Source: Courtesy / Prime Video
Prime Video ordered an untitled half-hour comedy series from critically acclaimed talent Riz Ahmed, who will produce, write and star in the show. Read more details about the announcement inside.
Academy Award and Emmy winner Ahmed joins Emmy winner Ben Karlin (“Modern Family,” ”The Colbert Report,” “The Daily Show”) to executive produce and co-showrun the untitled Prime Video comedy series. The series will premiere exclusively on the streaming platform in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
The untitled show follows Shah Latif (Ahmed), a struggling actor on the cusp of landing the role of a lifetime, only to find himself thrust into a full-blown existential crisis and trippy conspiracy thriller all at the same time.
“I’ve wanted to tell this story for a long time. It’s personal, bold, and a lot of fun. It feels so good to be writing and creating it now with this incredible team,” Ahmed shared in a statement from Prime Video.
This marks Ahmed’s return to television following his 2017 double Emmy nominations: guest star for “Girls” and lead actor for “The Night Of,” the latter of which he won. The series was created by Ahmed and developed under his production company, Left Handed, through their first-look deal with Amazon MGM Studios.
“Riz Ahmed is a gifted writer, actor, and producer, and we have been energized by his passion,” said Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon MGM Studios. “Led by Riz and the hilarious Ben Karlin, and guided by Rola Bauer’s Pan-English team, this series is sure to delight our global Prime Video customers and make them laugh.”
The show is executive produced by Ahmed and Allie Moore for Left Handed, and Jake Fuller on behalf of Jax Media. Ben Karlin will executive produce and is showrunning with Ahmed. Roopesh Parekh (Willow, His Dark Materials) will also serve as executive producer. The series is produced by Jax Media and Amazon MGM Studios.
Alongside Ahmed, the writers room includes playwright and television veteran Dipika Guha (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Black Monday, Sneaky Pete), creator of the Patriot Act, Prashanth Venkataramanujam, Karen Joseph Adcock (The Bear, Swarm, Yellow Jackets, Atlanta), Azam Mahmood (Industry, Ramy), and novelist Fatima Farheen Mirza.
More updates on the untitled Ahmed series as details come.
Prime Video Orders Untitled Comedy Series Starring Riz Ahmed was originally published on globalgrind.com
