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The Omid Djalili Show

# He's Iranian in UK... # (November 2007)

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RO
rob Founding member
Taped it as I was watching the darts, and I was very disappointed by it. Very sub-standard.
TV
tvarksouthwest
If Omid Djalili is to make a success of it he needs to stop playing the Iranian card otherwise people will just see the show as another politically correct exercise. He needs to establish himself as a comedian who just happens to be Iranian - big difference.
:-(
A former member
tvarksouthwest posted:
If Omid Djalili is to make a success of it he needs to stop playing the Iranian card otherwise people will just see the show as another politically correct exercise. He needs to establish himself as a comedian who just happens to be Iranian - big difference.


Doesn't he just fall into a long line of other such comics?

IE Dave Allen built a career out of being Irish, Jo Brand from being fat, ugly and feminist, Charlie Williams from being that oh-so-hilarious combination, a black Yorkshireman etc etc.

Omid's timing is spot on -- we need a funny Middle-East guy to diffuse all this Daily Mail-inspired Arab/Muslim bashing that's going on at the moment.

I thought his programme was funny in places though a little uninspired.
RM
Roger Mellie
jason posted:
tvarksouthwest posted:
If Omid Djalili is to make a success of it he needs to stop playing the Iranian card otherwise people will just see the show as another politically correct exercise. He needs to establish himself as a comedian who just happens to be Iranian - big difference.


Doesn't he just fall into a long line of other such comics?

IE Dave Allen built a career out of being Irish, Jo Brand from being fat, ugly and feminist, Charlie Williams from being that oh-so-hilarious combination, a black Yorkshireman etc etc.



I know what you mean... although being fat/ugly/feminist is the main plank of her act, there is far more to Jo Brand's humour than that-- as her appearances on Countdown will testify. In the same way, there was more to Dave Allen quaint 'Oirishisms'.

However with Omid, I feel there is nothing more to his act than "I'm Iranian in UK". When I watched his doing the Royal Variety, I thought the bit where he suddenly dropped his Iranian accent to speak with his normally RP tones was great, but then after that he left me cold.

I agree his timing is good, but I think he needs to be funny in what he says/does with it, beyond the "I'm Iranian" gags.

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