Vice (TV series)

For other uses, see Vice (disambiguation).

Vice (stylised as VICE) is a documentary television series created and hosted by Shane Smith of Vice magazine. It covers topics using an immersionist style of documentary filmmaking on Showtime. It premiered on April 5, 2013, on HBO. The show's second season aired in 2014 and won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Informational Series or Special.^[1]

Vice
Title card from seasons 1–3
Genre	Documentary
Created by	Shane Smith
Starring	Shane Smith
Theme music composer	Nick Zinner, Ben Vida & Hisham Bharoocha
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	10
No. of episodes	164 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Bill Maher (seasons 1–6) Shane Smith Suroosh Alvi Fareed Zakaria Eddy Moretti BJ Levin (seasons 1–4) Tim Clancy (season 4–10) Beverly Chase Craig Thompson Subrata De
Running time	27–43 minutes
Production companies	Bill Maher Productions (seasons 1–6) Vice Original Series HBO Entertainment (seasons 1–6) Showtime Networks (seasons 7–10)
Original release
Network	HBO (seasons 1–6) Showtime (season 7–10)
Release	April 5, 2013 (2013-04-05) – June 25, 2023 (2023-06-25)

The show originally was executive-produced by Bill Maher, Shane Smith, and Eddy Moretti, and CNN journalist Fareed Zakaria was credited as a consultant.^[2][3]

On May 7, 2014, HBO renewed the series for two more seasons. The 14-episode third season began March 6, 2015, one week after the hour-long "Killing Cancer" aired on February 27. Vice's sixth season aired on April 6, 2018.^[4] On March 25, 2015, HBO announced Vice's renewal through Season 7.^[5]

The show's cancellation was announced on February 1, 2019, making the sixth season its last season on HBO.^[6] However, on September 24, the series was picked up by Showtime and resumed on March 29, 2020.^[7] On July 30, 2020, the series was renewed for an eighth season that premiered on March 7, 2021.^[8][9] On February 7, 2022, the series was renewed by for its ninth and tenth season.^[10] In July 2023, the series was removed from the Showtime streaming app, with Vice News shopping it to other outlets.^[11]

Synopsis

The show follows Vice journalists and founders Shane Smith and Suroosh Alvi, and segment hosts Ryan Duffy and Thomas Morton as they went to different parts of the world, interviewing people on political and cultural topics. Subjects included political assassinations, young weapons manufacturers, child suicide bombers, Indian and Pakistani border politics, the Chinese one-child policy, climate change, and bonded laborers in Pakistan's brick kilns, featuring the work of human and labor rights activist Syeda Ghulam Fatima.

Correspondents

• Suroosh Alvi
• Krishna Andavolu^[12]
• Ben Anderson^[13]
• Matthew Cassel
• Vikram Gandhi (2013–2016)
• Hind Hassan^[14]
• Kaj Larsen (2015–2016)
• Thomas Morton (2014–2019)
• David Noriega^[15]
• Simon Ostrovsky (2011–2014)
• Paola Ramos^[16]
• Ahmed Shihab-Eldin (2016)
• Alzo Slade^[17]
• Julia Steers^[18]
• Ben C. Solomon^[19]
• Vegas Tenold^[20]
• Gianna Toboni^[21]
• Aris Roussinos (2013–2017)
• Seb Walker^[22]
• Taylor Wilson (2016–2018)
• Isobel Yeung^[23]

Release and reception

The first episode aired on HBO on April 5, 2013, and was available for free via YouTube.^[24] The series is the first televised program for VICE, featuring Vice staff as correspondents.

Politics, culture, and drugs are the main focuses of the Vice series. The show has received both positive and negative reviews because of its unique, provocative presentation and style. Some compare it to a gonzo type of journalism.^[25][26] Maureen Ryan of The Huffington Post wrote a negative review of the show, due to its presentation.^[27] Rolling Stone magazine has written that: "It feels a little like your buddy from the bar just happened to be wandering through eastern Afghanistan with a camera crew."^[28] In June 2013, the show was covered extensively in mainstream media for documenting a basketball game with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. Vice correspondents have filmed from the inside of crack-cooking kitchens in Atlanta to Haitian secret societies in talk of zombie powder.^[29]

Vice News Tonight

Main article: Vice News Tonight

A nightly spin-off called Vice News Tonight premiered on HBO on October 10, 2016. The program was relaunched in 2020 on the Vice cable network.

