David Oyelowois headed back to the 1960s, but this time he isn’t playing Martin Luther King, Jr. No, this time theSelmastar is diving headfirst into comedy, tackling the role of an inventor-slash-criminal, finally out of prison and ready to give his family the life they deserve. Only — as the tagline of the newAppleTV+series states — “second chances are never that simple.” Particularly in the surrealist world in which the Chambers family lives. But you won’t have to wait until the series' premiere to get a sense of what we mean, as the streaming service has finally released a trailer you can watch right now.
Popping up now to let people know about its just-announced premiere date (keep reading to find out!), theGovernment Cheesetrailer takes us back to the San Fernando Valley of 1969. Here, according to the official synopsis, is where we find the Chambers, “a quirky family pursuing lofty and seemingly impossible dreams, beautifully unfettered by the realities of the world.” It’s the last part of that sentence that has us wondering — what about you? Well, look no further than just below the next header, and watch the trailer for yourself!
Seth Rogen Reveals Chaotic Way ‘The Studio’ Immerses Audiences in the “Manic Energy” of Filmmaking
It sounds like glorious chaos on Apple TV+.
‘Government Cheese’ Wants To Re-Imagine The Drill…And Then Some!
So what, exactly, isGovernment Cheeseabout? Well, according to the series' official synopsis:
“When Hampton Chambers (David Oyelowo) is released from prison, his long-awaited family reunion doesn’t go quite as he’d planned. During his absence, Hampton’s wife, Astoria (Simone Missick), and sons, Einstein (Evan Ellison) and Harrison (Jahi Di’Allo Winston), have formed an unconventional family unit, and Hampton’s return spins their world into chaos.”
And based on watching the trailer, that’s putting it lightly. Hampton’s self-sharpening drill is just one aspect of the story, which also involves local gangsters, old friends, an owl, a movie set, a woman who seems like a cult leader, and maybe even a rocket ship? Southern California has always been a trip — which is why so much of the series is pulled from creator and director Paul Hunter’s real life, growing up in Chatsworth, California at that time.
In an interview withVariety,Hunter explained that Oyelowo’s character is actually based on his own father. “My dad was incarcerated, but whenever we would see him, he had all these ideas of how he was going to do these different things,” he explained. He’s very optimistic and very creative. My mom was very creative, too. We were all dreamers, and that was led by my dad. When I looked back at it, he was more than just a guy who got in trouble. He had a calling. He had something more to give."
Needless to say, we’ll be waiting to see how it fares with viewers after its SXSW premiere. The ten-episode comedy will debut its first four episodes on July 27, 2025, with new episodes following each week.
Government Cheese
