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2 • April 10 - 16, 2016 TVWeek By Kyla Brewer TV Media E verything old is new again. In the 1990s, An- drew Dice Clay ("The Ad- ventures of Ford Fair- lane," 1990) was known for his expletive-laden, brash brand of humor. For a while, he was on top, but the entertainment in- dustry is notoriously fickle, and he faded from view within a de- cade of his rise to fame. Now, he hopes to be famous for a new four-letter word. The comedian stages a comeback in the semi-autobiographical scripted comedy "Dice," pre- miering Sunday, April 10, on Showtime. Created by Scot Arm- strong ("Old School," 2003), the six-episode series follows Clay as he moves his family to Las Vegas in the hopes of kick- starting his career after a slump. The aging comedian also strug- gles to pay his gambling debts, manage his sons' rock band and keep his family afloat, all the while fending off old fans. The situations Dice finds him- self in are billed as "semi-true" in Showtime's release, which Clay reiterated in a behind-the- scenes promo for the series. "The show is the most ber- serk thing, and it's funny that I'm saying that because it's a hybrid of my life," he said, adding: "Now, after 38 years of comedy, I like to make fun of where I am." "Dice's" premise isn't terribly new. Matt LeBlanc ("Friends") won a Golden Globe in 2012 for his portrayal of himself in "Episodes," and Larry David popularized the premise as a fictionalized version of himself in his comedy "Curb Your Enthu- siasm," which ran from 2000 to 2011 on HBO. Clay offers viewers a similar self-deprecating take on the genre, but also intends to inject his prime-time doppelganger with sentimentality. "I'll do anything, but now and then, we should see this guy's heart," explained Clay. "That's what makes any com- edy a success." The cast should also factor into the show's success, and producers have lined up some high-profile guest stars to keep things interesting. Kevin Cor- rigan ("Grounded for Life") co- stars as Dice's right-hand man and partner-in-shenanigans, a guy known as Milkshake. His character, according to Clay, is a hybrid of a few of his friends. Corrigan explained he liked to think of Milkshake as Dice's conscience. Natasha Leggero ("Another Period") portrays Dice's girl- friend, Carmen. It's interesting to note that she's listed as a guest star and not a series regu- lar, which leads to speculation she may not be around for very long. That wouldn't come as a surprise, considering Dice's an- tiquated views about women. In October, it was announced Lor- raine Bracco ("The Sopranos") would join the cast of "Dice" for two episodes as Toni, a Las Ve- gas overlord in control of Dice's gambling debts. Adrien Brody ("The Pianist," 2002) guest stars as himself in one episode, and other guest stars announced so far include Michael Rapaport ("Boston Public"), Wayne Newton ("Smokin' Aces," 2006), Criss Angel ("Criss Angel Mind- freak") and Rita Rudner ("Hol- lywood Squares"). It's an impressive roster that just might put "Dice" on the map and help revive Clay's floundering career. He rose to fame on the stand-up comedy circuit and became the first comedian to sell out New York's Madison Square Garden two nights in a row in 1990. Howev- er, his controversial persona and material led to a lot of backlash from the public and he ulti- mately fell from favor. His 1990 appearance on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" was boycotted by both series star Nora Dunn and musical guest Sinead O'Connor. "Dice" isn't Clay's first at- tempt at a comeback. Back in 2007, he starred in his own real- ity TV series — "Dice: Undisput- ed" on VH1, but it only lasted six episodes. He represented the charity StandUp for Kids in the second season of "The Celebrity Apprentice" but was fired by Donald Trump in the very first episode. Despite being lambasted by women's groups for his sexist humor and being named one of the world's worst standup co- medians by Complex Magazine in 2011, he soldiered on with his career throughout the 2000s. He appeared at The Bamboozle festival in 2012 and starred in the Showtime comedy special "Indestructible" the same year. Cover Story Andrew Dice Clay stars in "Dice" Roll the 'Dice' Andrew Dice Clay attempts another TV comeback D - Danville V - Veedersburg H - Hoopeston O - Oakwood V - Veedersburg Ca - Cayuga Co - Covington W - Westville Communities listed Glory Days 2 x 2.5 Iron Tide Gallery 2 x 1.25 Big Boy 2 x 1.25 ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS IN Call Advertising at 446-9400 tv week

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