Bassem Youssef captivated the world with his unique brand of humor while hosting the satirical news program Al-Bernameg in his native Egypt for three seasons, and now the satirist will be bringing his talents Stateside. In a new web series for Fusion, Youssef will be hosting the ten-part The Democracy Handbook With Bassem Youssef, which will find each episode focusing on a topic about democracy. (Guns! Free speech! Elections!) Today, we’re pleased to premiere the trailer, which can be viewed above.
“The fact that I come from the Middle East and was given the chance to comment on American political issues is an incredible opportunity and a great challenge. I hope to bring a different perspective to the table that is enlightening for Americans as well as people back in the Middle East,” Youssef said. “There is no doubt that America is a shining example of democracy, but nothing is perfect and nothing is complete. In certain aspects, I find areas where I hear the same rhetoric as in the Middle East; it is funny, some of the sound bites you hear here in America from a ‘certain’ candidate, would fit perfectly coming from a dictator in my region.”
The series will be available to stream in its entirety on July 14 on Fusion.net, with an additional one-hour special airing July 17 on Fusion’s cable network.
