Barack and Michelle Obama take on major career change as they create new TV show
Here's a sentence you never thought you'd hear — the Obamas and the creator of Seinfeld are collaborating on a new HBO television show.
That's right folks — the former President and First Lady of the United States, Barack and Michelle Obama, along with Larry David, are working together to bring a new six-episode sketch comedy exploring American history to our television screens.
The unlikely collaborators are joined by Larry's longtime friend and Curb Your Enthusiasm showrunner, executive producer, and director, Jeff Schaffer, who will help co-write and also take the directorial reins of the yet-untitled show.
The network announced in a statement on July 10: ' President and Mrs. Obama wanted to honour America's 250th anniversary and celebrate the unique history of our nation on this special occasion…But then Larry David called.'
President Obama said: 'I've sat across the table from some of the world 's most difficult leaders and wrestled with some of our most intractable problems. Nothing has prepared me for working with Larry David.'
Speaking about his involvement with the show, Larry humorously shared: 'Once Curb ended, I celebrated with a three-day foam party. After a violent allergic reaction to the suds, I yearned to return to my simple life as a beekeeper, harvesting organic honey from the wildflowers in my meadow. Alas, one day my bees mysteriously vanished. And so, it is with a heavy heart that I return to television, hoping to ease the loss of my beloved hive.'
The new series, produced by the Obamas' production company, Higher Ground, will star some Curb Your Enthusiasm castmates as well as other 'noteworthy guest stars', as per HBO.
Jeff shed some light on the premise of the sketch series and shared: 'The characters Larry is playing didn't change history. In fact, they were largely ignored by history. And that's a good thing.'
The Obamas, Larry David, Jeff Schaffer, Vinnie Malhotra, and Ethan Lewis have been named as executive producers of the show, which marks Larry's return to television a year after Curb Your Enthusiasm's 12th and final season concluded. No premiere date of the yet-to-be-named show has been shared as of yet.
Higher Ground was founded in 2018 — a year after President Obama left office — and has since produced the Oscar-winning documentary American Factory, the feature films Worth and Rustin, along with a notable slate of children's programming. In 2022, following the end of its exclusive podcast partnership with Spotify — which launched with The Michelle Obama Podcast — the company signed a first-look deal with Audible.
Larry David on the other hand, has had a storied career, receiving more than 30 Primetime Emmy nominations across his mega-successful shows, Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, Michelle recently fuelled divorce rumours on her recently launched IMO podcast's July 9 episode, as she said: 'I mean, at this stage in life, for me personally, is the first time I've been completely free.
"There's been a release where every choice I make is not about my husband, not about his career, not about my family, not about what my kids need or where they're going — it's totally about me. This is when we start living, ladies.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
34 minutes ago
- The National
Scottish crew 'excluded from Spider Man 4 filming in Glasgow'
Filming for Marvel's upcoming blockbuster is set to begin this month as fake construction sites, prop vehicles and American flags have appeared in the city centre. Despite Scotland being chosen as the preferred filming location by Hollywood, with actors Tom Holland and Zendaya featuring in the film, the head of one of the largest talent agencies in the country has claimed that Scottish workers have been shut out from working on the production. Iain Wilkie, owner of BBB Talent Agency – which represents more than 10,500 actors, extras and stunt specialists – has claimed that a London-based talent firm has been chosen to provide talent and that no Scottish crew is working on the film. READ MORE: James McAvoy does the most Scottish thing in London – and Martin Compston loves it Wilkie, who is a veteran actor and body double for Sam Heughan in Outlander, told The National that very few Scottish facilities had also been chosen while the film is shot in Glasgow. He also claimed that it was the same story with the last four Hollywood blockbusters which were filmed in the country. He said while the film industry looks like it is thriving on the surface, few in Scotland is benefiting from these large-scale filming activities. 'You see these Hollywood red carpets, and it's all glitz and pure glamor, and you see these ordinary-looking actors with supermodels. Well, that's Scotland right now,' he explained. 'We're turning up at these events and hiring a supermodel. It looks glamorous but there's just no substance to it. 'On the surface, we look absolutely amazing. We look like we're booming with these major Hollywood productions all over Scotland, but there's no benefit to us. 'There's absolutely no benefit. Nobody in Scotland benefited from this. 'When these production companies are coming to Scotland, they are wiping their feet on their way out.' (Image: Supplied) Wilkie (middle) said that the London-based firm Entertainment Partners was chosen to provide talent for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. He also claimed that Scottish firms weren't even given the opportunity to speak with either Sony or Marvel, who are the main forces behind the film, about working on it. 'The state of Scotland's creative industries is that unless you have a London-based agent, you're not going to get it if you're an actor,' he said. 'Unless you've got a London-based agent, you're not going to get any work in Scotland.' Wilkie said he has decided to speak out about Scottish firms being overlooked by film projects, as he said after eight years of the 'biggest talent platform' in the country, he has seen his opportunities, along with his colleagues from other agencies, become fewer. He said: 'We never moaned. We just got on. But now we were not even given the opportunity.' Wilkie has now called on Screen Scotland, a national body set up to support Scotland's film and TV industry, to do more to champion the industry. Screen Scotland says its purpose is to drive development of all aspects of Scotland's film and TV industry, through funding and strategic support, which includes improving employment opportunities in the sector. However, Wilkie argues that the government agency has lost sight of one of its core commitments to help improve employment opportunities for Scots in favour of over-focusing on promoting the country to the world. He said: 'Their function, they believe, is to promote Scotland. And I'll tell you what, I'll give them ten out of ten for it, because they are seriously promoting Scotland. 