Riz Ahmed plays a struggling actor who lands an audition to play the next James Bond in Prime Video’s new six-part series, Bait

iewers are hooked on Prime Video’s new comedy thriller, Bait, with some binge-watching all six episodes in one sitting.

The series follows Shah Latif, a struggling actor whose life begins to spiral out of control when he lands an audition to become the next James Bond.

The series boasts an impressive 97 per cent Rotten Tomatoes score, which is no surprise given its impressive production team. The comedy is co-written by Oscar and Emmy winner Riz Ahmed, alongside multi-Emmy-winner Ben Karlin, whose previous credits include Modern Family and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Plus, the series is directed by Tom George, known for his work on the BAFTA-winning comedy This Country, and Bassam Tariq (Mogul Mowgli).

Keep reading to find out more about the show..

What is Bait about?

Exploring themes of Asian identity, fame and culture, the series follows struggling actor Shah Latif, whose last chance at stardom comes when he’s offered an audition to be the next James Bond.

© Amazon MGM Studios
Riz Ahmed leads the cast of Bait

Over the course of four wild days, Shah’s life spirals out of control and his family, ex-lover and the entire world weigh in on whether he is the right man for the job.

Who stars in Bait?

The show’s creator Riz Ahmed leads the cast as Shah Latif. He’s joined by Guz Khan (Our Flag Means Death) as Zulfi, Sheeba Chaddha (Doctor G) as Tahira, Sajid Hasan (Dhoop Kinare) as Parvez, Aasiya Shah (Bloods) as Q, Weruche Opia (I May Destroy You) as Felicia and Ritu Arya (The Umbrella Academy) as Yasmin.

Rounding out the cast are Himesh Patel (Yesterday) as Raj Thakar, Rafe Spall (Trying) as Nigel and Sian Clifford (Fleabag) as Vivien.

What have viewers said about Bait?

The series has been hailed as “brilliant” by viewers, with some binge-watching all six episodes in one sitting.

© Amazon MGM Studios
The series follows Shah Latif, a struggling actor who lands an audition to become the next James Bond

One person penned: “Watched every episode last night. Brilliant show. Go watch Bait on Prime,” while another added: “Watched all of #Bait yesterday, great show. Had me cracking up so many times throughout. Felt like it was basically a bond movie at times.”

A third viewer described the show as a “binge-worthy, bold, and brilliantly awkward” must-watch, adding: “Riz Ahmed absolutely steals the show in Bait. It’s witty, chaotic, and painfully relatable.”

What have critics said about the show?

Both hilarious and powerful, the series has been met with rave reviews from critics.

© Amazon MGM Studios
Ritu Arya also stars in the series

The Guardian awarded the series four stars, hailing it as “hilarious” and “excellent”, while the Radio Times described the comedy as a “stroke of hilarious, introspective genius”.

Meanwhile, The Telegraph gave out five stars, highlighting Riz’s powerful performance.

Bait is available to stream on Prime Video now. 

Shows to watch if you loved Bait

The Studio – If you like satirical comedies, check out Seth Rogen’s Emmy-winning series about a group of executives at a legacy movie studio struggling to survive in a declining and brutal industry. Watch on Apple TV.

© Apple TV+
Seth Rogen creates and stars in The Studio

The White Lotus – This multi-Emmy-winning black comedy anthology series follows the exploits of the guests at a luxury resort over the course of one week. Watch on Sky, NOW TV and HBO Max.

Severance – This acclaimed dystopian satire of modern corporate culture follows office workers whose memories have been surgically separated between their work and personal lives. Watch on Apple TV.