Comedian and Daily Show correspondent Hasan Minhaj has gotten a landmark deal with Netflix in a move that would make him the first Indian-American weekly comedy show host, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Netflix is describing the show as a chance for Minhaj to do the kind of cultural and political commentary he's known for and approach it in an in-depth and sincere way.
The streaming service has already ordered 32 episodes of the show, which are set to debut later this year. Minhaj has created content for the streaming service in this past, with his hour-long special Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King garnering rave reviews last year. "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," Minhaj said jokingly while announcing the news. In addition to hosting the show, Minhaj will also act as executive producer.
The comedian has been working on The Daily Show since late 2014, but he's seen his profile rise in the past year, even taking a turn at emceeing the White House Correspondents Dinner. His new show actually sparked a bidding war that included prior home network Comedy Central, but eventually, Netflix came in with the biggest offer. With another Daily Show correspondent, Michelle Wolf, landing her own half-hour series and the recent debut of shows like The Joel McHale Show and David Letterman's My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, Netflix is delving deeper into the talk show realm and snatching up some of television's best comedians along the way. Comedy Central doesn't lose out on Minhaj completely yet, with an hour-long special with him and his sketch comedy quartet Goatface coming in 2019.
Minhaj will make the transition over to his own Netflix series this summer but will still be Trevor Noah's main correspondent in the meantime.
