FXX is bringing Sacha Baron Cohen back to television with Ali G Rezurection, which features material from the Da Ali G Show, both the Channel 4 series from 2000 that ran for six episodes and the HBO series that ran for twelve. Also included are new introductions by Cohen and interviews conducted outside the show.
For those who don’t know his work, Cohen has created multiple, outrageous comic personas for Candid Camera-type scenarios where he interacts with unsuspecting subjects. Ali G is a British suburban youth who fetisizes rap and British Jamaican culture. Borat is a television journalist from the Eastern European country of Kazakhstan. Bruno is a gay fashion reporter from Austrian. All find ways to push the limits of ridiculousness, many times on hysterically vulgar ways.
The first episode is entitled “Cannes, ” which includes two scenes from the first UK show, “Neil Hamilton.” Ali G goes to Cannes to raise money for a film. He meets different producers and investors, some of whom are willing to watch terrible footage filled with Ali G having sex and pretending to be in Jamiaca. Borat goes to Britian to learn how to be an English gentleman where he discovers measuring an inseam for a suit is not a homosexual come-on and “nice tits” is not a good way to flirt with a lady.
Ali G also hosts two interview segments. The late Sir Rhodes Boyson was a British educator, author, and Conservative Member of Parliament. While discuss caning in school, Boyson speaks about corporal punishment while Ali G is using it as drug slang. During the 2001 Comic Relief, Ali G interviews Victoria and David Beckham. Although the couple know Cohen is performing, he is still able to generate a good number of laughs from them as well as the audience.
For those new to Cohen or those looking to revisit this material, Ali G: Rezurection offers a lot of laughs for those who like their comedy over the top. It airs Wednesday nights at 10:30 pm.
