I don't think it was as bad as some people are saying, but probably won't tune in again either
Citizen Khan - BBC One
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Originally Posted by Inkblot:
“Probably not that many nowadays. They were funny in their day and as a snapshot of Britain those shows are still enjoyable but I don't think they represent the lives of most British people in 2012. So to have a Mr Khan who's like a 1970s sitcom character is a bit odd. Unless we're being told that British Asians in Birmingham are still living in the 1970s.”
“Probably not that many nowadays. They were funny in their day and as a snapshot of Britain those shows are still enjoyable but I don't think they represent the lives of most British people in 2012. So to have a Mr Khan who's like a 1970s sitcom character is a bit odd. Unless we're being told that British Asians in Birmingham are still living in the 1970s.”
But Mr Khan isn't meant to be representing a modern day British Asian, he's just a comedy character. The style of comedy they have gone for is obviously OTT, 1970s style. I dont know why people make out that using an old-fashioned style of comedy immediately makes it bad. Not every sitcom nowadays has to be like The Office.
Khan's OTT accent really got on my nerves after a few minutes 
The joke with the daughter caked in make-up and then quickly putting on the hijab/reading the Koran etc was very obvious.
The joke with the daughter caked in make-up and then quickly putting on the hijab/reading the Koran etc was very obvious.
Originally Posted by Georged123:
“But Mr Khan isn't meant to be representing a modern day British Asian, he's just a comedy character. The style of comedy they have gone for is obviously OTT, 1970s style. I dont know why people make out that using an old-fashioned style of comedy immediately makes it bad. Not every sitcom nowadays has to be like The Office.”
“But Mr Khan isn't meant to be representing a modern day British Asian, he's just a comedy character. The style of comedy they have gone for is obviously OTT, 1970s style. I dont know why people make out that using an old-fashioned style of comedy immediately makes it bad. Not every sitcom nowadays has to be like The Office.”
I think you're wasting your time here.
You'd think OTT characters and equally OTT situations were something new.
On the 'old style' comedy tip, Miranda.
As I've said before it was a bit cringey for me and it's not my sort of thing, might wander past it next week if I'm surfing again.
I'm not going to get too het up about it being poor, I couldn't suffer more than 5 minutes of My Family, ever, tried a few times too.
I just left others to get on with it.
For those who asked before, Little mosque on the Prairie is an actual show, I think it was Canadian maybe, but can't remember. I did find it quite funny though, the characters were much more likeable!! Didn't really find Citizen Khan too amusing, just tuned in as we know one of the cast lol
Originally Posted by Prince Monalulu:
“I think you're wasting your time here.
You'd think OTT characters and equally OTT situations were something new.
On the 'old style' comedy tip, Miranda.
As I've said before it was a bit cringey for me and it's not my sort of thing, might wander past it next week if I'm surfing again.
I'm not going to get too het up about it being poor, I couldn't suffer more than 5 minutes of My Family, ever, tried a few times too.
I just left others to get on with it.”
“I think you're wasting your time here.
You'd think OTT characters and equally OTT situations were something new.
On the 'old style' comedy tip, Miranda.
As I've said before it was a bit cringey for me and it's not my sort of thing, might wander past it next week if I'm surfing again.
I'm not going to get too het up about it being poor, I couldn't suffer more than 5 minutes of My Family, ever, tried a few times too.
I just left others to get on with it.”
I knew I would be swimming up the stream. It just bemuses me how so many people think a sitcom has to be a true representation of whoever it is portraying and has to have such real life, believable characters.
The two biggest sitcom hits of recent time have been Miranda and Mrs Brown's Boys, both old-fashioned style sitcoms with OTT characters and situations.
If your someone who didn't find Citizen Khan funny because of the humour then fine but don't hate it for being something it was never intended to be.
read this thread first, but after watching I thought it was better than expected
"seven times they mentioned pakistan.. twice in a good way"
"seven times they mentioned pakistan.. twice in a good way"
Originally Posted by RichmondBlue:
“I do remember one line that I thought was quite funny, when he proudly said..
They mentioned Pakistan seven times on the BBC news tonight..and twice in a good way !”
“I do remember one line that I thought was quite funny, when he proudly said..
