This year is the 25th anniversary of his first appearance on TV.
Running from 1998 to 2000, the short-lived The 11 O’Clock Show actually helped to kickstart the careers of many (at the time) non-famous comedians, including Ricky Gervais, Jimmy Carr, Mackenzie Crook and Sacha Baron Cohen.
Cohen appeared on the show as Ali G, and the character proved to be so popular that he eventually got his own show, appropriately titled Da Ali G Show, which ran from 2000 to 2004. Within that show, Cohen also introduced us to two more of his now legendary comedic and controversial creations, Kazakh reporter Borat Sagdiyevn and gay Austrian fashionista Brüno Gehard.
These new characters also turned out to be massively popular, with Borat getting two movies (in 2002 and 2020) and Bruno also getting his own big screen adaptation (in 2009). The original character also got his own movie in 2022, titled Ali G Indahouse, and despite some middling reviews (53% on Rotten Tomatoes), it went to become a minor box office success.
But we haven’t really seen much from Ali G in the years since his show ended, aside from a surprise appearance as a presenter at the 2016 Oscars, but according to a report by Variety, Cohen is in the process of bringing the character back.
As per the report, the return appears to solely include a stand-up comedy tour, especially given the writing and acting strikes taking place in Hollywood right now:
“Variety understands Baron Cohen has been working on a stand-up tour in which Ali G will make an appearance. A source close to Baron Cohen strenuously denied a new movie was in development, however, noting that the writer and actor is strictly abiding by strike rules. ‘As a SAG and WGA member he is supporting the ongoing strike alongside his fellow writers and actors,’ the source told [us].”
But once the strikes are over, could this mean a return of the character on the small (and big) screen? Only time will tell… Meanwhile, Ali G Indahouse is available to rent on Rakuten TV, Apple TV and Google Play.
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