Hasan Minhaj Joins the Ranks of Netflix Talk Shows Helmed by a Comedian
When Netflix decides to dive into something they dive deep. They did it with the stand up comedy special last year and this year appears to be the year of the stand up comedian-helmed talk show for the streaming giant.
Thursday Netflix announced a brand new weekly talk show hosted by stand up comedian Hasan Minhaj. Netflix has committed to a 32 episode order, making Minhaj the first Indian-American host of a weekly comedy talk show. Minhaj, who hosted the 2017 White House Correspondents Dinner, received raves for his one man show and Netflix special, Homecoming King. He’s also joined the tradition of Daily Show correspondents who have gone on to helm their own amazing projects. According to Netflix, his comedy show will explore the modern cultural and political landscape with depth and sincerity. Each week, Minhaj will bring his unique comedic voice and storytelling skill to investigate the larger trends shaping our fragmented world.
Hasan Minhaj said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the Netflix family as the country braces for another election season. And like you, I cannot wait to find out who Putin picks this time.”
Bela Bajaria, Vice President of Content for Netflix said “I’ve been a big fan of Hasan’s for many years. He’s a phenomenal writer with a distinct point of view. He is a brilliant performer, who is hilarious both on stage and off, and more importantly he isn’t afraid to share his thoughtful voice and unique perspective. We are so excited to bring his new talk series to Netflix members around the world.”
Minhaj plans to remain with the Daily Show through July before beginning work on his new, as yet untitled project. This summer he will star in “The Spy Who Dumped Me”, and he’s also doing an hour special with his comedy sketch group Goatface for Comedy Central.
Hasan will executive produce the show along with co-creator Pashanth Venkataramanujam, Michelle Caputo, Shannon Hartman and Jennie Church-Cooper.
Netflix first tested the waters for a streaming talk show with the short-lived Chelsea Handler vehicle, “Chelsea”. That show was canceled earlier this year but Netflix has already announced talk shows from David Letterman and another Joel McHale (both are already airing) and an upcoming political talk starring Michelle Wolf set to start later this year.
