Posted in: HBO, streaming, TV | Tagged: documentary, george carlin, George Carlin's American Dream, HBO, hbo max, judd apatow, Michael Bonfiglio

George Carlin's American Dream Trailer: HBO Focuses on Comedian's Life

Counterculture icon George Carlin is featured in a new two-part documentary from Emmy winners Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio called George Carlin's American Dream, set to debut on HBO with back-to-back nights starting on May 20th and May 21st at 8 p.m. Both episodes will be available to stream on HBO Max on May 20th. The documentary chronicles the life and work of the legendary comedian and actor, dubbed the "dean of counterculture comedians." His career spanned half a century during which he headlined 14 HBO comedy specials and appeared on The Tonight Show over 130 times, constantly evolving with the times and staying sharply resonant up until his death in 2008 and beyond. Carlin's ability to zoom in on societal ills has proven eerily prophetic and much of his work resonates today with alarming – and still hilarious – clarity. The documentary examines a cultural chameleon, who is remembered as one of the most influential stand-up comics of all time not to mention the subject of a Supreme Court case.

The documentary tracks Carlin's rise to fame and opens an intimate window into his personal life, including his childhood in New York City, his long struggle with drugs that took its toll on his health, his brushes with the law, his loving relationship with Brenda Carlin, his wife of 36 years, and his second marriage to Sally Wade. Intimate interviews with their daughter, Kelly Carlin, offer unique insight into her family's story and her parents' enduring love and partnership. It also features a treasure trove of never-before-seen archival material including archival films, photos, audio recordings, letters, diaries, and interviews with Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Patton Oswalt, Stephen Colbert, Bill Burr, Bette Midler, W. Kamau Bell, Sam Jay, Judy Gold, Jon Stewart, and others. Joining them to share their memories of Carlin are daughter Kelly Carlin, manager Jerry Hamza, second wife Sally Wade, his brother, the late Patrick Carlin, and others.

George Carlin's American Dream comes courtesy of HBO Documentary Films, Rise Films, and Apatow Productions in association with Pulse Films. It's executive produced by Apatow, Bongiflio, Teddy Liefer, Hamza, and Kelly Carlin along with HBO's coordinating producer Anna Klein and EPs Lisa Heller and Nancy Abraham. Carlin tackled a number of contemporary subjects, not just language but also abortion, drugs, politics, environment, racism, sexism, and more. In light of recent events, here's one of his most timely rants. Deal with it!

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