Hasan Minhaj isn't letting the novel coronavirus stop him from making his Netflix show.
Patriot Act is returning on Sunday, May 17, with an all-new virtual episode centered on a timely topic: “What Happens If You Can't Pay Rent?” Minhaj will film the episode, along with six others, from his home in front of a green screen. The show's signature graphics will be produced remotely.
The Peabody-winning series had wrapped its initial 32-episode order in December, but then Netflix greenlit seven new episodes that were supposed to premiere March 29. That launch date quickly became impossible once COVID-19 began to spread in the U.S. and forced productions to shut down.
Throughout the course of his show, Minhaj has made a habit of taking on timely subjects, from the student loan debt crisis to immigration in the Trump era to Amazon's plan for world domination. He received widespread attention for his episode on Mohammed bin Salman, which Netflix pulled from the Saudi Arabian market at its government's request.
The additional episodes will be led by new showrunner Prashanth Venkataramanujam, a co-creator of the series and a frequent collaborator of Minhaj's. He and Minhaj will executive produce alongside Art & Industry’s Michelle Caputo and Shannon Hartman, along with Haven Entertainment's Jennie Church-Cooper.
