Count Abdulla

As a fan of the vampire genre, I have seen just about every interpretation, but by far this was one of the best. As the recent entries of Interview with a Vampire, What We Do In the Shadows and Reginald The Vampire, this show adds another viewpoint that we normally don't see. As this series masterfully blends the culture clash trope with the Vampire comedy, as we find a female Vampire with a East Indian fetish who just so happens to bite a down on his luck Indian doctor, which is where the series gives a nod of the hat to Scrubs. As this concurrently running tropes altogether should not work but this one does. As the delving into the world of Muslim families will remind viewers of Bend It Like Beckham and Ramy but recently having seen Polite Society, this absolutely harkens to many of that brilliant movie's themes. I can only tell the viewer to give it a chance as it will surprise you just how funny and insightful it is while carving out its own niche in the vampire genre.

I'm not sure I have the words to describe just how bad this show is. It misses all its targets. As a comedy it fails to produce a single even remotely amusing moment. As a reflection on the humorous side of the Muslim community it is cringingly embarrassing. It's certainly no "We Are Lady Parts". As a revision of the vampire genre it's all over the place. If Nina Wadia hadn't been in the cast (did she just never read the rest of the script?) I would probably have avoided this whole debacle. Instead I'm just embarrassed for everyone concerned. If this is meant to prove, as advertised, that "comedy is back" on ITV then this is comedy that we could well do without.

This series will be like marmite for most people . You'll love it or hate it , I don't think there'll be much in between.

It is well cast and we'll played. Jaime Winston is the best vampire I've seen in a long time. Abdulla and his mother time things to perfection and are great . The supporting cast are excellent.

Some aspects of the humour are actually quite cheesy and the more serious folk will see them as cringe worthy. They're not they're probably meant to be that way with some brilliantly human behaviour observations ( you do need to listen and watch carefully at some points). A specific example is his mate the Imam. Whatever he comes across as he is fiercely loyal and he gives us more than a few laughs whilst we work him out.

The whole thing is played for laughs and has a mix of cultural and religious observation with some great lines. It is not offensive although I have no doubt some will manage to see it as that with lines such as "how can I be a Muslim halal vampire". You find yourself laughing with them, not at them.

As I said, marmite but you won't know until you've tried it.

A muslim vampire doctor...thats as funny as it gets.

There are some "jokes" but they are from the 70s. All been done to death many many times before and werent funny the first time around either.

Some social issues do get raised too, but as subtly as a sledghammer, which I expected.

Its a 1 joke tv show because the writer is not a comedy writer. Hes a Cambridge history graduate. Probably a nice guy but not a comedy writer. I guess he got an opportunity and took it, fair enough. But it didnt work this time.

People are scoring it 10 for reasons known only to themselves. 10 means perfection!! Check the shows below and then ask how people scored this a 10???

Curb you enthusiasm 8.8.

Friday night dinner 8.1 Everybody hates Chris 7.5 Fresh prince 7.9 Office UK 8.5 Chappelle show 8.8 Fawlty Towers 8.8 Key & Peele 8.3.

League of Gentlemen 8.4 Inbetweeners 8.4.

Watch 1 episode of Count abdullah and then look at this list and ask yourself how you would score it compared to those shows.

How I managed to sit through this show is nothing short of a miracle comparable to the one on the Hudson.

Every character is insufferable, every line grates on you like nails on a blackboard, while being delivered by an actor or actress as out of place and over the top, as the SNL crew trying to do the most serious of Shakespeare. Every joke is either as bland and inoffensive as a 1950s knock knock joke or as aggressively woke as a Lilly Singh skit on an American college campus.

I'm not sure if this show has any redeeming features, but I can't find them.... I don't know if the BBC made this show, but all their fingerprint hallmarks are there.