Pulled episode

It was reported in June 2023 that Showtime pulled an episode of the series originally scheduled to air on May 28, 2023. The episode, "The Gitmo Candidate & Chipping Away", was scheduled to air four days after Ron DeSantis officially announced he was entering the 2024 Presidential race. In the scrubbed promo for the episode, it described Seb Walker investigating claims that DeSantis witnessed acts condemned by the United Nations as torture during his time as a JAG officer in the Navy at Guantanamo Bay.^{[30][31][32][33][34][35]}

Series overview

Main article: List of Vice episodes

Season	Episodes		Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired	Network
1	10		April 5, 2013 (2013-04-05)	June 14, 2013 (2013-06-14)	HBO
2	12		March 14, 2014 (2014-03-14)	June 13, 2014 (2014-06-13)
3	14		March 6, 2015 (2015-03-06)	June 26, 2015 (2015-06-26)
4	18		February 5, 2016 (2016-02-05)	July 1, 2016 (2016-07-01)
5	29		February 24, 2017 (2017-02-24)	October 13, 2017 (2017-10-13)
6	30		April 6, 2018 (2018-04-06)	December 14, 2018 (2018-12-14)
7	13		March 29, 2020 (2020-03-29)	June 21, 2020 (2020-06-21)	Showtime
8	15		March 7, 2021 (2021-03-07)	December 26, 2021 (2021-12-26)
9	16		May 1, 2022 (2022-05-01)	September 18, 2022 (2022-09-18)
10	7		May 7, 2023 (2023-05-07)	June 25, 2023 (2023-06-25)

See also

• The Vice Guide to Travel (2006)
• Rule Britannia (2009)

References

1. "HBO's 'VICE' Wins Emmy for Outstanding Informational Series or Special". Sounds & Picture. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
2. "About Vice". HBO. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
3. "HBO gave us our own TV show". Vice.com. Vice Media. 10 May 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
4. Evans, Greg (March 7, 2018). "HBO Sets 'Vice' Season 6 Premiere Date; Actor Michael Kenneth Williams To Investigate Juvenile Justice System". Deadline. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
5. Roots, Kimberly (March 26, 2015). "VICE Renewed for Four Expanded Seasons at HBO, Adds Daily Newscast". TVLine. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
6. Hagey, Keach (February 1, 2019). "Vice Media eliminates 10% of its workforce, including its flagship HBO show". Wall Street Journal.
7. Petski, Denise (September 24, 2019). "Showtime Acquires 'Vice' Weekly Newsmagazine For Spring Premiere". Deadline.
8. "Showtime(R) Renews Emmy(R) Nominated Documentary Series "Vice" for a Second Season". The Futon Critic. July 30, 2020.
9. "Showtime to Premiere Second Season of "Vice" on Sunday, March 7 at 8 PM ET/PT" (Press release). Showtime. January 14, 2021 – via The Futon Critic.
10. White, Peter (February 7, 2022). "'Vice' Renewed At Showtime For Seasons 3 & 4". Deadline Hollywood.
11. Porter, Rick (July 13, 2023). "'Vice' to Seek New Home After Being Pulled From Showtime". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
12. . Showtime. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
13. . Showtime. Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
14. "Hind Hassan". Showtime. from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
15. "David Noriega". Showtime. from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
16. "Paola Ramos". Showtime. from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
17. "Alzo Slade". Showtime. from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
18. . Showtime. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
19. "Ben C. Solomon". Showtime. from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
20. "Vegas Tenold". Showtime. from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
21. . Showtime. Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
22. "Seb Walker". Showtime. from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
23. "Isobel Yeung". Showtime. from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
24. "Watch the first episode of our HBO show". Vice.com. Vice Media. 9 April 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
25. Goodman, Tim. "Vice brings its brand of provocative, let's-go-find-danger journalism to HBO as a half-hour newsmagazine". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
26. Flint, Jos. "HBO's 'Vice' news targets Gen Y with edge and absurdity". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
27. Ryan, Maureen (5 April 2013). "'Vice' On HBO: News And Stuff, Bro-Style". The Huffington Post. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
28. Van Syckle, Katie. "HBO Courts Danger With Gonzo 'Vice' Show". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
29. Green, Penelope (11 June 2015). "Nesting, the Vice Media Way". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
30. Porter, Rick (June 4, 2023). "Showtime Pulls 'Vice' Episode on Ron DeSantis". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on July 24, 2023.
31. Daniels, Karu F. (June 5, 2023). "Showtime pulled 'Vice' episode about Ron DeSantis at Guantanamo Bay without explanation". New York Daily News. from the original on February 9, 2024.
32. Burris, Sarah K. (June 5, 2023). . MSN. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023.
33. Cobb, Kayla (June 5, 2023). "'Vice' Episode Pulled by Showtime Contained the Full Exchange of Ron DeSantis' Explosive Guantanamo Bay Interview". TheWrap. from the original on June 6, 2023.
34. Dicker, Ron (June 5, 2023). "Showtime Drops Ron DeSantis Documentary Shortly Before Air Date Without Explanation". HuffPost. from the original on June 5, 2023.
35. Petski, Denise (June 5, 2023). "Showtime Pulls 'Vice' Episode About Ron DeSantis". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on June 13, 2023.

External links

• Official website
• Vice at IMDb