Sarge Sizzle

Sarge. Comedian. Father. Husband. Crack addict. Mentor.

He's the guy who makes recovery a riot. Because here's the thing: Recovery doesn't have to be about watching some greasy looking guy shooting smack in the bathroom. That can be fun, absolutely, but it's about being a voyeur rather than seeing yourself in the characters.

The most human part of the process, the truest experience of recovery in real life, comes after rehab — when addicts have to clean up the messes they've made of their lives. Succumbing to the itch, taking a drink, popping a pill, finding a connection — these possibilities are always there and have to be dealt with. But everything else has to be repaired too: Relationships, families, careers, lives...

That's where Sarge comes in. He's a successful comedian. Twenty years sober, he has a complicated family life, a demanding career, a child who demands special attention — both medically and emotionally, and a mission: He considers his true calling to be mentoring other addicts on their roads to recovery.

It's part Flipping Out but the stakes are life and death.

A little bit Intervention without the vomit or needles.

And maybe even a dash of Kardashians but with more depth and purpose.

Sarge is a show about family, recovery, and comedy, where the object isn't to look at the crazy addicts from the outside with an attitude of, "There but for the grace of God go I," but to relate to the people Sarge mentors, to see yourself in their struggles, and to celebrate their successes and mourn their losses.

In each season we follow a cast of people in recovery who are being mentored by Sarge. Stories intertwine, but each episode focuses primarily on a particular person's journey.

Meredith has never met her father. So he doesn't know she's an alcoholic. Or that she's a lesbian. Sarge is there to help her make choices and put thse choices into action.

Justin might lose his kid. Sarge helps him navigate the legal stuff and keeps him sane while he deals with his somewhat justifiably enraged ex-wife.

Mary stopped doing meth, and stopped making it, but has just been diagnosed with HIV. And even though most of the time she tells Sarge to shove his suggestions up his ass, he keeps doing what he can.

Joel is a rock drummer who threw his career in the toilet doing Percocet. Sarge is there to help him rebuild his career and his life.

It doesn't always work. These kinds of life challenges are hard for all of us. Then add the pressure of staying sober, and that raises the ante. At every fork in the road, it's possible to shoot yourself in the foot and find oblivion again.

If, or more likely, when, that happens, Sarge is there with his Dustbuster, hoping to make a difference. Sometimes he fails. The users he sponsors can find themselves back in rehab, back on the streets, back in Hell. But more often his efforts help to reshape and rebuild lives.

He juggles that with a comedy career that asks everything and more, not just from him, but from his family as well.

His family life is equally chaotic. Wife Ania is from Poland and she struggles to adapt to Florida. Their son Zander is a smart, loving two year-old with a severe eating disorder and a penchant for stubbornness that is off the charts. And Sarge is also doing the parent/adult Baby Boomer tango, with a twist. Sure, his aging parents are sometimes a pain in the ass. But the relationship is wildly complicated by the bizarre circumstances of Sarge's upbringing. He's an adopted, Black, Jewish, fat guy, who was told as a child that he was White, and grew up believing it, even though everyone around him could tell it wasn't true.

Identity crisis anyone? He seeks to find himself. He seeks to be a good son, a good husband, and a good father. He wants to set the world on fire with laughter. But mainly, he wants to make a difference. Or die trying.

	Home In Development Other Titles The Company Contacts	created by SAMUEL BERNSTEIN STEVEN PICKMAN Sarge. Comedian. Father. Husband. Crack addict. Mentor. He's the guy who makes recovery a riot. Because here's the thing: Recovery doesn't have to be about watching some greasy looking guy shooting smack in the bathroom. That can be fun, absolutely, but it's about being a voyeur rather than seeing yourself in the characters. The most human part of the process, the truest experience of recovery in real life, comes after rehab — when addicts have to clean up the messes they've made of their lives. Succumbing to the itch, taking a drink, popping a pill, finding a connection — these possibilities are always there and have to be dealt with. But everything else has to be repaired too: Relationships, families, careers, lives... That's where Sarge comes in. He's a successful comedian. Twenty years sober, he has a complicated family life, a demanding career, a child who demands special attention — both medically and emotionally, and a mission: He considers his true calling to be mentoring other addicts on their roads to recovery. It's part Flipping Out but the stakes are life and death. A little bit Intervention without the vomit or needles. And maybe even a dash of Kardashians but with more depth and purpose. Sarge is a show about family, recovery, and comedy, where the object isn't to look at the crazy addicts from the outside with an attitude of, "There but for the grace of God go I," but to relate to the people Sarge mentors, to see yourself in their struggles, and to celebrate their successes and mourn their losses. In each season we follow a cast of people in recovery who are being mentored by Sarge. Stories intertwine, but each episode focuses primarily on a particular person's journey. Meredith has never met her father. So he doesn't know she's an alcoholic. Or that she's a lesbian. Sarge is there to help her make choices and put thse choices into action. Justin might lose his kid. Sarge helps him navigate the legal stuff and keeps him sane while he deals with his somewhat justifiably enraged ex-wife. Mary stopped doing meth, and stopped making it, but has just been diagnosed with HIV. And even though most of the time she tells Sarge to shove his suggestions up his ass, he keeps doing what he can. Joel is a rock drummer who threw his career in the toilet doing Percocet. Sarge is there to help him rebuild his career and his life. It doesn't always work. These kinds of life challenges are hard for all of us. Then add the pressure of staying sober, and that raises the ante. At every fork in the road, it's possible to shoot yourself in the foot and find oblivion again. If, or more likely, when, that happens, Sarge is there with his Dustbuster, hoping to make a difference. Sometimes he fails. The users he sponsors can find themselves back in rehab, back on the streets, back in Hell. But more often his efforts help to reshape and rebuild lives. He juggles that with a comedy career that asks everything and more, not just from him, but from his family as well. His family life is equally chaotic. Wife Ania is from Poland and she struggles to adapt to Florida. Their son Zander is a smart, loving two year-old with a severe eating disorder and a penchant for stubbornness that is off the charts. And Sarge is also doing the parent/adult Baby Boomer tango, with a twist. Sure, his aging parents are sometimes a pain in the ass. But the relationship is wildly complicated by the bizarre circumstances of Sarge's upbringing. He's an adopted, Black, Jewish, fat guy, who was told as a child that he was White, and grew up believing it, even though everyone around him could tell it wasn't true. Identity crisis anyone? He seeks to find himself. He seeks to be a good son, a good husband, and a good father. He wants to set the world on fire with laughter. But mainly, he wants to make a difference. Or die trying.