The previously announced satirical miniseries Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story is set to premiere March 26 on Anthem Sports & Entertainment’s linear channel GameTV and March 27 on Paramount+ in Canada, with two episodes rolling out at a time on a weekly basis.
Produced by New Metric Media in association with Bay Mills Studios, Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story is “an audacious six-part mockumentary reimagining of the ‘dirtiest race in history’ that is equal parts absurdist comedy and cultural critique,” according to a press release announcing the premiere dates for the series.
Set against the backdrop of the 1988 Olympic Summer Games and the doping scandal surrounding Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson, the series stars Shamier Anderson (John Wick: Chapter 4, Invasion) as Johnson, alongside Andrew “King Bach” Bachelor (Greenland, The Babysitter) as Johnson’s American rival Carl Lewis.
The ensemble cast includes Karen Robinson (Schitt’s Creek, Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent), Mark McKinney (Kids in the Hall, Superstore), Ennis Esmer (Blindspot, Children Ruin Everything), Malaika Hennie Hamadi (Bria Mack Gets a Life), Kristian Bruun (The Recruit, Orphan Black), Ryan Belleville (Workin’ Moms), Darryl Hinds (Second City), Lisa Horner (Kim’s Convenience), Emma Hunter (Mr. D, Letterkenny), Suresh John (Mr. D, The Last Frontier), Jonathan Langdon (Trap), Gita Miller (Workin’ Moms), Andrew Phung (Kim’s Convenience, Run the Burbs), Dewshane Williams (Hello Tomorrow), Leslie Adlam (Bria Mack Gets a Life) and Arnold Pinnock (Plan B).
The miniseries also features several “playful cameos”, including appearances by WWE star Chelsea Green, Canadian NASCAR driver Amber Balcaen and Canadian figure skating champion Elvis Stojko.
“Hate the Player gleefully blurs the line between fact, fiction, and fever dream as Johnson self-funds a documentary to ‘set the record straight,’ pulling viewers into a world of ethically questionable coaching, performance-enhancing coverups, and misguided redemption,” the press release says.
The series is created by BAFTA-winning and Emmy-nominated writer Anthony Q. Farrell (The Office, Shelved, Run the Burbs), who also serves as showrunner and executive producer. The directors of the series are Cory Bowles (Trailer Park Boys) and R.T. Thorne (The Porter). Other executive producers include Mark Montefiore, CEO of New Metric Media, and director Thorne, alongside Shamier Anderson and Stephan James for Bay Mills Studios. Lana Maclin and Max Wolfond serve as producer and supervising producer, respectively, for New Metric.
Paramount+ Canada and GameTV released the official trailer for Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story on Wednesday.
Image courtesy of Paramount+ Canada/GameTV
