Citizen Khan on BBC1

I've just been watching it and it is appalling

It's clearly the Beeb's attempt at saying "Look at us! We are so hip and trendy now we have this cool new politically correct programme reinforcing the success that is multicultural Britain!"

Firstly, it is not funny at all. The laughter track just reinforces just how unfunny it is too.

Mr Khan, or whoever plays him is highly repulsive.

It's full of stereotypes.

For once, I wouldn't blame people if they complained about it.

In a word, it's crap.

Looks like a bad rip off of Goodness Gracious Me.

Goodness Gracious Me was quality though.

The BBC are so biased it's untrue. Look at their "white season" from a few years back.

It is a comedy program, if it doesn't interest you don't watch it.

To me it seemed like an imitation of Goodness gracious me, it had me laughing at some bits and cringing at others.

I thought it was fundamentally unfunny. Stereotypes and ginger jokes, and some plot about a wedding.

It's funny how different people interpret it though. some guy sees it as a Beeb-PC conspiracy. Some asian women on twitter saw it as an attack on their hijab. Lots of room for people to squeeze in their own paranoias. For me it was a comedy show, and I've laughed more watching my fishtank.

This may have been funny 10 or 15 years ago, but I don't think it works today.

Indy review confirms what we have all said:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/last-nights-viewing--citizen-khan-bbc1-hunderby-sky-atlantic-8082402.html

The second problem I have with it is that I know it won't go anywhere near anything controversial. They couldn't even put the marriage of two grown-ups into a sexual context. It looked like two kids starting to flirt, not two adults desperate to get married and get on with the good stuff. The daughter was a grown-up woman and she had a single bed, posters on her wall, and the closest she got to any feeling was talking about her "luvvie wuvvie". Such a shallow narrative.

What's more; Can you imagine Mr Khan tackling the subject of a hook-handed radical cleric, or a burkha ban? He'll carry on talking about washing-up liquid and toilet rolls. It's not that comedy needs to tackle these issues, but there is mountains of room to laugh at issues without resorting to a woman washing the plastic-wrap on her sofa.

The second problem I have with it is that I know it won't go anywhere near anything controversial. They couldn't even put the marriage of two grown-ups into a sexual context. It looked like two kids starting to flirt, not two adults desperate to get married and get on with the good stuff. The daughter was a grown-up woman and she had a single bed, posters on her wall, and the closest she got to any feeling was talking about her "luvvie wuvvie". Such a shallow narrative.

 

What's more; Can you imagine Mr Khan tackling the subject of a hook-handed radical cleric, or a burkha ban? He'll carry on talking about washing-up liquid and toilet rolls. It's not that comedy needs to tackle these issues, but there is mountains of room to laugh at issues without resorting to a woman washing the plastic-wrap on her sofa.

Four Lions managed to make humour out of terrorism. And look how popular that is. So, you're right. Even though there is no need to go near controversial subjects, it shouldn't stop them from perhaps touching on them. But then again, this is the BBC we're talking about. Four Lions was funded by Channel 4.

I thought it was funny.

I think some people just take life too seriously.

Poking fun without being racist, stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason,the characteristics exist.

Mr khan is an old school kind of asian living in todays society, thats where the humour lies, i think some are taking it at face value without thinking of how its subversive humour.

Dont over anylise it though. Just watch and laugh without feeling guilty that you may be being a racist,some people are too scared to laugh at true life situations anymore.

And by the way. I was in poundstretcher yesterday and saw an asian family buying a couple of jumbo packs of toilet rolls!! Made me laugh inside after watching the program.

Alf Garnett was a bigoted racist but the program was about how his old school ways didnt fit in to todays society and thats where the comedy was, Mr Khan is the asian version.

Just watch and laugh

I did the first bit. It was the latter I had problems with.

And by the way. I was in poundstretcher yesterday and saw an asian family buying a couple of jumbo packs of toilet rolls!! Made me laugh inside after watching the program.

Oooh ooh. Hee hee. That is funny. Toilets. He he he.

I think the show has a lot less to do with race than people are making out. It's just another of the current retro 1970s style comedies like Mrs. Brown's Boys and In With The Flynns. The fact that it's about an Asian family has little to do with it. 10 years ago the BBC was making progressive comedy like Monkey Dust and 15 Storeys High, now it's all cosy stereotypes and canned laughter. I reckon they'll be remaking On The Buses before too long.