The Comedy Store
Not Eligible for SAG Awards Awards® Consideration
This documentary series brings to life the legends, heartbreak and history created at The Comedy Store, which over the past 47 years has launched the careers of a breathtaking array of stars. As a Comedy Store alum, former stand-up comic Binder spotlights one of pop culture’s great laboratories with never-before-seen footage and incisive, emotional interviews with some of the biggest names in comedy.
For Your Consideration
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
Executive Producers: Mike Tollin, Peter Shore, Mike Binder, Jon WEinbach, Paul Young, Vinnie Malhotra
Co-Executive Producers: Pauly Shore, Scott Shore
Produced by: Jonathan Vogler
Producers: Adam Eget
Outstanding Directing for a Documentary Series
Mike Binder
Outstanding Cinematography
Joshua W. Smith, Director of Photography
Outstanding Editing
Roger Nygard, ACE, Editor
Outstanding Sound Editing
Outstanding Sound Mixing
Outstanding Writing
Mike Binder
Episodes
Episode 1 | “Saw You Last Night on The Tonight Show”
The Comedy Store’s founding generation in the 1970s launched the careers of some of the most legendary comics of all time: Freddie Prinze, Richard Pryor, David Letterman, Jay Leno and more.
Episode 2 | “The Comedy Strike”
The 1979 comedy strike saw Mitzi and The Store’s comics enter one of the darkest moments in comedy history. But the club soon recovered, featuring incredible talents like the one and only Richard Pryor, who used The Store as a gym to work out all-new material.
Episode 3 | “The Wild Bunch”
Enter the wild bunch: Sam Kinison, Andrew Dice Clay, Pauly Shore, Sandra Bernhard, Jim Carrey, Damon Wayans, and many more. These were the party years, but when Mitzi Shore fell sick in the late 90s, the Store floundered without her leadership as hot comics retreated to other clubs.
Episode 4 | “Joe Rogan Returns”
Podcasts and social media’s influence on the world of comedy. Joe Rogan returns to the Store after a seven-year ban. Joe and former doorman Marc Maron, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Annie Lederman and other podcasters help The Store once again become the hottest club in the industry.
Episode 5 | “The Birth of a Bit”
The fifth and final episode spotlights Mitzi Shore’s death, its impact on the iconic club and who’s now running The Store. We also explore the current state of stand-up and the new style of shows that have been harvested, birthed and workshopped at the Store like Tony Hinchcliffe’s ‘Kill Tony,’ Don Barriss’ ‘The Ding Dong Show,’ and ‘Comedy Store Tonight’ starring long-time Store veteran Argus Hamilton.