They mentioned Pakistan seven times on the BBC news tonight..and twice in a good way !”
THAT was actually very good!
Originally Posted by Georged123:
“I knew I would be swimming up the stream. It just bemuses me how so many people think a sitcom has to be a true representation of whoever it is portraying and has to have such real life, believable characters.
The two biggest sitcom hits of recent time have been Miranda and Mrs Brown's Boys, both old-fashioned style sitcoms with OTT characters and situations.
If your someone who didn't find Citizen Khan funny because of the humour then fine but don't hate it for being something it was never intended to be.”
“I knew I would be swimming up the stream. It just bemuses me how so many people think a sitcom has to be a true representation of whoever it is portraying and has to have such real life, believable characters.
The two biggest sitcom hits of recent time have been Miranda and Mrs Brown's Boys, both old-fashioned style sitcoms with OTT characters and situations.
If your someone who didn't find Citizen Khan funny because of the humour then fine but don't hate it for being something it was never intended to be.”
Fair point. I didn't find it funny so that's the bottom line. I did find Parents funny, for example, even though it has a fairly traditional premise. But it was well-written and was reminiscent of the style and values of an old-school sitcom rather than just imitating one. Never seen Mrs Brown's Boys but like Miranda.
I may have missed the point with Citizen Khan but as far as I can see it's effectively a 1970s sitcom with the same stock characters and (based on the first episode) the same kind of plot. The difference is that Dad's Army, Fawlty Towers etc were original in their day.
Oh, and a couple of people have commented on the gag about Pakistan being mentioned on the news "twice in a good way". It reminded me of a Grenadian guy I used to work with who would ask me if there was "any news from the islands" in my morning paper. That was in 1981.
Originally Posted by harrypalmer:
“The toilet rolls and sofa in plastic wrap are common to ordinary working-class culture too (maybe more so in the past), so I fail to see how that is an Asian twist on things.
I'm getting the feeling that someone wanted to rewrite 1970s style sitcom and remove the inherent racism from that period. It didn't work.
Goodness Gracious Me extracted all these jokes out of Indian culture in the 1990s, it's been done. And before anyone goes on a rant about how Pakistani culture is different, they'd do well to explain why the jokes are about exactly the same things.”
“The toilet rolls and sofa in plastic wrap are common to ordinary working-class culture too (maybe more so in the past), so I fail to see how that is an Asian twist on things.
I'm getting the feeling that someone wanted to rewrite 1970s style sitcom and remove the inherent racism from that period. It didn't work.
Goodness Gracious Me extracted all these jokes out of Indian culture in the 1990s, it's been done. And before anyone goes on a rant about how Pakistani culture is different, they'd do well to explain why the jokes are about exactly the same things.”
When it comes to toilet rolls, plastic wrap on sofas/tv remotes, tinned fruit salad with Tip-Top, etc, Pakistanis/Indians/Sri Lankans are all the same culturally (generally!),
But yeah, this Citizen Khan thing is a reincarnation of Goodness Gracious Me sketches admittedly.
Originally Posted by Hassaan13:
“Still puzzles me about the fact that they get Indian actors/actresses to play Pakistani characters (if Wikipedia is to be believed, Adil Ray is British Pakistani), as with the majority of the characters in this series.”
“Still puzzles me about the fact that they get Indian actors/actresses to play Pakistani characters (if Wikipedia is to be believed, Adil Ray is British Pakistani), as with the majority of the characters in this series.”
Maybe there was a shortage of Pakistani actors?
I see the BBC has been 'inundated' with 200 complaints from Muslims saying Citizen Khan stereotypes and insults them. Sheesh.
Most comedy works by highlighting stereotypes, so Citizen Khan is nothing special. Only Fools & Horses showed us a white family who avoided taxes and dealt in dodgy gear - did we storm the BBC, complaining of 'insult to our race?' Sure, Khan is a very dated, cliche-ridden show, but many Pakistani families ARE like that, just as many British families are drunken chavs as portrayed in Shameless.
What's the betting the writer will now have a fatwah declared against him and have to go into hiding?
