The dark side of stand-up comedy is always lurking behind the jokes, and “I’m Dying Up Here,” Showtime’s drama series set in Los Angeles’ ’70s comedy scene, aims to bring it to light. Tracking a group of comedians working a club on the Sunset Strip, the first episode slowly teases a tragedy meant to bring everyone together – even if the premiere feels unwieldy prior to the introduction of every member of this large ensemble.

An hour-long drama about the lives of comedians feels a tad antithetical even before you start counting expendable plot lines, but “I’m Dying Up Here” only exacerbates the fixable issues seen in the pilot.

What works best among the many ingredients at play is first how producer Jim Carrey and showrunner David Flebotte highlight the serious side of a world made to look lighthearted. Second, and more simply, is Ari Graynor as Cassie,...