Watch Out 91Èȱ¬ One... It's Khan Time!
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It's official folks! Our very own Mr Khan – self appointed community leader, future President of the Sparkhill Pakistani Business Association and esteemed expert on everything you never wanted to know about cricket, has landed his very own sitcom series on 91Èȱ¬ One!
After stints on Bellamy's People, featuring on Radio 4 this year in Sparkill Sound and 91Èȱ¬ Comedy webisodes about everything from cricket ball tampering to Nick Clegg's Muslim roots, Mr Khan will be going primetime when his new sitcom, Citizen Khan, hitting our screens in 2012. It will be produced In-House at the 91Èȱ¬.
The pilot, written by Adil Ray, Anil Gupta and Richard Pinto previewed last week at the 91Èȱ¬'s inaugural Salford Sitcom Showcase which trialled six new sitcoms from both established and up-and-coming writers, performed live to studio audiences over a 3-night run. The Citizen Khan read through was produced by Paul Schlesinger.
We called Mr Khan to get his reaction...
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Head of Comedy, Mark Freeland said "from 91Èȱ¬ Comedy online, to Radio 4, now 91Èȱ¬ One. Mr Khan cannot be stopped. We tried, but failed."
Cheryl Taylor, Head of Comedy Commissioning, said "The Salford Sitcom Showcase was designed to encourage more studio sitcoms to be produced and filmed in the North West. We are delighted that within one week of Adil Ray's phenomenal performance as Citizen Khan the show has been commissioned as a six part series for 91Èȱ¬ One. It will prove a wonderful companion piece to our other studio sensations - Mrs Brown's Boys and Miranda"
Mr Khan at the Salford Sitcom Festival (Photo by Vishal Sharma)
Mr Khan is the alter-ego of Adil Ray who began his career in pirate radio. He has since gone on to a prolific career, hosting shows for the 91Èȱ¬ Asian Network, Radio 4 and Radio 5Live, while presenting for the likes of 91Èȱ¬2's Inside Out and 91Èȱ¬3's Is It Cos I Is Black?
All the while, Adil has been quietly honing his comedy skills with sketches and characters for The Adil Ray Breakfast Show on the Asian Network, with his own Radio 4 pilot Sparkhill Sound, about a Community Radio station in Birmingham and in the twelve web exclusive sketches on this very website.
This is a man who drinks his tea from a saucer and buys job lots of bog roll from the cash and carry. A man with big dreams:
"My fellow business leaders, ask not what your Association can do for you... but what have you done for me lately?"
And strident opinions:
"This is respectable Pakistani house, not Spearmint Buffalo!"
We'll be sure to bring you behind the scenes exclusives when filming gets underway, but for now, we bring you one of his finest moments from his web series and Mr Khan's unique coverage of the last general election.
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Comment number 1.
At 23rd Oct 2011, jali_gb wrote:Excellent news. Thank you 91Èȱ¬!
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