Netflix
- "Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj" is Netflix's latest foray into talk-show territory, and a social-media analysis from Crimson Hexagon suggests it has a shot at success.
- Netflix's other talk shows, such as "The Break with Michelle Wolf," have been canceled.
- But Crimson Hexagon found that people talked more about and had a more positive reaction to "Patriot Act" when it premiered compared to the other shows.
- "Patriot Act" is similar to HBO's "Last Week Tonight" in that Minhaj focuses on a single issue each episode, and critics have praised the host's humor and unique perspective.
Hasan Minhaj's new Netflix show, "Patriot Act," might be the cure to the streaming service's talk-show woes.
"Patriot Act" debuted on Netflix with two episodes on October 28, and will be dropped on a weekly basis. A social-media analysis from consumer-insights company Crimson Hexagon, provided to Business Insider, suggests that audiences are already more interested in "Patriot Act" than they were with Netflix's other talk programs when they premiered.
Topical shows have proven to be a challenge for Netflix, as they break its usual strategy of dropping all episodes at once for users to binge at their leisure. The streamer's last few attempts - "Chelsea" with Chelsea Handler, "The Break with Michelle Wolf," and "The Joel McHale Show" - have all been canceled. "Patriot Act" hopes to break the cycle.
Crimson Hexagon measured online conversations and sentiment on the premiere dates for those four shows, and found that "Patriot Act" was talked about more and better received than the other three (we excluded David Letterman's Netflix show, "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction," as it isn't released on as frequent a basis).
While "Chelsea" wasn't far behind, more people posted about "Patriot Act" when it debuted. The number of posts were over double and triple for "Patriot Act" than they were for "The Joel McHale Show" and "The Break," respectively.
Crimson Hexagon
"Patriot Act" also led in sentiment, with only 8% of social-media reaction being negative. Compare that to Handler's show, for which 25% of the reactions were negative.
Reviews have been positive, as well. Vulture said that Minhaj has the humor and perspective to talk about sensitive issues that other hosts would not have.
"That's why Minhaj's voice is necessary in this realm of television," Jen Chaney wrote.
Variety's Caroline Framke wrote, "Probably the sharpest tool in 'Patriot Act's' arsenal is its host's sharp, singular perspective. Minhaj is the first Indian-American to host this kind of show, and 'Patriot Act' (led by Minhaj's co-creator/head writer Prashanth Venkataramanujam) makes it count."
Crimson Hexagon
Minhaj seems to be what sets "Patriot Act" apart, but what else makes it different? Minhaj, a former "Daily Show" correspondent, told The Hollywood Reporter that it feels like a "visual podcast meets one-man show" and that he'll mention President Trump "very little," instead focusing on a single issue each episode, similar to HBO's "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver."
The show has even recruited New York Times, Vice, and ProPublica reporters as writers, according to THR.
"I want to do deep investigative reporting," Minhaj said. "And then some stuff that just makes me angry that I'll talk about for four minutes that's just funny for funny's sake."