Adil Ray

Compaired to Hunderby, Citizen Khan (BBC1) looks very un-bold indeed. It's a family based sitcom that feels like it's from about 1983. You know, Mr Khan parks in a disabled space, someone sees him getting out of the car, so he adopts a limp, cue laughter. The fact that the parking space is at the mosque doesn't make it any more interesting I'm afraid - perhaps even highlights what a pity it is that the BBC's first Asian sitcom is so safe.

Oh, it's not that bad, I suppose. Adil Ray's performance is spirited. There are some nice touches, like the plastic sofa covers. But even the best joke - Mr Khan's imaginative speechifying (JFK, MLK, TJ*) being broadcast from the speaker at the top of the minaret - you can see coming a mile off, as soon as he picks up the mic. It seems for interesting original comedy you now have to look to the right of the first three columns in the listings page.

*Tom Jones.

Last night's viewing - Citizen Khan; Hunderby

Reviews of Citizen Khan and Hunderby.

Citizen Khan - Episode 1.1 review

I thought it was okay but I'm not going to rave about it.

BBC1's new comedy Citizen Khan (10.20pm) stars its creator, Adil Ray, in the title role, as a self-appointed - and selfimportant - community leader in Sparkhill, Birmingham.

He's a character who's already popped up in other shows, including the sketch series Bellamy's People, but this is the first time he's had a sitcom all of his own, focusing on his family life.

To be honest, the show's weakness isn't so much that it's a niche comedy but the fact that its style feels incredibly dated, like an old-fashioned studio sitcom from 20-odd years back.

To give you the flavour of this new comedy set around an Asian family, at one stage its hero, self-appointed "community leader" Mr Khan, drives to his local mosque and parks in a disabled space. As he gets out of the car passers-by shoot him a look, so he starts limping heavily.

It's not the episode's finest moment but it shows that writers Anil Gupta and Richard Pinto are not proud about where they'll look for laughs. Luckily, Khan himself is a brilliant creation by Adil Ray. Tonight, his daughter is set to get married, but Khan has foolishly failed to book the mosque.

A new family-based sitcom starring Adil Ray as self-appointed community leader Mr Khan, previously a character in Radio 4's Down The Line and its underappreciated television offshoot Bellamy's People. This opener sees Khan struggle to keep face after forgetting to book the venue for his daughter's upcoming wedding, leading to conflict with well-meaning mosque manager Dave (Kris Marshall). Despite the occasional laboured gag, it's an affable enough debut, deserving a wider audience than this post-watershed slot is likely to attract.

This good-natured new comedy, the UK's first ever Muslim sitcom, is set in the capital of British Pakistan, Sparkhill in Birmingham. It follows self-appointed community leader Mr Khan - played and created by Adil Ray, the character has already appeared on Radio 4's Down the Line and its TV incarnation Bellamy's People. First up, one of Mr Khan's feisty daughters is about to get married and his wife's on the warpath because he has forgotten to book a venue. Can he call in a favour from mosque manager Dave (Kris Marshall)?

Citizen Khan: an Asian sitcom star is born

Citizen Khan is notable for being the BBC's first Asian sitcom, but it's also the creation of Adil Ray, a radio presenter who has reinvented himself as a TV funnyman.

Adil Ray interview

"If my intention was to ridicule Asians then I'm doing it for the wrong reason - all I'm trying to do is genuinely make people laugh."