Sacha Baron Cohen's new TV show Who Is America? to make surprise debut on Channel 4 in the UK
The Borat and Ali G comedian has been filming undercover for a year in the US in preparation for his first TV series in more than a decade
He’s back: Borat and Ali G star Sacha Baron Cohen is returning to UK TV on Channel 4.
Called Who is America?, the seven-episode show has been filmed over the course of the past year, exploring “diverse individuals, from the infamous to the unknown across the political and cultural spectrum” in the US.
The comedian has been teasing the show for the past few days, but this is the first confirmation that the series will be airing in the UK. The show will first broadcast on Monday 16 July at 10pm on Channel 4.
We’ve only had a glimpse of Cohen’s new character (pictured above), but in a first trailer released earlier this week we hear him asking former US Vice President Dick Cheney – the real one – to sign a ‘waterboarding kit’. Cheney obliges.
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The trailer released by Channel 4 also includes Cheney making an appearance, as well as glimpses of Cohen in various disguises.
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Cohen first made his breakthrough on Channel 4, fronting comedy hit Da Ali G Show in 2000. Three films followed that centred on characters from the show: Ali G Indahouse (2002), Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006), and Brüno (2009).
Cohen issued a warning to Donald Trump on US Independence Day, posting a video featuring Trump declaring: “Sacha Baron Cohen, go to school! Learn about being funny.” As Trump appears, Cohen’s face is superimposed on screen with the message, “He’s back as you’ve never seen him before.”
Channel 4's late confirmation of the series' UK broadcast is a surprise, as British TV listings for the week ahead are typically confirmed much sooner.
Cohen's Who Is America? will air on Showtime in the USA. Showtime CEO David Nevins said, “Sacha is a comedic genius who shocks you with his audacity, bravery and inventiveness.
"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? begins Monday 16 July at 10pm on Channel 4
