Experimental and disruptive to its core,
Vice
has never been one to shy away from conflict and controversy. So, it's only fitting that its new small screen newsmagazine series with HBO dives headfirst into tough and unique stories around the world. From Afghanistan to Kashmir to Senegal (and North Korean labor camps and Somali pirates), the network-and-mag duo is fearless in its pursuit of real and raw footage.
As Vice co-founder Shane Smith puts it, "HBO is perfect for us because it’s intelligent, independent and bold. We won’t have to dumb things down or put them in sound bites, and we won’t have to shy away from topics or modify our approach. On HBO, we will have all the freedom and creativity we need. HBO is the gold standard of TV, and we want to be the gold standard on HBO. Oh…and we get to swear.”
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Case in point: Vice's camera crews arranged and captured the Dennis Rodman exhibition basketball game in Pyongyang in late January, which featured an appearance by Kim Jong-un. In other words, the Vice guys and Rodman are the first Americans to have met him in his role as North Korea's ruler (we don't even want to think about the clearance process). Of course, a media frenzy ensued back in the States — just a taste of the provocation to come, starting April 5. In other words, we'll definitely be tuning in to all the bleeping, mind-bending goodness heading our way — in the meantime, watch the trailer below and let us know if you'll be adding it to your DVR. (HypeBeast)
Video: Via YouTube