Most comedy works by highlighting stereotypes, so Citizen Khan is nothing special. Only Fools & Horses showed us a white family who avoided taxes and dealt in dodgy gear - did we storm the BBC, complaining of 'insult to our race?' Sure, Khan is a very dated, cliche-ridden show, but many Pakistani families ARE like that, just as many British families are drunken chavs as portrayed in Shameless.
What's the betting the writer will now have a fatwah declared against him and have to go into hiding?
Originally Posted by Andy2:
“I see the BBC has been 'inundated' with 200 complaints from Muslims saying Citizen Khan stereotypes and insults them. Sheesh.
Most comedy works by highlighting stereotypes, so Citizen Khan is nothing special. Only Fools & Horses showed us a white family who avoided taxes and dealt in dodgy gear - did we storm the BBC, complaining of 'insult to our race?' Sure, Khan is a very dated, cliche-ridden show, but many Pakistani families ARE like that, just as many British families are drunken chavs as portrayed in Shameless.
What's the betting the writer will now have a fatwah declared against him and have to go into hiding?”
“I see the BBC has been 'inundated' with 200 complaints from Muslims saying Citizen Khan stereotypes and insults them. Sheesh.
Most comedy works by highlighting stereotypes, so Citizen Khan is nothing special. Only Fools & Horses showed us a white family who avoided taxes and dealt in dodgy gear - did we storm the BBC, complaining of 'insult to our race?' Sure, Khan is a very dated, cliche-ridden show, but many Pakistani families ARE like that, just as many British families are drunken chavs as portrayed in Shameless.
What's the betting the writer will now have a fatwah declared against him and have to go into hiding?”
200 complaints are not many, compared to the number of Muslims who reside in the UK. Nothing to worry about really.
200 complaints is barely worth mentioning, but of course the Daily Mail have to lead with it on their website!
There were some funny jokes amongst a lot of lazy writing. It felt dated and the main character and idea of some family members hiding their 'westernised' ways has already been played out so much better in East Is East, as that was set in a different era.
Not sure if it's just a Midlands thing, but the Pakistanis in East London never say "bloody" all the time, is this really true in the Midlands and further north?
There were some funny jokes amongst a lot of lazy writing. It felt dated and the main character and idea of some family members hiding their 'westernised' ways has already been played out so much better in East Is East, as that was set in a different era.
Not sure if it's just a Midlands thing, but the Pakistanis in East London never say "bloody" all the time, is this really true in the Midlands and further north?
Originally Posted by Victoria Sponge:
“When it comes to toilet rolls, plastic wrap on sofas/tv remotes, tinned fruit salad with Tip-Top, etc, Pakistanis/Indians/Sri Lankans are all the same culturally (generally!),
But yeah, this Citizen Khan thing is a reincarnation of Goodness Gracious Me sketches admittedly.”
“When it comes to toilet rolls, plastic wrap on sofas/tv remotes, tinned fruit salad with Tip-Top, etc, Pakistanis/Indians/Sri Lankans are all the same culturally (generally!),
But yeah, this Citizen Khan thing is a reincarnation of Goodness Gracious Me sketches admittedly.”
Yep - and in all cases, GGM did it MUCH better by using *other* BBC programme formats to parody them. (thinking of the Loyd Grossman-era Masterchef and other food programmes of the time).
Originally Posted by MICH78:
“200 complaints is barely worth mentioning, but of course the Daily Mail have to lead with it on their website!
There were some funny jokes amongst a lot of lazy writing. It felt dated and the main character and idea of some family members hiding their 'westernised' ways has already been played out so much better in East Is East, as that was set in a different era.
Not sure if it's just a Midlands thing, but the Pakistanis in East London never say "bloody" all the time, is this really true in the Midlands and further north?”
“200 complaints is barely worth mentioning, but of course the Daily Mail have to lead with it on their website!
There were some funny jokes amongst a lot of lazy writing. It felt dated and the main character and idea of some family members hiding their 'westernised' ways has already been played out so much better in East Is East, as that was set in a different era.
Not sure if it's just a Midlands thing, but the Pakistanis in East London never say "bloody" all the time, is this really true in the Midlands and further north?”
Yes. An Asian chap is setting up a shop just down the road from us here in north Cheshire, and he uses 'bloody' all the time. He's a nice bloke and I think he uses it to sound like the locals.
