The Politician: First look at Ryan Murphy and Ben Platt’s Netflix comedy
The first images have been released from Ryan Murphy and Ben Platt’s new Netflix musical comedy series, The Politician.
The upcoming show is Pose creator Ryan Murphy’s first show under a big-budget deal that will see him create exclusively for Netflix.
The Politician stars Dear Evan Hansen’s Ben Platt
Tony Award-winning Dear Evan Hansen actor Ben Platt will star in the show as mega-wealthy student and aspiring future politician Payton Hobart, who is partly inspired by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The eight-episode series also stars Gwenyth Paltrow as Hobart’s adoptive mother Georgina, in an apparent parody of herself.
American Horror Story star Jessica Lange and Bette Midler also have roles in the project.
A synopsis explains: “Payton Hobart (Ben Platt), a wealthy student from Santa Barbara, California, has known since age seven that he’s going to be President of the United States.
“But first he’ll have to navigate the most treacherous political landscape of all: Saint Sebastian High School.
“To get elected Student Body President, secure a spot at Harvard, and stay on his singular path to success, Payton will have to outsmart his ruthless classmates without sacrificing his own morality and carefully crafted image.
“Full of comedy and sly satire, Ryan Murphy’s The Politician offers a rare glimpse into just what it takes to make a politician.”
Netflix has already ordered two seasons of the show, which is planned to run for five seasons—each revolving around a different election in Hobart’s rise to power.
The series regular stars include Ben Platt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Lange, Zoey Deutch, Lucy Boynton, Laura Dreyfuss, Rahne Jones, Theo Germaine, Julia Schlaepfer and Bob Balaban.
The show also stars Dylan McDermott, January Jones, David Corenswet, Judith Light and Bette Midler.
Ryan Murphy will champion ‘LGBT heroes’
Murphy previously said his deal with the streaming giant will allow him to continue to “champion LGBTQ heroes and heroines.”
Murphy said: “The history of this moment is not lost on me.
“I am a gay kid from Indiana who moved to Hollywood in 1989 with $55 dollars in savings in my pocket, so the fact that my dreams have crystallised and come true in such a major way is emotional and overwhelming to me.
“I am awash in genuine appreciation for Ted Sarandos, Reed Hastings and Cindy Holland at Netflix for believing in me and the future of my company which will continue to champion women, minorities and LGBTQ heroes and heroines, and I am honoured and grateful to continue my partnership with my friends and peers at Fox on our existing shows.”
The Politician arrives on Netflix on September 27.
Watch our review of 2019’s best LGBT TV shows: