TLC Announces Premiere Date for Dr. Pimple Popper Series

After finding incredible success online thanks to her YouTube channel, TLC has finally announced an air date for their upcoming television series, Dr. Pimple Popper.

The new docuseries, which will adapt the content that has made Dr. Sandra Lee a viral sensation online, has received a full series order from TLC for a full-fledged TV show, set to premiere July 11 at 10 p.m. ET.

Lee makes videos of her work as a dermatologist, perfectly towing the line between educational and entertaining. While fans may come to be grossed out or see her disturbing and cathartic procedures, many stick around and she has amassed a huge following of dedicated followers ranging from casual viewers to aspiring dermatologists.

The new series will reportedly retain the message of her YouTube channel and continue to inform the public on health and skincare, while trying to break the stigmas surround various ailments and entertain along the way.

However, the extended screen time of the show will also reportedly take a closer look at the lives of Lee’s patients. The docu-series format offers more space for personal narrative, hopefully exploring the social and personal effects of the skin ailments Lee treats and the profound effects her work have on her her patients.

The series will consist of six episodes, each one hour in length. The show will show the breadth of issues Lee is equipped to treat, from common blackhead and blemishes to “a mobility-inducing elephant-like skin condition,” according to TLC.

The series was first tested in January when TLC aired a one-off special of the same kind. It was wildly successful, and the increased exposure drove more users to Lee’s web content as well. Once the network decided to try out a full series on the same concept, they did an open casting call on their website, looking for people who would be willing to discuss their medical and personal issues on camera.

For fans who love Lee’s online presence but aren’t interested in the TV show format, it looks like there is nothing to fear. Throughout the development of the show, she has continued producing videos, tweets and other posts at the same rate as she always has, leaving little doubt that the trend will continue. As for those that can’t fathom watching an hour of the gruesome clips, Lee speculates on the unique draw of her content on her own website.

“People love to learn about their skin, why these growths happen, how they are removed… I hear so often from people about how they watch my videos and then aspire to become dermatologists or other skincare specialists,” Lee wrote on her site. “At the end of the day, the reason for all of this is really to educate people, and to help them take better care of their own body and skin.”