Awards Daily’s Shadan Larki makes a case for Showtime’s Vice and why it should return to the winner’s circle at the primetime Emmys.
Vice is in a league of its own.
The documentary series, now airing its third season on Showtime, is delivering bold, immersive, hard-hitting journalism, sending its journalists to the frontlines of warzones and hotbeds of tension to provide immersive segments breaking down complex issues both at home and abroad. In the age of distrust and downright antagonism toward those in the media, I don’t believe it’s an exaggeration to say these journalists and camera are risking their lives with their reporting, embedding themselves in some of the most dangerous locations on earth.
What sets Vice apart from other news and nonfiction programs is that the reporting comes first. Don’t get me wrong; Vice is an excellent watch. The roughly 30-minute episodes featuring two documentary-style segments fly by—the editing is brisk, the camera work is fantastic, and the series is visually stunning. Once you turn on an episode of Vice, it’s hard to look away. It’s the rare put-down-your-phone, stop-scrolling-on-social-media type of show. So yes, Vice is very well made and entertaining, but it doesn’t dumb down its content to appease viewers. It is at times difficult and painful to watch, but those stories are important. Maybe even the most important, and it’s refreshing to see an informative news program that puts the information part first. Vice isn’t interested in fluffy, make-you-feel-good-about-yourself human interest pieces. Vice does center every piece around locals, and those most impacted by the specific topic being explored, doing so in a way that handles sensitive topics with both deep care and sensitivity and an unflinchingly honest look at the impact decisions made by those in power have on our lives. Vice wants to challenge its views, teach us new things about an often overlooked corner of the world, or give us a new perspective on a story we think we know. I applaud showrunner Beverly Chase and her team for maintaining their commitment to telling the truth and delivering quality, informative journalism. And for putting both domestic and international crises at the forefront. As the echo chambers around us become smaller and louder, Vice serves as an important reminder of the larger world in which we live.
Choosing to play an active role in helping to solve the world’s problems is an individual choice. But, at the very least, we are responsible for remaining alert and informed. And now more than ever, it’s essential that we honor quality reporting when we see it. And as consumers, perhaps the best way to ensure more quality content is to support and bolster a program when they get it right. And as someone who has watched the series from its earliest days on HBO, I believe Vice has succeeded wildly and continues to do so. And if the Emmys truly wish to honor the best of television, they cannot do so without recognizing Vice.
Vice airs on Showtime.