Andrew Dice Clay is having another moment.
Showtime announced today it has ordered six episodes of Dice, a semi-autobiographical single-cam series that’ll film in Las Vegas later this year and air in 2016. The pay-cable network already is set to premiere his latest stand-up special, Andrew Dice Clay Presents the Blue Show, on April 25.
“Love him or hate him, Dice is a true original and Dice is always funny,” said Gary Levine, Showtime’s exec VP of original programming. “After a career full of ups and downs, he’s hotter today than ever. Plus, we were looking to do a semi-autobiographical comedy about a one-named icon and Cher was busy.”
Clay’s comeback began surging in 2011 with a recurring role as himself in the final season of HBO’s Entourage. His first stand-up special since 1997, Indestructible, debuted on Showtime at the end of 2012. A plum turn in a supporting role in Woody Allen’s award-winning film Blue Jasmine followed; Clay also is appearing in the upcoming rock ‘n’ roll drama series from Martin Scorsese for HBO.
Clay’s up-and-downs since his “Dice” character and naughty takes on nursery rhymes made him a comedy superstar in the late 1980s will fuel the plotlines for Dice. As will his relationships with his kids, ex-wife and his former fiancee.
Screenwriter Scot Armstrong and Fox 21 TV Studios are behind Dice, with Clay, Armstrong, Sean Furst, Bryan Furst, Richard Shepard and Bruce Rubenstein executive-producing.
“We realized there was a lot of humor and heart in the story of a once-superstar comedian having to crawl back to have a career — a true second act,” said Fox 21 TV Studios president Bert Salke. “Sean, Bryan and Richard immediately saw the potential for a series, and we so believed in it that we asked Scot Armstrong to write and direct a homemade presentation — which David and Gary loved so much they ordered it straight to series.”