'There's some great productions coming to Scotland, but there's nobody in Scotland benefiting from that.' Wilkie added: 'They are bringing work to Scotland, but for who?' The agency boss said he would like Screen Scotland to understand what it's like working in the industry and how it is 'impossible' for Scots to reach all the 'amazing productions' that are coming to the country to film. He added: 'I would love there to be a facility in Scotland for people that work in TV and film in Scotland to access these productions. 'Right now, it's a closed shop, and Screen Scotland are helping keep it closed' Wilkie said that Screen Scotland is good at supporting Scots if they 'tick the right boxes' but there is no follow-up. He said that young first-time writers or directors who are given some money to make the content they want are left with no support or help from the government agency. He added that Screen Scotland should be trying to get Scots practical experience on the big productions that are coming to Scotland in a bid to help cultivate the country's own talent pool, and has called for them to create a branch to develop the industry's opportunities. (Image: Supplied) 'The key to Screen Scotland is to get back to basics. Remember why they're here,' Wilkie (above) said. 'They've done a phenomenal job of promoting Scotland. If they were to put the same energy into the people in Scotland working within TV and film, that's where the success will lie. 'What they need to do is create a branch within Creative Scotland that is only there to promote us.' Wilkie said along with establishing a branch in Screen Scotland to promote Scottish workers, there should also be a legislative change in how production companies can recruit. He said that there should be an introduction of some form of quota of Scottish people to work on productions shot in Scotland, or that people with Scottish postcodes should take priority over those outside the country. 'I'm not saying every job should be filled with people from Scotland on average,' Wilkie said. 'I'm just saying I think we should be scooping up the talent in Scotland first and then when that talent runs out, look to the bigger pools that are in England.' Wilkie also said the Scottish Government should take note of how Wales and Northern Ireland prioritise homegrown talent and incentivise productions to hire from inside the country instead of looking to London. One example is the Foot in the Door initiative by Ffilm Cymru, which aims to connect people with opportunities in the creative sector, regardless of their background. Wilkie added: 'There's just no support for us out here. There's just no support from Screen Scotland at all.' Earlier this week, John Swinney said more needs to be done to increase the number of Scots benefitting from Scotland's screen industry. The First Minister said that the [[Scottish Government]] needs to 'make sure' that there is better access to screen infrastructure for Scots, adding that there needs to be more recognition of the 'economic benefits' the sector brings. A Screen Scotland spokesperson said: 'Screen Scotland is committed to supporting Scotland-based film and TV talent as well as maximising the benefits that filming creates across the wider Scottish economy. We encourage incoming productions to utilise local crews and services. 'That said, the majority of our production funding remains focused on films and [[TV]] programmes from Scotland, which regularly hire local crew and facilities. Recent projects from Scotland developed and produced with Screen Scotland's support include Only Child, Mayflies and Dinosaur for BBC Scotland, An t Eilean (The Island) for BBC Alba, Summerwater for Channel 4, The Rig for Amazon Prime, and the feature films The Outrun, Aftersun, My Old School, Janey, On Falling, California Schemin' and Tornado.' Entertainment Partners and Sony have been approached for comment.
Glasgow Times
42 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Spider-Man fans flock to Glasgow as filming begins
Bothwell Street has temporarily been given a new look with American flags and Manhattan road signs appearing in the area. (Image: GordonTerris/Herald&Times) (Image: GordonTerris/Herald&Times) It comes as filming for Spider-Man: Brand New Day begins on August 1 on the city centre road. Our photographer went down to Bothwell Street to capture some of the action. Fans of the Marvel comic character were snapped taking selfies with the set. READ NEXT: 'Spider-man' spotted in Glasgow as area turns into New York (Image: GordonTerris/Herald&Times) Seven-year-old Eli Sanderson and dad David (Image: GordonTerris/Herald&Times) (Image: GordonTerris/Herald&Times) Spider-Man: Brand New Day will star Tom Holland as Peter Parker, as well as Zendaya as MJ. It is expected to be released in 2026 and is being directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. The adventure movie picks up after the dramatic conclusion of No Way Home, where Peter Parker sacrificed his identity to save those he loves. (Image: GordonTerris/Herald&Times) (Image: GordonTerris/Herald&Times) (Image: GordonTerris/Herald&Times) READ NEXT: Over 50 Glasgow streets to close as Spiderman filming begins today Crews continue to build parts of the set on Friday. A huge number of New York City Police Department (NYPD) vehicles, as well as yellow taxi cabs, have been spotted on the street alongside food vendor stalls. Nearly 60 roads will be shut in the city centre to allow for filming. (Image: GordonTerris/Herald&Times) (Image: GordonTerris/Herald&Times) Glasgow City Council confirmed that traffic diversions will be in place. The local authority also warned that bus and taxi lanes will be impacted. Drivers are being warned that delays and congestion are expected, particularly around key commuter routes. During shooting, which is reportedly set to last around two weeks, a prohibition of pedestrian movements will also be enforced.
South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Sir Anthony Hopkins mocks Kim Kardashian's face wrap
The Welsh actor who was born in Bridgend, went to Monmouth Boys' school in Pontypool and has links to Newport, rebirthed his Hannibal Lecter character to mock Kardashian's SKIMS face wrap. Fans were left howling when Kardashian launched her new 'Ultimate Face' product from her shapewear line, comparing the garment to the Silence of the Lambs' villain Lecter's bite restraint mask worn by Hopkins in the 1991 film. Hopkins was awarded an Oscar for his on-screen role as the cannibal and wore a nude post-surgical mask in a social media post saying: 'Hello Kim, I'm already feeling 10 years younger. Goodbye.' This was before he recreated the legendary 'fava beans and Chianti' scene and captioned the clip: 'Thank you, Kim. Don't be afraid to come over for dinner.' Fans responded with hilarity online, expressing their shock at Hopkins being the one they expected to roast Kim about her new product.
