October 28, 2018 (2018-10-28) – June 28, 2020 (2020-06-28)
Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj is an American comedy streaming television talk show hosted by Hasan Minhaj that premiered on October 28, 2018, on Netflix[1] and ran until June 28, 2020. It also had all the episodes, exclusives, and deep cuts on its YouTube channel. The series was created by Minhaj and Prashanth Venkataramanujam, both of whom also executive produce alongside Jim Margolis, Michelle Caputo, Shannon Hartman, and Jennie Church-Cooper. With 40 episodes across six seasons, the show has won an Emmy, a Peabody Award, and two Webby Awards. In August 2020, Netflix canceled the series after six seasons.[2] Legal action threatened by female producers for a hostile work environment were settled out of court.[3]
Premise
Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj aims to "explore the modern cultural and political landscape with depth and sincerity."[4] In an attempt to separate his show from similar political satire shows, Minhaj said he wanted to create a show that is "timely and timeless."[5]
Production
On March 1, 2018, it was announced that Netflix had given a series order to a new weekly series created by Hasan Minhaj and Prashanth Venkataramanujam for a first season consisting of thirty-two episodes, split into several volumes. Executive producers were expected to include Minhaj, Venkataramanujam, Michelle Caputo, Shannon Hartman, and Jennie Church-Cooper. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Art & Industry and Haven Entertainment.[6] When writing episodes about the show Minhaj frequently excluded or limited the role that researchers played in developing content and could be dismissive of fact checkers. [3] On June 7, 2018, it was reported that Jim Margolis had joined the series as showrunner and an executive producer.[7] On August 9, 2018, it was revealed that the series had been titled Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj and that it would premiere on October 28, 2018.[4] Volume 3 taped and aired on Netflix in May and June 2019, and Volume 4 was released on August 4.[8] Volume 5 of Patriot Act released on Netflix on November 10, 2019.[9] Volume 6 was due to release on March 29, 2020 but was postponed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.[10] On August 18, 2020, Netflix canceled the series after six seasons.[2]
Marketing
On October 4, 2018, the first trailer for the series was released.[11]
A look at the rules governing the content uploaded to social media platforms, and the role those companies have in moderating it; also, an update on the United States' relations with Saudi Arabia and crown princeMohammad Bin Salman.
As millions of Americans find it increasingly difficult to afford life-saving drugs like insulin, Hasan examines the many ways drug companies get away with price gouging.
10
3
"Student Loans"
February 24, 2019 (2019-02-24)
Minhaj takes aim at student loan servicers, who prey on vulnerable Americans in their attempt to pay off debilitating student loan debt, an increasingly severe and uniquely American problem.
11
4
"Civil Rights Under Trump"
March 3, 2019 (2019-03-03)
Civil Rights are being quietly dismantled by Trump's cabinet officials. Hasan explores how they are doing it and why it is so dangerous.
The National Rifle Association is going global. Hasan takes an insightful look at the ways the organization has been hypocritically spreading its dangerous message and business practices around the world.
16
3
"Cricket Corruption"
May 26, 2019 (2019-05-26)
Although cricket could be a global force for good, Indian cricket's governing body is holding it back. This episode features an interview with former chairman of the IPL, Lalit Modi.
Sudan is at a major crossroads in their political history: will they embrace democracy or be doomed to a brutal military dictatorship? This episode features an interview with Sudanese protestor Marine Alneel.
19
6
"Why Your Internet Sucks"
June 16, 2019 (2019-06-16)
Hasan examines how the government and cable providers fail to provide adequate Internet for millions of rural and low income Americans.
Hasan discusses the opioid crisis, drug addiction and both legal and illegal manufacturing of fentanyl, including the companies that have been instrumental in promoting it.
22
3
"Why Your Public Transportation Sucks"
August 18, 2019 (2019-08-18)
Hasan examines how the U.S. government and the Koch brothers are sabotaging plans to revive and expand public transportation as infrastructure crumbles.
