‘Donald Trump’ Promises to Make Late Night Great Again with Comedy Central’s ‘The President Show’
Comedy Central is thinking bigly with its next late night franchise. As the network teased last week, it has ordered the new weekly series “The President Show,” starring Anthony Atamanuik as Donald Trump.
“The President Show” will air Thursdays at 11:30 p.m. ET, behind “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” starting April 27. The series will be produced like a talk show, with desk segments, field pieces and guest interviews – but set in the Oval Office and hosted by “Trump.”
And like any good talk show, “The President Show” will feature a sidekick ¬– Vice President Mike Pence (played by Peter Grosz).
“Laughing at the President is a proud American tradition and we hope not to disappoint anyone in that department,” Atamanuik said. “But our political system is too broken for us to be content joking about one man, even though he is a disastrous silly little toddler boy. Mostly I’d just like to thank Comedy Central for giving us this platform to speak truth to power and if we’re lucky, end up in prison!”
Comedian Adam Pally’s Clone Wolf Productions is behind the show, which Comedy Central first hinted at the series on March 30 by issuing, in true Donald Trump fashion, a Tweet from the @PresidentShow handle:
“Late night TV is broken. A TOTAL DISASTER. I alone can fix it!” https://t.co/u3HObey9FO
— The President Show (@PresidentShow) March 30, 2017
Atamanuik, as Trump, is no stranger to Comedy Central audiences, as he spent a week on “@midnight with Chris Hardwick” in character. His Trump impression has received wide acclaim, taking it on the comedy tour “Trump vs. Bernie” (and subsequent album “Trump vs. Bernie: Live from Brooklyn”). He’s also appeared as Trump on “The View,” “CNN Newsroom” and “The Howard Stern Show.”
The comedian’s other credits include “30 Rock,” “Difficult People,” “Broad City” and “Time Traveling Bong” (as a writer). Grosz was a writer on “The Colbert Report” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” and has been seen on “Key & Peele,” “Inside Amy Schumer,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Veep.”
Besides the @PresidentShow account, the show’s @LateNightDonald handle has also been busy:
I can’t watch the Daily Show, Last Week Tonight, James Corden, OR The Bee Woman show because I’d be taking work away from an AMERICAN HOST.
— Late Night Donald (@LateNightDonald) March 28, 2017
Why does Jimmy Fallon giggle so much? Related to vaccines??
— Late Night Donald (@LateNightDonald) March 30, 2017
I would never say that @PresidentShow will be the only good late night show on television, but that’s just what people are saying.
— Late Night Donald (@LateNightDonald) April 2, 2017
The arrival of “The President Show” is a bit reminiscent of the time in 2001 when Matt Stone and Trey Parker launched “That’s My Bush” on Comedy Central. But while that show was more a parody of sitcom clichés than the actual newly elected President George W. Bush, “The President Show” appears ready to get political.
The Thursday timeslot means “@midnight” will move back to 12 a.m. on Thursday nights; Hardwick and company will remain at 11:30 p.m. on Monday through Wednesday.
Atamanuik, Grosz, Pally and Jason Ross (“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”) executive produce “The President Show,” along with 3 Arts’ Olivia Gerke, Josh Lieberman and Greg Walter.
No word on whether Comedy Central will try to make Mexico pay for the show. Here’s a first look promo for “The President Show.”
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