Paul T Goldman Trailer Peacock Series Looks Positively Nuts

A docu-comedy in the style of “The Rehearsal” or HBO’s two-season series “How to With John Wilson” — both produced by Nathan Fielder — “Paul T. Goldman” is the passion project of Jason Woliner. Best known for directing 2020’s “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” Woliner is a veteran comedy director, with episodes of “The Last Man on Earth,” “Parks and Recreation,” and Fielder’s Comedy Central series “Nathan For You” on his résumé. As he explains in a letter that accompanied the show’s announcement, Woliner has been working on this series for 10 years. Goldman tweeted at Woliner (and hundreds of others) in 2012, seeking help to adapt a book he wrote about his life for the screen. Woliner went to Goldman’s website and, intrigued by a self-shot video where Goldman described his story as a personal transformation “from wimp to warrior” on a mission to take down a supposed international crime ring, the director bought the book. And boy, did he buy it: hook, line, and sinker.

“It instantly became my favorite book I’ve ever read,” Woliner wrote. “The story is equal parts fascinating, hilarious, shocking, and often weirdly moving. It has endless bizarre turns, and Paul himself is the most captivating person I’ve ever encountered.” The rest, as they say, is about to become history. The resulting show, which was shot over the past decade, sees Goodman playing himself as the beleaguered hero of the story. Like “The Rehearsal,” the series weaves in and out of the show that Woliner and Goodman made and the actual process of making the series, blending what’s real and what’s fiction in bizarre and sometimes confusing ways. Woliner executive produces “Paul T. Goldman” with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who own production company Point Grey Studios. Additional executive producers include James Weaver and Loreli Alanis for Point Grey, Megan Ellison for Annapurna, and Michael Sagol and Bert Hamelinck for Caviar. Tyler Ben-Amotz produces for Caviar. “Paul T. Goldman” drops its first three episodes January 1; the final three episodes will roll out weekly on Sundays through January 22. Watch, and try to decipher, the trailer below.