Stephen Colbert has ridden anti-Donald Trump sentiment to the top of the late-night ratings. Now he's riding it all the way to premium cable.
On Thursday, Showtime announced it had ordered 10 episodes of an as-yet-untitled animated series featuring cartoon renderings of the president, his family and inner circle.
The satirical half-hour series, executive produced by Colbert and "The Late Show's" show runner Chris Licht, will debut on Showtime this fall. According to the network, turnaround on the series will be quick in order to incorporate current events.
"Stephen and Chris have an uncanny genius for deconstructing the world of President Trump, and this series opens a new realm for them," Showtime President David Nevins said in a press statement.
Tim Luecke, who co-created the animated version of Trump who frequently appears in "Late Show" bits _ including a recent segment from the notorious presidential suite of the Moscow Ritz-Carlton _ will serve as lead animator.
The announcement caps off a period of good news for Colbert, who racked up six Emmy nominations this month and will be hosting the awards in September. The recently concluded "Russia Week," in which the comedian traveled to Moscow and St. Petersburg, brought "The Late Show" its biggest margin over "The Tonight Show" since its premiere in 2015.
While "The Late Show" airs on CBS, Colbert has also developed ties with his corporate cousins at Showtime. Many point to his riveting election night special "Stephen Colbert's Live Election Night Democracy's Series Finale," which aired on the premium network, as a turning point after an uneven transition from "The Colbert Report."
For its part, Showtime has invested heavily in political content over the last 18 months, most notably the documentary series "The Circus," from journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann.
