By: Xavier Carwell
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 4/20/25 – #1 Happy Family USA is a groundbreaking animated comedy co-created by Ramy Youssef and Pam Brady.
This raunchy sitcom shines a light on hilarious idiosyncrasies and quirks that stem from growing up in an early-2000s Muslim family. The series immediately makes it clear to the audience that this portrayal of a Muslim family wouldn’t be altered to make it more relatable to a mainstream audience. The spike in Islamophobia and ostracizing of Muslim people post-9/11 is put on full display and played to great comedic. Despite being a sincere portrayal of Muslims in America, this show isn’t meant to represent all Muslim Americans in the way that King of the Hill isn’t meant to be a representation of all Texans.
Check out the trailer here:
In my interview with Mona Chalabi (EP, Creative Director) and Pam Brady (Creator, Showrunner) Brady remarked about how the series is about portraying a regular family and her desire for this to become normalized. Chalabi also discussed the nondescript feeling of not seeing animated characters that represented her and the significance of Sharia, the maternal character of the series, wearing an accurately drawn headscarf. Although Sharia is an innovative character, Chalabi made it clear that she isn’t meant to represent an amalgamation of Muslim mothers around the world. Hussein Hussein, the paternal figure of the show, is a satirized version of Muslim fathers who prioritized the safety of their family by any means necessary. His misguided notions and shameless enthusiasm make him one of the show’s funniest characters. Other characters such as Mona, the closeted eldest daughter of the family, have great potential for character development.
The writing and voice acting are superb and none of the characters feel out of place or forced in this fictionalized version of Hackensack, New Jersey. #1 Happy Family USA is a refreshing take on the adult animated comedy genre. The outrageous depictions of real events make binge watching the series irresistible. Rumi’s dysfunctional relationship with his authority figures and his navigation of childhood are reminiscent of classics such as Family Guy and The Boondocks. Another similarity these series have is their willingness to make light of taboo subjects. The complex relationship between Arabs and other minorities is also an aspect of the show’s excellent comedic writing. Portraying a Muslim American family post-9/11 isn’t well tread territory within television, but #1 Happy Family USA is an excellent step in the right direction.
Enjoy my interview with Mona Chalabi and Pam Brady:
#1 Happy Family USA was released on Amazon Prime on April 17th, 2025.
