A new four-part docuseries about the history of the storied Los Angeles comedy club, the Comedy Store, will premiere on Showtime in 2020. The docuseries will look at how the Comedy Store served as an incubator and launching pad for top comedians like David Letterman, Robin Williams, Chris Rock, Sarah Silverman, Dave Chapelle and more. The project will boast never-before-seen footage, as well as interviews with people like Judd Apatow, David Spade, Martin Lawrence and Bob Saget.
The as-yet-untitled project will be directed by Mike Binder. Binder has directed films like Black or White, Reign Over Me and The Upside of Anger, though he began his career as a stand-up comedian and performed regularly at the Comedy Store.
“The Comedy Store is a magical place — it’s Juilliard for stand-up comics, the Bolshoi Ballet of comedy,” Binder said in a statement. “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.”
Situated on the Sunset Strip, the Comedy Store was opened in 1972 by Sammy Shore and Rudy De Luca. For years, however, it was famously run by Shore’s ex-wife, Mitzi, who gained control over the club as part of a divorce settlement (she bought the building outright in 1976). Shore was instrumental in the Comedy Store’s success and served as mentor to the numerous comedians who passed through.
After Shore died in 2018, her son, comedian Pauly Shore, was named manager of the Comedy Store, while her other son, Peter, was put in charge of the estate and production company. Peter Shore will serve as an executive producer on the upcoming Showtime docuseries, while the club’s current creative director, Adam Eget, will produce.