Bait (season 1)

Bait is a 2026 British comedy-drama sci-fi series created by and starring Riz Ahmed as Shah Latif, a struggling London-based actor of Pakistani descent. The first season follows Latif as he auditions for the role of James Bond, sparking a profound existential crisis that unravels his life. Latif's big break leads to spiraling chaos, including public backlash over his casting and strained family ties. After his family home suffers a racist vandalism attack with a pig's head crashing through the window, paranoia grips him, convincing him his relatives have been kidnapped in retaliation. He imagines surreal podcast talks with the dead animal and flees through train stations under voyeuristic surveillance, blurring reality with conspiracy. The season blends chaotic family mayhem with wide-lens distortions of safe spaces and post-9/11 thriller aesthetics. Episodes explore provocation, government intrigue, and Latif's descent into delusion as he grapples with fame's pressures.