Government Cheese: Release date news, cast details, streaming details and more about the upcoming comedy drama series

Apple TV recently unveiled the official trailer for Government Cheese, their latest black comedy series, starring and executive-produced by David Oyelowo and releasing on April 16, 2025.

As discussed by Oyelowo in an interview with Deadline, he was impressed with the network after working on Silo, and wanted to create something with them. The comedy series is the first under his first-look deal with Apple TV, which is presented by his production company, Yoruba Saxon. Oyelowo said,

“The amazing thing about Apple is that they know what they know and they know what they don’t,”

He continued,

“They know what good business looks like, but they’re still young when it comes to being creators of content, and that means that their partnerships with creatives are true.”

The show is created by Paul Hunter and Aeysha Carr, with Charles D. King, Ali Brown, and Marta Fernandez serving as executive producers.

The story follows the Chambers family, whose lives are disrupted by their patriarch's sudden return from prison.

More on Government Cheese in our story.

Release and streaming details of Government Cheese

Government Cheese will premiere on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, with the first four episodes. The 10-episode comedy series will then premiere weekly episodes every Wednesday till May 28. Fans will be able to binge-watch the first four episodes on April 16.

Since it is an Apple TV original, fans can only stream the show on the network as of now, which is also home to shows like Silo, Severance, Mythic Quest and many more.

Who is in the cast of Government Cheese?

Oyelowo stars in the Apple TV series as the patriarch, Hampton Chambers, who returns to his family after spending time in prison. His unusual business idea invites much chaos into the lives of his family.

Oyelowo is best known for playing the role of Martin Luther King Jr. in the 2014 film Selma. He has also played significant roles in Role Play, The After, and The Book of Clarence.

His TV roles include Lawmen: Bass Reeves, Silo, Les Misérables and Star Wars Rebels.

The supporting cast of the show is as follows:

Simone Missick as Astoria Chambers
Bokeem Woodbine
Adam Beach
Sunita Mani
Evan Alexander Ellison
Jeremy Bobb
Louis Cancelmi
Stephen Schneider

What is the plot of Government Cheese?

As per Apple TV, the official synopsis of the series reads as follows:

“When Hampton Chambers is released from prison, his long-awaited family reunion doesn’t go quite as he’d planned. During his absence, Hampton’s wife Astoria nand sons Einstein nand Harrison ahave formed an unconventional family unit, and Hampton’s return spins their world into chaos.”

As per the trailer, the story follows the Chambers family, who is released from prison after a long time. To make the most of his second chance at life and realize his American Dream, Hampton comes up with a brilliant invention- a drill which “self-sharpens as it works.”

In an interview with Variety, Carr and Hunter note the scope and the unusual title of the show, to which Carr said:

“The beauty of the title is that it means something different to different generations. In the writers’ room, we had some 20-year-olds who thought ‘cheese’ was government money...We like the vagueness of the title; we are not talking about this block of cheese or government assistance; we’re talking about taking something small and making it big.”

Hunter added: