Showtime has announced that period dramedy I’m Dying Up Here has been renewed for a 10-episode second season.
“It is gratifying that so many comedians tell us this series really nailed the comedy club experience,” said Showtime’s president of programming Gary Levine. “The talented ensemble of I’m Dying Up Here, led by the brilliant Melissa Leo, and an equally skilled creative team behind the scenes, tell stories that scale the heights of comedy and the depths of drama, often at the same time. Having heard their plans for season two, I’m excited about the journeys these characters will take and the new ground the show will break.”
Renewal for I’m Dying Up Here was far from certain, as it’s Showtime’s lowest-rated scripted original and struggled to generate any kind of buzz this summer. However, with Showtime already losing Episodes and Twin Peaks from its summer lineup, and the season two pitch impressing the network, they decided to give it another go-around.
Based on the non-fiction book of the same name by William Knoedelseder and developed for television by Dave Flebotte (Desperate Housewives), I’m Dying Up Here examines the Los Angeles stand-up comedy scene during the 1970s through a group of young comedians vying for a shot on The Tonight Show. The series chronicles the struggles that go into a career in comedy and how rewarding it can ultimately be.
I’m Dying Up Here stars Melissa Leo (Treme), Ari Graynor (Bad Teacher), Michael Angarano (The Knick), Clark Duke (Greek), Andrew Santino (Mixology), Erik Griffin (Workaholics), RJ Cyler (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), Al Madrigal (About a Boy), and Jake Lacy (Carol).
The second season of I’m Dying Up Here is set to go into production this fall for a 2018 premiere.
