Premiered: June 4, 2017

On: Showtime

Starring: Melissa Leo, Ari Graynor, Clark Duke, Michael Angarano, Andrew Santino, Stephen Guarino, Erik Griffin, RJ Cyler, Al Madrigal, Jake Lacy, Ginger Gonzaga, Jon Daly, Obba Babatundé, W. Earl Brown, Jeffrey Nordling, Rick Overton, Dylan Baker, Brianne Howey, Ryan Alosio, Tommy Snider, Richard Kind & Sebastian Stan

I’m Dying Up Here may be all about the comedy scene in the 1970s, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to have you laughing.

After his appearance on the Tonight Show, comedian Clay Appuzzo (Sebastian Stan) steps in front of a bus and dies. His former colleagues work through their pain while all vying for the main stage at Goldie’s Comedy Club, owned by the hard-pushing Goldie Herschlag (Melissa Leo).

There’s an uneven balance amongst the characters where the young ones, like Cassie (Ari Graynor) and Ron (Clark Duke), are endearing to watch and genuinely funny, while the older ones lose almost all sense of comedy once they leave the stage. Both Goldie and club favorite Bill Hobbs (Andrew Santino) come off harsh and are instantly unlikable with few redeeming qualities.

Final say: We’re kind of dying down here. ★★☆☆☆