Hulu announced Friday the premiere of the provocative new series Vice Investigates from the award-winning producers and correspondents at Vice News. The streaming-video hub said it had ordered 10 episodes of ‘Vice Investigates’, which is billed as a series of “immersive narratives and fresh perspectives on the important – and sometimes controversial – issues defining today’s culture.” Hulu will launch the first three episodes on Friday, November 1, followed by monthly premieres of the remaining programs, which will start in December.
Vice Investigates, led by executive producer and showrunner Subrata De and co-executive producer Beverly Chase, joins a slate of unscripted projects at Hulu that include the FX series The Weekly and the documentaries Minding the Gap, Fyre Fraud and Ask Dr. Ruth. In the tradition of the original Vice on HBO, the new series will span the world and cover a range of topics. Here are the descriptions for the first three episodes:
Amazon On Fire: Emmy award-winning VICE News correspondent Seb Walker will take audiences to the front lines of the fires blazing throughout the Amazon where politics are rolling back decades of work to save the forest and potentially the planet. As Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro is confronted with unprecedented ecological disaster conservationists are placing blame squarely at his feet. Key interviews include French President Emmanuel Macron, an outspoken critic of the government’s response, as well as indigenous people and ranchers who have been living on the land for generations but are in bitter opposition over its value, legacy and stewardship.
Russia’s War on Hip-Hop: Hip-hop has taken Russia by storm, quickly becoming one of the most popular genres among young people. But the Kremlin claims Hip-hop artists are encouraging drug use, violence, and other social ills, and now their concerts are being canceled. Emmy award-winning VICE News correspondent Alzo Slade embeds with Russia’s most controversial musicians to explore artistic freedom under Putin’s governance and examines the intersection of culture and politics through this new cultural phenomenon.
A Middle East Divided: After almost two years of reporting around the globe, VICE Founder Shane Smith provides a definitive look at the escalating tensions in the world’s most volatile region. With authoritarianism on the rise, record-breaking military spending, and ever-increasing tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, VICE travels to Yemen, Israel, Bahrain, and Lebanon to better understand the Middle East’s ever-changing geopolitical landscape. The episode will feature on-the-ground reporting and new in-depth interviews with world leaders including Senior White House Advisor Jared Kushner and the architect behind Trump’s Iran policy, Brian Hook.
Hulu has published a trailer on October 24 along with a short description, “From the award-winning producers and correspondents at VICE News, VICE Investigates features stories told through a distinct reporting lens, immersive narratives and fresh perspectives on the important — and sometimes controversial — issues defining today’s culture. The Hulu Original series premieres November 1.” Check out the trailer above.