HBO'S "VICE" EXPANDS SEASON TO TEN EDITIONS; SHOW DEVOTES ENTIRE JUNE 14 SEASON FINALE TO THE NEWS SERIES' RECENT WEEK-LONG NORTH KOREA TRIP

The news series VICE will expand its current season from eight editions to ten editions, devoting the entire season finale, scheduled to debut FRIDAY, JUNE 14 (11:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO, to the show's recent headline-making trip to North Korea.

VICE founder and series host Shane Smith had previously reported from within North Korea on two occasions, but was barred from returning to the country due to his critical documentaries on the regime. Determined to return and chronicle the reclusive and highly secretive country under its new leader, Kim Jong-un, Smith sent a team of correspondents and a production crew, including VICE correspondent Ryan Duffy, NBA Hall of Famer and Chicago Bulls great Dennis Rodman, and three players from the Harlem Globetrotters, on a cultural exchange to the basketball-crazed country in late February.

Kim Jong-un, a fanatic for the Bulls dynasty of the '90s, opened the country's notoriously impenetrable gates to the delegation, and the VICE correspondent and crew spent seven days in North Korea, traveling the country and filming.

Currently debuting new editions Fridays (11:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT), following new editions of "Real Time with Bill Maher," VICE kicked off its season April 5. The show is hosted by Shane Smith, founder of the revolutionary new media company of the same name, and smashes barriers of decorum to cover the kinds of stories often overlooked by mainstream media outlets.

Viewership for the second edition of VICE, which debuted Friday, April 12, improved 78% over its premiere, attracting 931,000 viewers at 11:00 p.m. Based on preliminary data, the series has already achieved an average per episode gross audience of two million viewers.

For more on the series, visit facebook.com/HBO and twitter.com @HBO #VICEonHBO.

VICE is executive produced by Bill Maher, Shane Smith and Eddy Moretti; co-executive producer, BJ Levin; consulting producer, Fareed Zakaria.