LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A television show about the clash between former FBI director James Comey and U.S. President Donald Trump over Russian interference in the 2016 election will be broadcast in September - ahead of the November elections, cable channel Showtime said on Wednesday
"The Comey Rule," described as a "behind-the-headlines account of the historically turbulent events surrounding the 2016 presidential election and its aftermath," was initially given a broadcast slot in late November.
Showtime did not give a reason for the change, but it followed complaints about the post-election timing from writer-director Billy Ray were made public earlier this week. Comey also issued a statement expressing his dismay.
Trump is running for a second term in the White House in a Nov. 3 election.
Comey's firing by Trump in 2017 triggered a 22-month long investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller on Russian election interference. Mueller documented numerous contacts between Trump campaign figures and Moscow but found insufficient evidence of a criminal conspiracy.
The two-part TV series, starring Jeff Daniels as Comey and Irish actor Brendan Gleeson as Trump, is based on Comey's best-selling book "A Higher Loyalty" and more than a year of additional interviews, Showtime said.
It will air on the ViacomCBS (NASDAQ:VIAC) channel on Sept. 27 and Sept. 28, Showtime said.
