The acclaimed docuseries “Dark Side of the Ring” has set the premiere date for its seventh season at Vice TV, Variety has learned exclusively.
The new season will kick off on July 7 at 9 p.m. ET with two back-to-back episodes. New episodes will then air weekly thereafter. The season will begin with a three-part deep dive into Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling and co-founder and performer Jeff Jarrett.
“’Dark Side of the Ring’ is one of our strongest franchises that speaks to our audience with its gritty exposition of the real emotional and physical costs behind professional wrestling,” said Vice TV president Pete Gaffney. “Wrestling is one of America’s most influential pop culture phenomenons, and this series further explores the blurred lines between wrestling’s spectacle and reality, ultimately uncovering the truths behind the stories fans thought they knew.”
Additional episodes in Season 7 will tell the stories of wrestlers like Paul Orndorff, Ray “The Big Boss Man” Traylor, and Missy Hyatt. There will also be episodes devoted to the infamous match between Necro Butcher and Samoa Joe, one-legged wrestler Zach Gowen, and Rick Wilson, an exotic dancer who had a brief run as Ultimate Warrior knockoff The Renegade.
“Each season, we try to challenge ourselves to go deeper, and season seven is our most ambitious yet,” said co-creators and executive producers Evan Husney and Jason Eisener. “That’s especially true with our three-part exploration of TNA Wrestling, where Jeff Jarrett’s journey of redemption and resilience gives us a unique lens into the highs, struggles, and lasting impact of the foundational years of the company. It’s a perfect example of how compelling and ultimately human these stories really are.”
“Dark Side of the Ring” is a Vice Studios production in partnership with Bell Media’s Crave. Husney is co-creator, executive producer, and writer for the series. Eisener is co-creator, executive producer, and director. Executive Producer for Vice Studios is Guillermo Garcia. Executive Producer for Vice TV is Lee Hoffman. The series is distributed worldwide by VICE Distribution.
“Dark Side of the Ring” remains one of Vice’s biggest TV hits. It spawned the “Dark Side” franchise that now also includes “Dark Side of Football,” “Dark Side of the 90s,” “Dark Side of the 2000s,” “Dark Side of Reality TV,” and “Dark Side of the Cage.”