Citizen Khan

Citizen Khan review

There's little doubt Adil Ray's sitcom is culturally important. But even the mayor of London can't rescue its comedy from wooden puns and 70s sex gags.

A new series of the mirthless Citizen Khan lands with a thump. Mr Khan has been banished, made to sleep in his car after forgetting his own wedding anniversary. Resolving to make amends, he gets himself into a spot of bother at Edgbaston cricket ground. There are some impressive guest stars, mind you, including Test Match Special's Jonathan Agnew, former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan and the mayor of London himself, Sadiq Khan.

Preview - Citizen Khan

While there will forever be debate about the show's quality, for me the main problem caused by Citizen Khan is that the BBC deep down must think that they have done enough in terms of catering to BAME audiences with just one sitcom, in comparison to ITV2 who have been trying out new pilots all week. The BBC needs to be more adventurous and seek new talent.

I despise this sitcom. I cannot understand its appeal. It is excruciating and yet the BBC insists on repeatedly giving it new series. Here it is again on what is, inexplicably, its fifth outing. How can this be?

I feel psychic when I'm watching Citizen Khan because the gags are so wildly obvious you can predict them. In those long, sagging minutes before the panto punchline is delivered you can see it coming, and you drum your fingers on the desk and you look at the clock and you bite your lip and then, boom-tish!, the wee joke is said and the thing creaks on to its next cartoonish scene.

In the series opener, Khan forgets his wedding anniversary so his wife makes him sleep in the car. And his boasts that he knows a famous cricketer gets him into trouble when he's asked to invite him to a community fundraiser. The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, guest stars, suggesting he has less decorum than his predecessor.