Dark Side of Comedy

2022 8.2

Throughout the history of comedy, many comedians have lost themselves to the art’s darker side, through addiction, suicide, depression and self-destruction. Dark Side of Comedy explores these stories, shining a new light on comedy’s darkest corners.

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1
Chris Farley
2022-08-16
Struggling with addiction and a dangerously low self-image, Chris Farley’s old friends at Saturday Night Live conspired to help save the falling star.
2
Andrew Dice Clay
2022-08-23
In the late 80s Andrew Dice Clay was one of the biggest comedians on the planet. His controversial brand of comedy found a huge base with white men in America... but at what cost?
3
Roseanne Barr
2022-08-30
Brash, bold, and hilariously funny, Roseanne Barr made a name speaking her mind. And that very same impulse may have cost her her career.
4
Artie Lange
2022-09-06
Artie Lange enjoyed mainstream success as a comedian on TV and radio, but his addiction to heroin, coupled with childhood traumas, threatened to thwart his ambition... and his life.
5
Richard Pryor
2022-09-13
Richard Pryor confronted America with brutal honesty like no other comic. But while he fought for a voice on stage, he was losing his own battle to drugs and family trauma.
6
Dustin Diamond
2022-09-20
Dustin Diamond found fame as a lovable geek on Saved By The Bell. But when it ended, Dustin was lost, descending into one tragic chapter after another.
7
Greg Giraldo
2022-09-27
How comedian Greg Giraldo's career, and life, is sabotaged by a toxic mix of addiction and self-loathing.
8
Brett Butler
2022-10-05
How Brett Butler gained everything, only to lose it all.
9
Freddie Prinze
2022-10-11
A working class Peurto Rican kid, Freddie Prinze exploded onto the comedy scene but his overnight fame came to an abrupt end.
10
Maria Bamford
2022-10-18
How Maria Bamford channels her mental illness into comedy, and encourages others to do the same.