23
4
"The Real Cost of Cruises"
August 25, 2019 (2019-08-25)
Hasan talks about the dangers of traveling on cruise ships and the apparent negligence of cruise companies to rectify said dangers.
24
5
"The Two Sides of Canada"
September 1, 2019 (2019-09-01)
In advance of Canada's election, Hasan talks with Justin Trudeau and scrutinizes the prime minister's reputation as a champion of progressive policies.
Mental health is finally having a moment in the national conversation, but insurance companies, like Blue Cross and UnitedHealth, are finding ways to deny mental health treatment to thousands of patients. Hasan talks about his own experience with mental health therapy, the Mental Health Parity Act, and shines a spotlight on the fight to bridge the disparity in treatment between mental and physical health.
Fast fashion brands like H&M and Zara are churning out cheap, new clothes every few days, fueling us to shop more than ever before. Hasan explores how our desire to look “fresh to death” is actually killing the planet.
29
4
"Why Billionaires Won't Save Us"
December 1, 2019 (2019-12-01)
The wealthiest Americans are often celebrated for their prolific giving, but is it altruism or is it all just hype? Hasan dissects how the ultra-rich use philanthropy to get richer, distract from the injustices on which they built their fortunes, and dictate politics and policy.
30
5
"Don’t Ignore the Asian Vote in 2020"
December 8, 2019 (2019-12-08)
The Asian American population has grown large enough to swing elections, but it remains one of the least politically active groups in the country. Hasan travels to Asian American communities to hear the issues that matter to voters and to sit down with two politicians running to represent them––presidential candidates Andrew Yang and Cory Booker. Hasan also reaches out to more conservative voices in the Asian American community, but gets barred from an event featuring Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump.
31
6
"Why We Can't Retire"
December 15, 2019 (2019-12-15)
With the help of Senator Bernie Sanders, Hasan breaks down the financial burden of younger generations caring for their aging parents - and themselves.
32
7
"How America Is Causing Global Obesity"
December 22, 2019 (2019-12-22)
Obesity used to be a problem in the United States, but has now expanded globally. Hasan examines how it became worldwide as the United States exported its unhealthy diet to smaller countries with the help of free trade; particularly, how Samoa, China, and Mexico have been ruined by obesity caused by U.S. companies (especially Coca-Cola.)
Local newspapers are the source of some of the nation's biggest news breaks. However, these institutions are in danger of disappearing due to private equity firms.
38
6
"Is College Still Worth It?"
June 14, 2020 (2020-06-14)
As colleges increase in price and offer less, Hasan considers whether a college degree is worth its value.
Hasan exposes how TurboTax pushes taxpayers away from its free service to a paid option, and why efforts to simplify filing have repeatedly failed.
Reception
Critical response
The series has been met with widespread critical acclaim from critics upon its premiere. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season of the series holds a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 7.79 out of 10 based on 15 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Patriot Act stands apart from other like-minded comedy shows thanks to Hasan Minhaj's masterful blending of thought and feeling, catharsis and criticism."[13]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 78 out of 100 based on 4 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[14]
Influence and controversies
In October 2018, a segment of the episode "Saudi Arabia" included reference to offensive language – the term "Negro Blood" – used in an online manual for US troops deployed to Saudi Arabia to describe the indigenous Gulf Arabs of that country. Following the episode's release, U.S. Central Command issued an apology and removed the online manual.[15]
On January 1, 2019, it was reported that the episode "Saudi Arabia" had been removed from Netflix's service in Saudi Arabia after the country's Communications and Information Technology Commission issued a request to the company to take it down over concerns regarding its content, which included criticism of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. However, the episode was still available in the country at the time of the report through the show's official YouTube channel.[16]
After the show's cancellation, several producers including Nur Nasreen Ibrahim, Sheila V. Kumar, and Amy Zhang claimed to have experienced abuse, mistreatment, and harassment while in the workplace.[23] The matter was settled out of court.[3]
