The Ziwe Trailer Boasts Some Truly Iconic Guests

For those who have been following her for the past few years, it’s been pretty clear that it was only a matter of time before comedian Ziwe would eventually star in her own show.

Thus, Ziwe, the comedian and writer’s eponymous variety series produced by indie distributor A24 was born. It’s an extension of sorts of Ziwe’s YouTube series, Baited, in which she would race bait guests with aplomb, and the Instagram Live series she started during the pandemic, in which she would invite your problematic faves, from Caroline Calloway to Alexis Neiers to Rose McGowan, to talk about their actual perceptions of race in America.

“I believe in using humor as a tool to shed light on the truth,” the provocateur says in her introductory appearance. “But there are some issues that are too sensitive to joke about.”

In Ziwe there will be interviews, there will be musical interludes, there will be sketches, unscripted moments galore, and most importantly, there will be some truly iconic guests. The notoriously cantankerous New York City icon Fran Lebowitz, for example, appears early on in the trailer to answer the genuine question, “What bothers you more: slow walkers or racism?”

New York’s alt-comedy scene makes its mark on the fuzzy pink stage as well, with the show boasting appearances from Cole Escola, Bowen Yang, Patti Harrison, Sam Taggart, and Julio Torres.

Phoebe Bridgers, Adam Pally, Jane Krakowski, and a plastic surgeon learning the definition of “dumb thicc” don’t get to escape Ziwe’s deadpan, no-holds-barred approach either when the show premieres May 9 on Showtime.