I've never heard him use anything really foul like the F-word, just bloody and ruddy.
Originally Posted by Victoria Sponge:
“Is it? Lol I couldn't stand her! But at least this time round we'll be spared of her going 'Ohhhhhhhh Sunjaaaaaaay!' every five minutes!!”
“Is it? Lol I couldn't stand her! But at least this time round we'll be spared of her going 'Ohhhhhhhh Sunjaaaaaaay!' every five minutes!!”
Geeta's played by Nina Wadia, right? Grief - she must be struggling...
Originally Posted by Andy2:
“Yes. An Asian chap is setting up a shop just down the road from us here in north Cheshire, and he uses 'bloody' all the time. He's a nice bloke and I think he uses it to sound like the locals.
I've never heard him use anything really foul like the F-word, just bloody and ruddy.”
“Yes. An Asian chap is setting up a shop just down the road from us here in north Cheshire, and he uses 'bloody' all the time. He's a nice bloke and I think he uses it to sound like the locals.
I've never heard him use anything really foul like the F-word, just bloody and ruddy.”
Thanks, it must be a North / South divide thing then.
Originally Posted by alcockell:
“Geeta's played by Nina Wadia, right? Grief - she must be struggling...”
“Geeta's played by Nina Wadia, right? Grief - she must be struggling...”
No, she's played by Shobu Kapoor, not Nina Wadia. Although there is a link in that Nina is currently in EastEnders and Shobu played Geeta in EE about 10-15 years ago.
I quite liked the show, some good laughs. It did look dated and I assume that was the point. I'll tune in again next week. I did think they were all too "shouty" though.
It did seem a bit dated and some of the visual jokes extreme, but then some of the Asian community do set themselves up.
It always makes me smile when on the rare occasions I see what looks like a young women wearing a burka, they are often wearing "F M" shoes.
It always makes me smile when on the rare occasions I see what looks like a young women wearing a burka, they are often wearing "F M" shoes.
Originally Posted by Victoria Sponge:
“When it comes to toilet rolls, plastic wrap on sofas/tv remotes, tinned fruit salad with Tip-Top, etc, Pakistanis/Indians/Sri Lankans are all the same culturally (generally!),”
“When it comes to toilet rolls, plastic wrap on sofas/tv remotes, tinned fruit salad with Tip-Top, etc, Pakistanis/Indians/Sri Lankans are all the same culturally (generally!),”
Coming home from school one day to find the chest of drawers in my bedroom stuffed full of bags of sugar makes me think this is not a uniquely sub-continental thing. And the joke about dad watering down the washing up liquid reminded me of my dad re-filling the Vosene bottle in the bathroom with cheap washing up liquid - no wonder my hair turned out the way it did!
Originally Posted by alcockell:
“Geeta's played by Nina Wadia, right? Grief - she must be struggling...”
“Geeta's played by Nina Wadia, right? Grief - she must be struggling...”
Way off the mark - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shobu_Kapoor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nina_Wadia
The last time I saw Shobu Kapoor on TV she was being demolecularised by the Daleks in Dr Who.
Kris Marshall ...WTF !!!!
He has a movie out at the moment and I thought he was in the States doing TV - either he is doing this series as a favour to someone - or he had bills to pay and was waiting for a paycheck to come through.
Just looked up his movie "A few best men" on wiki - budget $14 million (Aus) - takings only $5 million - so if he took "points" instead of cash up front he won't be getting much until the UK and DVD releases.
I thought it was alright. Really wasn't expecting much so I'm fine with it and will watch next time. I laughed at the scene where he parked his car in the disabled area and then hobbled to the mosque when someone was looking at him.
I watched it and thought it was a load of old rubbish. It never made me laugh once and I thought the "acting" was terrible. So overdone. They were rushing through their lines and the timing was terrible.
I am confused - Mr Khan is wearing 70s style clothes yet the daughter is texting and there are modern tellies and computers so it must be contemporary.
I don't think it will last long.
I am confused - Mr Khan is wearing 70s style clothes yet the daughter is texting and there are modern tellies and computers so it must be contemporary.
I don't think it will last long.
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