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“Patriot Act” Host Hasan Minhaj at his screening.
Hasan Minhaj, host of the Netflix show, ‘The Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj,’ announced via Twitter that his show had been canceled August 18, to the dismay of many who were a fan of the show’s mashup of comedy, news and political commentary.
The show ran from 2018-2020, had 40 episodes and survived six seasons, according to the International Movie Database. It is one of many talk shows hosted by comedians that the company has canceled.
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What a run. @patriotact has come to an end. I got to work with the best writers, producers, researchers, and animators in the game. My 2 babies were born and grew up with the show. TY to @Netflix and everyone who watched. Now it’s time to return these screens to Best Buy 😎 pic.twitter.com/4s4TrsKWe6
— Hasan Minhaj (@hasanminhaj) August 18, 2020
Hasan Minhaj got one of his biggest breaks in comedy by appearing on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart as a Daily Show correspondent; like many others – Samantha Bee, Jordan Klepper, Steve Carrell and Stephen Colbert to name a few – he used the show as a springboard for greater opportunities.
After his appearance at the 2017 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, a sometimes-tense tradition during which comedians roast journalists and politicians and politicians roast one another, Minhaj launched the Patriot Act in 2018.
With his style of standing up and delivering to a live audience pre-filmed segments and fancy graphics on huge screens in the background, Minhaj offered a fresh take on current events and sociopolitical issues that engaged younger audiences with the news. The show even won a Peabody Award:
Hasan Minhaj has created the perfect model for engaging his fellow millennials in contemporary politics and public life. With his trademark high-octane energy, the first Indian-American and Muslim late-night host brings a welcome voice to political entertainment television. He’s also bold and fearless, taking on the ruthless Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman just weeks after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
However, after the last episode of the sixth season aired June 26, Minhaj announced that the show had been canceled, which Netflix confirmed to USA Today.
While fans were not happy with the show’s cancellation, it wasn’t an unusual move considering the production company has struggled to hold onto its comedian-based talk-show talent, including “The Break With Michelle Wolf,” “The Joel McHale Show With Joel McHale” and “Chelsea” with comedian Chelsea Handler.
Adding to speculation about the reasons behind The Patriot Act’s cancellation was an episode which aired in 2019 that Netflix pulled from streaming in Saudi Arabia, Deadline reported. The episode pulled was about the murder and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and had apparently offended the Saudi Arabian government, prompting Netflix to pull it (citing a “valid, legal request”). Minhaj criticized the move and not long after, showrunner Jim Margolis left.
Based on Reaction to the Cancellation, ‘The Patriot Act’ Was Incredibly Popular
NETFLIX CANCELED THE PATRIOT ACT?! WTF
— Narendra W. (@na_ren_draw) August 18, 2020
Many were outraged that the show was ended, such as this person who tweeted, “THE PATRIOT ACT ENDED. I HATE IT HERE.”
Others expressed sadness that Minhaj would no longer be on TV, such as Walker Bragman, who tweeted, “As a journalist (and fan) I am devastated by this. It is a huge loss for the country. You were able to reach people about important issues in a way I never could in print—and in many cases, you were the only one talking about those issues. What an absolute shame…”
I just found out the Patriot Act on Netflix is canceled pic.twitter.com/gRRLtTAToQ
— Johan (@AgudeloJo) August 18, 2020
Another person congratulated Minhaj for his success:
big congratulations to hasan for everything he accomplished on the patriot act. it was a truly innovative comedy show that offered something different than what other current events comedy shows were doing. cool to see a brown person doing it too.
Some targeted Netflix, such as one user who wrote, “Hey @netflix. The Patriot Act is fantastic. Are you trying to gut punch democracy even further?”
netflix canceling patriot act is not just an indication of the fact that they don’t want to center voices of color, but instead (i think) an indication of the fact that hasan minhaj and team took risks and made people uncomfortable—and that was too much for netflix.
— ry • 小雷 (@time2ryot) August 18, 2020
Yet others joked, “They got rid of the wrong patriot act lol.”
You got that right, Zach Silberberg. On his show, Hasan Minaj gave us insight into current events delivered in a relatable way.
The Patriot Act has given us: pic.twitter.com/FDlh61EOH0
— Linda “End Militarized Policing… Now” Broussard (@lindajaniebrou1) August 18, 2020
Those jokes are a reference to The USA PATRIOT Act: Preserving Life and Liberty, a controversial Department of Justice measure introduced after the 9/11 terrorist attacks that allow the use of surveillance tools in “counter-terrorism” efforts, which some allege has been used to permit the invasion of U.S. citizens’ privacy and other abuses.
People posting on Twitter have said they would support Minhaj’s show making a triumphant return to HBO, alongside Last Week Tonight with John Oliver – another former Daily Show correspondent – while others said they would support it appearing on YouTube via Patreon, Twitch and multiple other viewer-supported platforms.
“What?? Right when we need shows like your more than ever. I hope this doesn’t stick and they come to their god damn senses. #BringBackPatriotAct,” one person tweeted.
Time will only tell if these pleas will lead to a seventh season.
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