I’m Chevy Chase And You’re Not: CNN’s Unfiltered Documentary on a Comedy Icon Arrives January 1, 2026

Love him, laugh at him, argue about him — but you can’t ignore him.

I'm Chevy Chase And You're Not is CNN’s most anticipated pop-culture documentary of 2026, taking a hard, honest look at one of comedy’s most influential — and controversial — figures. Premiering January 1, 2026, this isn’t a nostalgia reel or a soft tribute. It’s a clear-eyed examination of genius, ego, and the cost of being difficult in an industry that rarely forgives it.

If you grew up on Saturday Night Live, National Lampoon, or 1980s studio comedies, this documentary will challenge how you remember Chevy Chase — and whether that memory was ever complete.

Release Date & Where to Watch

• US Air Date: January 1, 2026

• Network Premiere: CNN

• Streaming (Next Day): CNN App

• Streaming Release: HBO Max – January 31, 2026

• UK Distribution: Sky Documentaries

CNN is positioning this as a New Year’s Day event documentary — the kind that sparks debate long after the credits roll.

What Is I’m Chevy Chase And You’re Not About?

Directed by Marina Zenovich, the film traces Chevy Chase’s journey from:

• Early Saturday Night Live breakout star

• To box-office comedy juggernaut

• To an increasingly polarizing industry figure

But this isn’t just about career highs.

The documentary confronts:

• Chase’s legendary comedic instincts

• His reputation for being combative and dismissive

• The tension between brilliance and behavior

• How fame amplifies flaws instead of hiding them

Zenovich doesn’t attempt to “cancel” Chase — nor does she excuse him. Instead, the film asks a harder question:

Can someone be both foundational to comedy history and deeply difficult to work with — and does one erase the other?

Who Appears in the Documentary?

The film features an unusually candid roster of interviewees, including:

• Chevy Chase

• Lorne Michaels

• Beverly D'Angelo

• Dan Aykroyd

• Goldie Hawn

• Martin Short

• Ryan Reynolds

• Kevin Smith

Notably, the film includes voices from multiple generations, highlighting how Chase’s legacy differs depending on when — and how — you encountered him.

Why This Documentary Feels Different

Most celebrity documentaries fall into two traps:

1. Overprotective myth-making

2. Performative takedowns

I’m Chevy Chase And You’re Not avoids both.

Instead, it leans into:

• Firsthand accounts

• Professional consequences

• Uncomfortable silences

• Contradictory truths

The title itself is provocative — echoing Chase’s famously sharp, self-aware arrogance — and the film fully understands that his confidence was both his weapon and his undoing.

Strong take: This documentary doesn’t try to redeem Chevy Chase. It tries to understand him — and that’s far more interesting.

Context Matters: Why This Film Arrives Now

In an era of reassessing legacy figures, Chase represents a uniquely tricky case:

• He helped shape modern American comedy

• He also alienated collaborators repeatedly

• He thrived in systems that tolerated bad behavior — until they didn’t

The documentary implicitly explores how Hollywood’s tolerance thresholds changed, and what happens when someone refuses to evolve with them.

It’s not just about Chase.

It’s about the industry that created — and then rejected — him.

Technical & Production Highlights

• Cinematography: Wolfgang Held, Nick Higgins

• Editing: Greg Finton

• Music: Jeff Cardoni

• Production Companies: CNN Films, Propagate Content, PMZ Pictures

The filmmaking is restrained and polished, letting testimony and archival material do the heavy lifting.

Is I’m Chevy Chase And You’re Not Worth Watching?

Absolutely — especially if you enjoy:

• Hollywood history told without polish

• Complicated portraits of famous figures

• Documentaries that provoke discussion, not consensus

This is not a feel-good biography.

It’s a reckoning with legacy.

Final Verdict: Honest, Uncomfortable, and Necessary

⭐ Rating: 4.5 / 5

I’m Chevy Chase And You’re Not succeeds because it refuses simplicity.

It acknowledges Chase’s immense talent. It refuses to ignore his flaws. And it trusts viewers to sit with that contradiction.

By the end, you may not like Chevy Chase more —but you’ll understand why he mattered, why he faltered ,and why comedy history can’t erase him.