For a while now, a mysterious title has appeared online: Untitled Jason Woliner Project. Appearing on websites for Frank Grillo, Rosanna Arquette, and obviously Woliner, the project has had no information attached to it — until now. Woliner is the hilarious director behind the second Borat film, not to mention his Chris Elliott-led show Eagleheart and a bevy of great TV comedies (Nathan for You, The Last Man on Earth, Master of None, Tim and Eric's Bedtime Stories, What We Do in the Shadows). Unbeknownst to nearly everyone, this subversive creator has been working on a strange project for over a decade.
The project has now come to fruition with Paul T. Goldman, an absolutely wild, unclassifiable docuseries that has to be seen to be believed. The six-episode series blends fact and fiction into a mind-bending comedy hybrid with the potential to leave viewers' jaws dropped on the floor in disbelief, and it's coming to Peacock on January 1, 2023.
Jason Woliner Explains Paul T. Goldman
Paul T. Goldman can be a bit difficult to describe (and, presumably, to market). The series follows Woliner's attempt to make a film based off the supposedly real-life, stranger-than-fiction story of the titular Goldman. It is essentially a documentary about Goldman, who is such a distinct, odd character that he and the show become mesmerizing as a result. In order to tell Goldman's allegedly true story, Woliner films Goldman acting it out based on an amateur, true crime-style script the man wrote himself.
Sound confusing? Fortunately, Woliner has attempted to convey the background behind his series in his director's note.
In 2012, a man named Paul T. Goldman tweeted at me.
He said that he had an incredible story to tell and had written a book – and a screenplay – about it. He asked for my help bringing it to the screen. When I clicked on his Twitter, I saw that he had tweeted the same exact thing to hundreds of other people. I clicked on his website and watched a video he’d shot himself: He was a middle-aged, nebbish guy delivering a monologue about how he'd been the victim of a shocking betrayal that led to a transformation "from wimp to warrior" and set him on a mission to bring down an (alleged) international crime ring. I bought the book immediately.
It instantly became my favorite book I’ve ever read. 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. He reminded me of my favorite documentary subjects: Mark Borchardt from American Movie, Timothy Treadwell from Grizzly Man, or the kind of people that appear in Errol Morris films like Tabloid and Mr. Death. They’re striking, quirky, passionate, a little “off;" individuals with a strong sense of purpose but perhaps an atypical form of self-awareness. After a few months of quiet observation, I responded to Paul and told him I was in.
Paul T. Goldman Premieres on Peacock New Year's Day
The resulting show has the unpredictability and edge-of-your-seat dramatic beats of great true-crime series, the hilarity of cringe-worthy comedies like Borat Subsequent Moviefilm and Nathan for You, and the perceptive humanity of excellent documentaries. Ultimately, it seems like a cross between the recent HBO hit The Rehearsal and a Charlie Kaufman film, and has the potential to be the next big comedy hit.
From Point Grey Studios, Caviar, and NBC Universal, be sure to check out Paul T. Goldman on Peacock beginning January 1.