Netflix is set to debut a new series this month that centers around a Palestinian immigrant family. Starring American-Palestinian comedian Mohammed Amer, Mo is set to debut on the streaming platform on August 24, and MILLE has the exclusive first look.
The eight-episode series tells the story of Mo Najjar (Amer), the titular character straddling the line between two cultures, three languages, and a pending asylum request while taking on random side hustles to support his Palestinian family as a refugee on the path to acquiring US citizenship. “Selling merch is the only thing I can do without papers,” he explains in the trailer to an older man who asked him why he needs “to sell that crap” over, you guessed it, a good old game of cards.
Semi-autobiographical, the forthcoming Netflix Original comedy series is inspired by Amer’s own life and will touch on the complicated process of immigrating to a new country, navigating two different cultures, and trying to do right by your family.
Based on the trailer, we can expect plenty of side-stitching moments that touch on the Arab experience and the sometimes comical microaggressions that come with being a Middle Eastern man in America. This is hilariously portrayed in an exchange the titular character has with a cashier who after offering him chocolate hummus, reveals that she didn’t know “hummus was Mexican” when Mo tells her that a chocolate variation of the traditional chickpea-infused dish is an insult to his grandmother.
Amer is credited as a creator and an executive producer on Mo alongside Egyptian-American comedian Ramy Youssef, who is known for co-creating and starring in Hulu’s award-winning series Ramy.
In addition to Amer, Mo stars Teresa Ruiz as Mo’s girlfriend, Farah Bsieso as Mo’s resilient and spiritual mother, Omar Elba as Mo’s older brother, and Tobe Nwigwe as the titular character’s oldest friend.
Currently, the standup comedian is best known for his Netflix comedy special Mo Amer: The Vagabond, and his role as one third of the comedy trio Allah Made Me Funny.
