Netflix axes Hasan Minhaj’s ‘Patriot Act,’ its latest talk-show cancellation
“Patriot Act†host Hasan Minhaj announced the end of his Netflix talk show Tuesday morning.
“What a run,†the comedian wrote in a tweet. “@patriotact has come to an end.â€
The weekly talk show premiered in October 2018 and closed with little fanfare on June 28, when the final episode began streaming amid social distancing orders during the coronavirus crisis.
Netflix also confirmed the series’ demise to The Times.
The streaming giant initially ordered 32 episodes of “Patriot Act,†then extended it last December with seven additional episodes in 2020. In all, 39 episodes aired in six volumes on the streaming service, and they’re still available to view.
Minhaj, who cut his teeth as a correspondent on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,†became the first Indian American to front a weekly talk show in the U.S. when he inked the Netflix deal in 2018. That deal came on the heels of his emotional 2017 stand-up special, “Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King.â€
Minhaj said he worked with the best writers, producers, researchers and animators during “Patriot Act’s†six-season run.
“My 2 babies were born and grew up with the show,†he said, thanking Netflix and everyone who watched.
The topical series tackled wide-ranging issues including politics, the opioid crisis, India’s elections, cricket corruption, internet speed, public transportation, and exploitation in the cruise and video-game industries.
Timely or topical shows, however, have been a challenge for Netflix and have not had long runs, nor have episodes aged well. The streaming service canceled Chelsea Handler’s talk show, “Chelsea,†then later pulled the 66 episodes from its library. It also axed “The Break With Michelle Wolf†and “The Joel McHale Show With Joel McHale.â€
Months after “Patriot Act’s†debut, Netflix pulled an episode in Saudi Arabia in which the host blasted the kingdom’s conflicting explanations of journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s killing.
The series won one Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding motion design in 2019.
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