City writer returns to roots.
Coming to BBC Three next month, Guz Khan’s new comedy feed Man Like Mobeen was filmed exclusively on his home turf in Birmingham.
Mobeen Deen is a Muslim, English, 27 year-old trying to leave behind a life of crime in Birmingham after finding his faith. Mobeen’s parents have done a disappearing act that would make David Blaine proud, leaving him with full financial and emotional responsibility for his younger sisters.
To fill the hole where Thug Life used to be, Mobeen finds himself the perfect job for a former gangster; he’s the lead administer of bed bathing at Birmingham’s most reputable care home for the elderly.
Talking about filming the special – which is one of six celebrating best of British comedy talent – Guz said: “For me, the beauty of telling a story is in its authenticity. There wasn’t any other option but to film ‘Man Like Mobeen’ in the areas that the character was born. It was filmed in Small Heath and Balsall Heath, areas that very rarely get positive media portrayal. It was amazing in terms of the interaction we were getting from local residents. I’m related to 62% of the local residents but that’s not the point….”
Man Like Mobeen is written by Guz Khan (BBC Asian Network, Borderline) and Andy Milligan (Undercover, Ant And Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway) and produced by Cave Bear productions. The executive producer is Ben Cavey and the director is Oliver Parsons. It was commissioned for BBC Comedy Commissioning by Kristian Smith for the BBC.
In May this year it was announced that Birmingham will be part of a new dual base for BBC Three. The commissioning, publishing and some of the production of BBC Three’s short-form content, and the social media team that supports it, is moving to the Birmingham in a phased transition by 2018 under the proposals.
Additional resources will be put into BBC Three to innovate and further develop the Daily Drop in the city, including new commissioner and assistant commissioner roles based in Birmingham being created to exclusively commission short-form content.
Birmingham will also be the home of a new youth team within BBC News, who will be the main suppliers of the key news content for BBC Three’s Daily Drop.
BBC Three’s Comedy Feeds will be available on BBC Three and BBC Three on iPlayer from Thursday 1 September 2016.