Starring his real-life brother and mother

Mawaan Rizwan is piloting a BBC comedy based on his family life.

Juice will star the comedian’s real brother Nabhaan and mother Shahnaz, as well as Russell Tovey as the boyfriend of his character, Jamma, and comic Jeff Mirza as Jamma’s father.

Rizwan performed a breakout live show with the same title in 2018 and says: ‘I did a live show at the Edinburgh Fringe about how my mum always steals my thunder.

‘Luckily, I’ve been commissioned to make my own TV pilot. Unluckily, my mum is in it and really steals my thunder.’

In the TV show – being made under BBC Three’s Comedy Slice banner –when Jamma feels life is getting too much for him, his hyperactive imagination goes into overdrive and the world transforms around him.

The BBC says the 35-minute pilot ‘features Mawaan’s unique blend of heartfelt, confessional storytelling and his messy yet hilarious relationships with his family’.

Earlier this year, former Taskmaster contestant Rizwan was appointed as the BBC’s ‘young people’s comedy laureate’ to inspire new talent to start writing and performing. That role includes spearheading the under-18 category of the New Comedy Awards.

Juice’s executive producer Phil Clarke said: ‘Working with the hugely talented Mawaan has been a pleasure and a privilege. He has a unique comedy vision of the world,  and the result is a show that‘s truly original - heart-warming,  life affirming,  surreal, surprising and very funny."

Tanya Qureshi, head of BBC comedy, added: ‘We’re incredibly excited to bring Mawaan’s creation to the screen. He has such a talent for storytelling and performance – which clearly runs in the genes! With a fantastic cast and creative team behind the scenes, Juice is truly something special.’

Nabhaan Rizwan is an established actor, whose biggest role to date was as Raza Shar in BBC One drama Informer, while Shahnaz is one of the most recognised faces in Asia after landing a lead role in the TV series Yeh Hai Mohabbatein (This Is Love),  one of India’s top-rated shows.

She  was discovered by a Bollywood producer after appearing on Mawaan ’s YouTube channel in 2012. She was also in the cast of BBC Three's Hounslow Diaries.

Juice is a co-production with US screening service HBO and will air on BBC Three’s iPlayer channel this autumn.

Made by: VAL TV
Written by: Mawaan Rizwan
Produced by: Hannah Moulder
Directed by: Gideon Beresford and Behnam Taheri under their pseudonym Rosco 5
Executive producers: Mawaan Rizwan, Phil Clarke  and Tanya Qureshi

Published: 9 Sep 2021