The Comedy Store

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.

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.

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.

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 and other podcasters help The Store once again become the hottest club in the industry.

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.