A trailer has been released for Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story, a six-part satirical sports comedy starring Shamier Anderson as the controversial sprinter whose 1988 Olympic victory became one of the most infamous scandals in sports history. The series will premiere March 26 on GameTV, with episodes arriving on Paramount+ in Canada the following day, March 27.
The series centers on Ben Johnson, the Canadian track star who stunned the world at the 1988 Summer Olympics when he won gold in the 100-meter race in what was later dubbed “the dirtiest race in history.” Days after the victory, Johnson tested positive for a banned substance and was stripped of his medal, turning the triumph into one of the most widely discussed doping scandals in Olympic history.
Hate the Player reimagines that moment through an absurdist comedic lens. The story follows Johnson as he attempts to reclaim his narrative by self-funding a documentary meant to “set the record straight,” only for the project to spiral into a chaotic world of ethically questionable coaching, performance-enhancing coverups, and misguided attempts at redemption.
The first two episodes will debut on GameTV on March 26 before arriving on Paramount+ in Canada the next day. After the premiere, two new episodes will roll out weekly.
The show was created by Anthony Q. Farrell, known for his work on Shelved and Run the Burbs, and directed by R.T. Thorne and Cory Bowles. It blends satire with cultural commentary, exploring how scandal, media narratives, and public perception shape the legacy of athletes long after the race is over.
Joining Anderson in the cast is Andrew Bachelor, widely known as “King Bach,” who plays Johnson’s rival sprinter Carl Lewis. The ensemble cast also includes Karen Robinson, Mark McKinney, Ennis Esmer, Malaika Hennie Hamadi, and Kristian Bruun.
Additional supporting cast members include Ryan Belleville, Darryl Hinds, Lisa Horner, Emma Hunter, Suresh John, Jonathan Langdon, Gita Miller, Andrew Phung, Dewshane Williams, Leslie Adlam, and Arnold Pinnock. The series also features cameos from Chelsea Green, Amber Balcaen, and Elvis Stojko.
The project is produced by New Metric Media in association with Anderson’s Bay Mills Studios, which he co-founded with actor and producer Stephan James. Executive producers include New Metric CEO Mark Montefiore, director Thorne, Anderson, and James. Lana Maclin and Max Wolfond serve as producer and supervising producer, respectively.
The trailer offers an early look at the show’s tone, opening with Johnson screaming as he receives an injection of an unknown substance before cutting to commentators calling the historic 100-meter race—one proclaiming Johnson’s victory while another reacts in disbelief.
By blending real-world events with exaggerated satire, Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story aims to revisit one of sports’ most controversial chapters while examining how truth, myth, and media spectacle collide in the making of public history.