From The Daily Show to headlining their own late-night show, one ex-host is now making the jump to scripted television. The former late-night TV host known for roasting politicians and cable news pundits will soon be stepping into the lead role in a new workplace comedy.
Samantha Bee is heading back into the world of political comedy. The former host of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee has been cast as the star of The Ambassador, a new half-hour comedy announced by Canadian broadcaster CBC. The series comes from Tim McAuliffe, known for creating the shows Happy Together and Son of a Critch. He's also written for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
According to the series description, Bee will star as Olivia Winters, an unconventional new ambassador stationed at the Canadian embassy in Bulgaria. Olivia is described as a former actor turned diplomat who relies less on political experience and more on instinct, charm, and improvisation to navigate international crises. Joining her is childhood best friend Andrea Taylor, played by Allana Harkin, a much more traditional and policy-focused diplomat tasked with keeping things from spiraling out of control.
The setup immediately sounds like a blend of workplace sitcom chaos and political satire. Fans of Veep will probably recognize the mix of government dysfunction and awkward diplomacy, while the embassy setting could also appeal to viewers who enjoyed the government employee-led absurdity of Parks and Recreation.
Bee feels like a particularly natural fit for the role. Long before hosting Full Frontal, she spent more than a decade as one of the standout correspondents on The Daily Show, where her interviews and field pieces often skewered politics, media, and international relations. Her sharp comedic style helped make Full Frontal one of the defining political comedy shows of the Trump era during its seven-season run on TBS.
Since Full Frontal ended in 2022, Bee has stayed busy across television, podcasting, and publishing. She has continued producing political and social commentary projects, appeared as a guest commentator across multiple networks, and launched the podcast Choice Words with Samantha Bee. She also appeared in the one woman show How to Survive Menopause in an off-Broadway production.
McAuliffe should bring a certain level of bite to the series as he continues to make a career out of lampooning Canadian politics. And with Bee stepping into the lead role, the show instantly gains even more credibility with fans who have missed seeing her regularly tackle political absurdity on television.
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