy was so damn funny, no fear, eff your feelings.

It's funny to hear the stories behind the comedy, what was really going on with Mitzi (always been the worst kept secret) we all heard she was going after some of the guys, that Paulie only became a 'thing' because of his mom (it really explains a lot) ran the store, etc., but it's a well constructed anthology, and fun to look back. Too bad it didn't happen before Mitzi's departure.

I think anyone could have produced a good documentary on The Comedy Store and it would be an enjoyable watch. But Mike Binder made this so much more and it's a truly special piece of work. I could yammer on ad nauseum who gives a care what some random dude on the internet is saying. Just watch it. If youd on't, you will have missed out on something truly wonderful and you will feel that void in you for the rest of your days.

Produced with love, this five parts series pays respect to Mitzy Shore, her family, the forum she created and the hundreds of comedians who call it home. While it does not shy away from the bad parts, neither does real comedy. Absolutely worth the watch.

Started watching while being bored and couldn't stop. So much history of the Comedy Store that was amazing and sometimes sad to watch. Thank you Mitzi Shore for keeping the place alive in the hard time's RIP

Do yourself a favor and watch it. I've watched it 5 times. It is scored beautifully. It's soooooo entertaining and no matter how much you think you know about the Comedy Store, you'll definitely learn something new. The best stories I've ever heard are contained in this documentary. Mike Binder did an amazing job. 10 star reviews down the board. I couldn't believe how many comedians Mitzi was responsible for,

To the 1/10 reviewer who gave review on October 13th - dude, only 2 episodes had aired when you gave that review, and you complain about it being boring... how would you know when the show has barely begun to dive into its subject matter? You also complain about its lack of depth, with a 3 sentence review... talk about a lack of depth. It's also your only review and you created an account just to crap on this show. People should take your review with a large dose of salt.

I just finished watching the final episode- this was an absolute masterpiece! Thanks, Mike Binder- this was truly a gift to the comedy-loving world. I loved it. What a perfect time-capsule for such an iconic establishment and sub-culture.

Comedians talk about their trade and their lives in what was their comedic home town. Much respect for the greats and particularly for the owner who made it work.

Outstanding discussion of the suffering inflicted by cancel culture, by political correctness, and the repressive tone of the time.

I never give a '10' rating and I rarely want to watch any film again, but this documentary deserves all the hard earned applause and laughter it evokes. Can't wait for the next time I have time to watch it.

"The Comedy Store" (2020 release; 5 episodes of about 55-60 min. each) is a TV documentary mini-series about the (in)famous comedy hot spot in West Hollywood. As Episode 1 opens, we get archive footage from the 1970s, here is Mike Bender! there is Richard Pryor! We then go back in time, to 1972 to be precise as Sammy and Mitzi Shore turn the former Ciro's (where the Byrds were discovered) into a place for stand-up comedy. After a bitter divorce, Mitzi took over the place by herself, and she turns it into a Mecca of stand-up comedy... At this point we are less than 15 min. into the opening episode.

Couple of comments: this is a labor of love by Mike Bender (yes, the same guy from the 1978 archive footage we see in the opening moments), as he co-produced, wrote and directed this documentary mini-series. I am by no means an expert in stand-up comedy and my secret hope was frankly that this documentary series might take the Comedy Store as an excuse to look at the history of stand-up comedy, as, say, a Ken Burns has done with the history of jazz and of country music (among so many other topics). Alas, as it turns out, my expectations were way off target and far too high. Instead, what we get is a non-stop barrage of big names (such as Chris Rock, David Letterman, Jim Carrey, and on and on) commenting on how the Comedy Story gave them a break in the very early stages of their careers. The most interesting aspect of Episode 1 looks into the parallels between the relocation of the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson to the West coast (also in 1972) and how the Comedy Store took off as a launching pad for stand-up comedians ("the Comedy Store was like AAA baseball with the Tonight Show being the majors", comments Letterman). But in the end, I see no overall narrative, and I thought to myself: "this is going to go on for another 4 episodes, meaning another 4 hours? why?".

"The Comedy Store" premiered this weekend on Showtime, and is now available on SHO On Demand and other streaming services. New episodes air on Sundays at 10 pm Eastern. If you love stand-up comedy, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.

This is a great docu series it made me go threw the full spectrum of emotions ,so well made . Its great to see some of my favorite comedians / podcasters talking about there experience at the comedy mecca

An outstanding behind the scenes look at the development of the great comics of our time. Mike Binder does an amazing job. They're quite a family out there, it's an emotional story and you're sure to learn something you'll remember.

I came to this a little skeptical. But having heard so much about the comedy store and the legends and stories over the years on talkshows from various comedians, I had to check it out. It's a fascinating history lesson on the role the comedy store played in the evolution of stand-up comedians, TV and the growth of comedy clubs in general. Scores of comics with historical footage and interspersed with interviews that's a great way to look back on this story that has only been told in fragments before. Highly recommend to fans of stand up or simply cultural history.

I've never seen a more in depth, historically focused, honest look into the life of a standup comedian. I enjoyed every single scene in this behind the scenes look at the Comedy Store. Slightly curious why Seinfeld, Eddie Murphy and Chappelle were basically omitted from it however, guessing there is beef with them and someone in production. Nevertheless, a great watch for fans of comedy and Hollywood history.

9/10 Film-Series "The Comedy Store" (🐷🐷🐷🐷🐷🐷🐷🐷🐷/10 comedic piglets)

You probably need to be a stand-up comedy nerd like me to appreciate this. But Mike Binder, (comedian, actor, author, and now director)... takes us on a five part journey into the famed comedy venue called 'The Comedy Store' in California. Firsthand interviews with almost every famous living comedian on the planet provide a look into not only comedians and their process, but the evolution and origins of this famed comedy venue!

From the stylized opening that starts every episode to the final "round table" in episode five, you will love it, as you bathe in the nostalgia of American stand-up comedy.

It documented The Store's origins well, and it profiled the most famous comics from the '70s and '80s well. Then it sort of lost the thread. The last few episodes are scattershot and disorganized.

It glossed over every decade since the '80s to focus on the present-- you will learn details about every unknown regular and perpetual open micer that you didn't want. I know from listening to The Comedy Store's podcast that there are MUCH more interesting stories about obscure names from the '90s and '00s-- stories that director Binder could have discovered if he had done cursory research about them.

This doc often unexpectedly bored me.

This doc was hyped by a few that were mislead, guaranteed. Scattered, no depth, boring. The Comedy Store and Mitzi Shore deserve something much better than this.

1) So, the music is over-the-top... Reminds me of those sappy tv shows like "This is Us." The producers are obviously pushing hard to elicit some kind of Jesus Camp weepy emotions.

2) Speaking of emotions, the host (Binder) seems to be teetering just a half-step away from a full-blown sob session. I genuinely hope the guy is alright.

3) The comedian that claimed this one tiny comedy club in Los Angeles has changed society *more than any other place in the world* was not joking. He said it with a straight face. *That* part of the show was funny.

4) The self-importance is oozing from all of these jokers. We get it - you are convinced you prevented World War III thanks to your bit on how bad airplane food is.

Bottom line: if you are a huge stand-up comedy fan you will probably like this. However, for your average layperson it comes off as a self-aggrandizing hug-box.