It might be hard to believe, but it is actually 12 years since Sacha Baron Cohen put Kazakhstan on the global comedy map with Borat. Most of those in Kazakhstan saw the funny side and greeted the movie in the spirit in which it was intended. It will be interesting to see if his latest national target will be similarly relaxed and able to laugh at itself. Baron Cohen might have been out of the spotlight for a while, but that's because he's been preparing for his biggest target yet. He's taking on America.

A brave target

Of course, the bigger they are, the harder they fall, and the US social and political scene has provided no shortage of material for comedians the world over. However, Sacha Baron Cohen has a way of getting under even the thickest skin. He has already managed to offend the most powerful man on the planet, and on 4th July, gleefully retweeted President Trump's tirade in which he described him as a "third rate man" and said he wished he had been punched in the face and hospitalised.

With that sort of a warm up man, Baron Cohen's new series Who is America? seems guaranteed to achieve plenty of publicity on both sides of the Atlantic. So what aspects of American culture and politics will he be exploring?

Gambling on success

One area that Baron Cohen may focus on is America's uncomfortable relationship with gambling. It seems bizarre in Europe, where bookmakers are on every high street, casinos in every town and online sites advertising a whole list of casino bonus codes are commonplace. However, outside a few specific locations, such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City, gambling and sports betting have long been illegal in the USA.

All that is likely to change following a landmark supreme court decision earlier this year, and it is certain to raise tension between puritanical states like Utah and more progressive ones such as New Jersey. Social and political tension is perfect material for the likes of Baron Cohen, so expect him to dive into the debate head first.

Waterboarding kit?

The comedian recently let out a small teaser, in which he appeared to have succeeded in asking Dick Cheney to sign a "waterboard kit" - which looks suspiciously like an empty milk carton. Cheney served as the US Vice President under George W Bush and has courted controversy for his support of what he calls "enhanced interrogation techniques."

A 10 minute preview video - below - also reveals that gun control is amongst his targets:

Where and when to watch

These are just some of the topics that Baron Cohen will be touching on in the seven part series. It will be broadcast on Channel 4, with the episodes airing at 10pm on Mondays from tonight (16th July).

There can be little doubt that one American in particular will find time in his busy schedule now to find out what this "third rate man" has to say.