clip, a style Ullman was looking to achieve. Each episode takes place within a 24-hour period and is narrated throughout by actor Peter Strauss. Showtime's Robert Greenblatt explained, "No sketch is longer than a minute and a half. Each episode is a day in the life of the United States. You pop in on people all over the country, really quick visits. You'll go to some famous people. You'll see some recognizable faces and some regular Americans. You revisit characters from episode to episode. You'll go in and out, like the Google map of the U.S., in and out from the outer atmosphere. You'll go to Iowa and visit two women on a farm and then you'll pull out and go to Los Angeles and see Arianna Huffington, played by Ullman, in her boudoir, and then pull out and go to Washington, D.C. and see a woman who's an anchor for the evening news. Ullman will play 90 percent of the characters, men and women." Adaptations On November 6, 2008, it was announced that State of the Union would be remade for Germany starring comedian, writer, Mona Sharma, under the title Lage Der Nation. Characters Original Celebrity impersonations The following is a complete list of celebrities impersonated in the show. Christiane Amanpour David Beckham Victoria Beckham Susan Boyle Tom Brokaw Campbell Brown Carla Bruni Laura Bush Rita Cosby Penélope Cruz Laurie David Judi Dench Cameron Diaz Celine Dion Jodie Foster Barney Frank Ruth Bader Ginsburg Len Goodman Jonah Hill Arianna Huffington Donna Karan Caroline Kennedy Dina Lohan Rachel Maddow Ruth Madoff Meghan McCain Matthew McConaughey Heather Mills Helen Mirren Nancy Pelosi Miuccia Prada Seth Rogen Andy Rooney Debbie Rowe JK Rowling Tony Sirico Suzanne Somers Sonia Sotomayor Candy Spelling Angela Suleman Kate Winslet Renée Zellweger Episodes Home media Region 0 Region 2 Region 4 Reception Critical response The series received overwhelmingly positive reviews, with many critics dissecting elements of the show, including the length of the sketches, the show's format, and its celebrity mock-ups. Suggesting that Ullman's stronger portrayals are found in her original characters, rather than the famous, one reviewer wrote, "Ullman's satire is at its best when she inhabits the little people." Others praised its collection of famous, and semi-famous impersonations, including Arianna Huffington, "who sleeps with her laptop and has a dramatic Eva Gabor accent and penchant for using "blog" in every part of her speech." "Her