What happens when a professional prankster turns his attention to the world’s most powerful industries? HBO is about to find out.
OOBAH: SCAMS FOR A BETTER TOMORROW, a five-episode docu-comedy series from filmmaker Oobah Butler, makes its debut Sunday, November 22, at 11 p.m. ET/PT on HBO, with streaming available on HBO Max.
Known for his outrageous viral stunts, including creating a fake London restaurant that somehow became the city’s number-one-rated dining destination, Butler is back with an even bigger target: the systems and institutions that shape everyday life.
This time, he’s infiltrating the worlds of wine, wellness, royalty, and more through elaborate schemes involving fake companies, invented identities, fabricated backstories, and a little creative manipulation of online reviews.
The premise is as ridiculous as it sounds, but there’s a bigger idea underneath the comedy. By exposing how easily reputation, influence, and credibility can be manufactured, Butler raises an interesting question: What if gaming the system is actually the best way to change it?
Produced by A24, Abso Lutely Productions, and Central, the series is directed by Daniel Lucchesi and features an executive production team that includes Butler, Dave Kneebone, Janel Kranking, Eli Bush, Ronald Bronstein, and Josh Safdie.
If Butler’s previous stunts are any indication, expect plenty of absurd situations, uncomfortable truths, and a few questions about just how much of the world we take at face value.
OOBAH: SCAMS FOR A BETTER TOMORROW premieres November 22 at 11 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and streams on HBO Max.
