Very Nice! Sacha Baron Cohen, Showtime Team Up For July Comedy Series ‘Who Is America?’
Famous for the characters he plays (and interviews he does in those characters), Sacha Baron Cohen took the comedy world by storm in the mid-2000s. He was Ali G. He was Bruno. And most famously, his name, uh, Borat! Now, after a long spell away from television, Baron Cohen is back with a new series on Showtime, titled WHO IS AMERICA?.
Announced by Showtime on July 9th, the show is, of course, a satirical comedy. Sacha Baron Cohen will be writing, directing, and playing a variety of characters on the seven-episode series. Judging from the teaser trailer, it doesn’t look like he’s going back to any of his old personas, however. Instead, it looks like he’s rocking new wardrobes, with (hopefully) similar hi-jinks.
WHO IS AMERICA? will give on-demand users a sneak-peak of the season premiere at midnight (Eastern Time) on Sunday, July 15th. From there, the show will air on Showtime later that day at 10:00 P.M ET. All the episodes that follow will air on Sundays at 10:00 P.M ET.
Per Showtime’s official press release:
“Theannouncement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO of Showtime Networks Inc..”
“Sacha is a comedic genius who shocks you with his audacity, bravery and inventiveness,” Nevins said. “He is the premier provocateur of our time, but not for the sake of ‘gotcha’ moments. Behind the elaborate setup is a genuine quest for the truth about people, places and politics. Nobody knows how to cause a stir like Sacha Baron Cohen, and it’s going to be fascinating to watch what happens when WHO IS AMERICA? is released on the world.”
“WHO IS AMERICA? is created and executive produced by Baron Cohen and is also executive produced by Anthony Hines, Todd Schulman, Andrew Newman, Dan Mazer and Adam Lowitt. “
The last time Sacha Baron Cohen made a major TV appearance was in the final episode of HBO’s Eastbound and Down (2013) as TV executive Ronnie Thelman. Since then, he hasn’t done a lot, and the projects he has been involved with haven’t done well. His 2016 film Grimsby — which he wrote, produced, and starred — bombed critically and at the box office, while Alice Through the Looking Glass — which he had a starred in — made a lot of money but was panned by critics.
Besides his upcoming Showtime series, Sacha Baron Cohen also has a Netflix drama in the works. The series, titled The Spy, stars Baron Cohen as Israel’s most notorious spy, Eli Cohen. Per Sid City, we can “expect an early 2019 release” for the show.