Washingtonia - What We Know So Far
In September, fans of excellent comedy and sharp political insight received great news: Late-night host and entertainer extraordinaire Stephen Colbert has teamed up with Comedy Central to produce two new animated projects. Unsurprisingly, both of them seem set to explore the current political and social atmosphere through a satirical lens. One of them is called "Fairview," a show that examines the effects of current national politics in the titular town that seems to be Colbert's version of Everytown, America — think Springfield in "The Simpsons," or perhaps "South Park."
"Washingtonia," on the other hand, is an animated feature that takes place at the ground zero of the aforementioned politics, Washington D.C. The concept seems custom made for Colbert's comedic sensibilities, so chances are that fans of his patented style have plenty of goodness in store. But when can you expect it to arrive, and what will it be all about? Here's what we know about the release date, cast, and plot of "Washingtonia."
When is the release date of Washingtonia?
The announcement of Stephen Colbert's "Washingtonia" and "Fairview" deal came in September 21, per Deadline. However, Colbert did tease that the deal might not be quite as finalized as the press release made it seem.
"I am so excited to participate in this press release, but I should mention that my deal for 'Fairview' and 'Washingtonia' is not yet closed," his statement read. "The main sticking point is money. I want more and they don't want me to have more. I look forward to airing these projects as soon as this issue is resolved."
Colbert's line was almost certainly a joke, though, so "Washingtonia" is pretty clearly a done deal. In fact, it's such a done deal that a recent press release stated that the feature will premiere at some point in the fall of 2021 (via Broadway World). As such, unless there are any last-minute schedule changes, you can expect "Washingtonia" to arrive in the coming weeks.
What's the plot of Washingtonia?
The exclusive first look at "Washingtonia," which you can check out on the Comedy Central Animated YouTube channel, reveals that the project features a combination of traditional political satire and fantasy elements. The central concept revolves around Graham West, an everyman from a poor family who's just enough of a sports hero and a veteran to start a successful career as a populist politician. When he becomes a congressman, he becomes the "chosen one" of America's true power behind the scenes: Gorganock the Goat King, a conservative, ageless demon who loves salad and hates wind turbines. Their mission? Stop President Joe Biden and his allies from implementing their liberal agenda.
Against this fantastic take on Stephen Colbert's familiar "conservative power player who thinks he's a hero but is clearly clueless" premise, "Washingtonia" takes Graham and his team for a deep dive into a parody version of Washington's high-stakes political game. From the looks of it, there are enough absurd, irreverent situations that a flying, talking goat demon Founding Father actually seems like one of the most normal characters. It's clear that Colbert and the rest of the production team are going all in with "Washingtonia," and it'll be fascinating to see how far they're willing to take things.
Who's in the cast of Washingtonia?
"Washingtonia" features several original characters, but since it focuses on politics, fictionalized versions of several real-life power players also feature in the mix. You can expect to see President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and a great number of prominent politicians. Because they'll presumably serve as antagonists to Graham Shaw, the announced names skew toward the left side of the fence, with folks like Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and Bernie Sanders all confirmed to feature. Past presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump will also both appear, along with many of Trump's family members. Powerful business and media figures, like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Sean Hannity are also set to appear.
Stephen Colbert himself will feature in a voice role, and a lengthy list of other voice actors has been announced for the show (via Broadway World). However, it's still officially unknown which actors will provide the voices for the characters, so it's anyone guess how the talent and the characters will pair up. The animation team of "Washingtonia" is also behind Showtime's "Our Cartoon President," which may provide some hints at the voice actors' roles. For instance, John Viener voices Mike Pence in that show, Emily Lynne provides voices for Pelosi and multiple Trumps, and Alise Morales is Ocasio-Cortez. Since they're all on the voice cast list, it's not out of the realm of possibility that they'll reprise the roles in "Washingtonia," as well.