CNN Original Series “Craig Ferguson: American On Purpose” Premieres Saturday, May 30 at 9PM ET/PT
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NEW YORK, NY – (April 28, 2026) – CNN Original Series Craig Ferguson: American On Purpose, a new weekly series exploring what it means to be American through humor, history, and personal reflection, will premiere on Saturday, May 30 at 9pm ET/PT. Hosted by Emmy® and Peabody-winning comedian and host Craig Ferguson and produced by The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC), a part of Sony Pictures Television, the series will air weekly on Saturdays at 9pm ET/PT, with episodes available to stream the following day at CNN.com/watch and on the CNN app for CNN streaming subscribers.
“To my mind one of the greatest things about being American is the fact that what that actually means is and always has been up for discussion,” said Ferguson. “My idea of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness isn’t necessarily yours. Being American is like stretchy knitwear – It looks different on everybody – and I am fascinated by the endless variety of my compatriots.”
Timed to America’s 250th anniversary, American On Purpose sees Ferguson travel coast-to-coast to explore the defining ideas, and contradictions, at the heart of the United States. Guided by his distinct humor and point of view, Ferguson examines the country’s founding ideals while reflecting on his own experience becoming an American citizen. Along the way, he visits iconic locations and unexpected corners of the country and encounters a wide range of voices from comedians and entrepreneurs to historians and everyday Americans.
Across five episodes, Ferguson dives into the First Amendment, exploring the boundaries of free speech; examines the myth and reality of Individualism, from Jay Leno’s famed garage to the wilds of the Everglades; and unpacks Patriotism alongside figures like Jason Biggs and a World War II veteran who stormed Omaha Beach. He ventures into Capitalism by attempting to launch his own business while meeting icons of hustle including Tiffany Haddish, Daymond John and Vivian Tu, and ultimately reflects on the immigrant experience of Becoming American, connecting with fellow naturalized citizens such as KT Tunstall and Salman Rushdie.
“The 250th anniversary of the United States offers a rare opportunity to reflect on who we are and how we got here,” said Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent, CNN Originals and creative development for CNN Worldwide. “With humor and insight, Craig explores the ideals at the heart of the country and how they continue to evolve in real time.”
American On Purpose builds on CNN Original Series’ tradition of personality-led storytelling that explores culture and the human experience, expanding a premium slate of award-winning programming available on the CNN app.
Executive producers for the series are Craig Ferguson; Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman, and Erin Gamble for IPC; showrunner Morgan Fallon; Amy Entelis, Lyle Gamm and Katie Hinman for CNN.
Ferguson is represented by WME, Vault Entertainment and Gang, Tyre.
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About CNN Originals
The CNN Originals group develops, produces and acquires original, long-form unscripted programming for CNN Worldwide. Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent, CNN Originals and creative development, oversees the award-winning CNN Originals portfolio that includes the following premium content brands: CNN Original Series, CNN Films, CNN FlashDocs, and CNN Studios, an internal production studio which creates long-form programming for CNN’s global platforms. Since 2012, the team has overseen and executive produced more than 50 multi-part documentary series and 70 feature-length documentary films, earning more than 120 awards and 450 nominations for the cable network, including CNN Films’ first Academy Award® for Navalny. Acclaimed titles include the Peabody Award winning and 13-time Emmy® Award-winning Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown; five time Emmy® nominee, Apollo 11, directed by Todd Douglas Miller; Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain and Emmy® nominated Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico; the Emmy® Award-nominated “Decades Series”: The Sixties, The Seventies, The Eighties, The Nineties, The 2000s, and The 2010s, executive produced by Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman; I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not directed by Emmy® winner Marina Zenovich; The Last Movie Stars, directed by Ethan Hawke about the lives and careers of actors and humanitarians Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman; Grammy® Award nominee Little Richard: I Am Everything, directed by Lisa Cortés; the Oscar®, BAFTA, PGA, and duPont-Columbia Award-winning, Navalny directed by Daniel Roher; The Many Lives of Martha Stewart; This is Life with Lisa Ling; Primetime Emmy® and duPont-Columbia Award-winning, RBG, directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen; See It Loud: The History of Black Television, executive produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter; Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight in partnership with the BBC; the Producers Guild Award and three-time Emmy® Award-winning Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy; BAFTA nominee and Directors Guild Award winner, Three Identical Strangers, directed by Tim Wardle; and the five-time Emmy® Award-winning United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell; and the five-time Emmy® Award-winning The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper. CNN Originals can be seen on CNN, to stream via a CNN All Access subscription, on the CNN Original Hub on HBO Max and discovery+, on the CNN Originals FAST channel, and with a pay TV subscription via CNN.com, CNN apps and cable operator platforms.
ABOUT THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION
The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC), a part of Sony Pictures Television, is a multi-Emmy winning content creation and best-in-class production studio based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 2016 by Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman, IPC develops and produces a wide array of premium nonfiction television series, unscripted formats, documentary feature films. Committed to excellence in both storytelling and artistry, IPC works with notable entertainment platforms across the U.S and abroad. Recent productions include Power Moves with Shaquille O’Neal, With Love, Meghan, Indian Matchmaking and Night Stalker (Netflix); Secrets of Playboy (A&E); Selena + Restaurant (Food Network); The Climb (HBO Max); We’re Here (HBO); A Plan to Kill (Oxygen); Expedition from Hell: The Lost Tapes (Discovery); United States of Scandal with Jake Tapper (CNN); Death in the Dorms, The D’Amelio Show, and RapCaviar Presents (Hulu); and The Con (ABC). IPC is a two-time Emmy Award recipient and a Producers Guild Award recipient for its series Leah Remini: Scientology & the Aftermath (A&E).
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