Tonight at 11:00 pm EST, Brooklyn based media company, Vice Media, premiers a half hour documentary show on HBO, and there really isn't anything like it on TV.
That's always been the point.
For years, Vice has been making documentary videos about some of the most dangerous corners of the world. They called them Vice Guides. Think: Liberian slums, long North Korean highways, and lots and lots of guns.
Now the company is teaming up with HBO (the show is produced by Bill Maher and Fareed Zakaria is a consulting producer) to take that world beyond the internet.
Tonight, expect Afghan child suicide bombers, an interview with the Taliban, and yes, definitely some violence. It's a huge part of what everyone's been saying about it.
The New York Times wrote that at Vice's "ludicrously luxurious" premier party, some of the guests were visibly shaken by the "stomach churning" screening.
Rolling Stone was even more clear. The magazine wrote, "HBO Courts Danger With Gonzo Vice Show," and said that it still "feels a little like your buddy from the bar just happened to be wandering through eastern Afghanistan with a camera crew."
Perhaps that's true, but it isn't the point. Vice has spent years building a fiercely loyal audience that expects insane access, raw footage, and the persistent threat of danger. It works because no one else has it.
Or more importantly, because no one else will do it.
Check out a clip of the show below:
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