Diary of a Bad Man
Diary of a Bad Man (often abbreviated as DOABM) is a British comedy drama web series that premiered on 6 September 2010 and ended on 10 October 2013. The series was created by Humza Arshad and consists of continuous episodes uploaded on his YouTube channel HumzaProductions, revolving around the life of a young man and his relationships with his friends and family.[1]
| Diary of a Bad Man | |
|---|---|
 A screenshot from the opening title sequence | |
| Also known as | DOABM |
| Genre | Comedy-drama |
| Created by | Humza Arshad |
| Written by | Humza Arshad |
| Directed by | Bombay Spice |
| Starring | Humza Arshad Mohammed Umar Baig Asif Hussain Jaspal Kerrah Yogesh Kalia Jazzie Zonzolo |
| Narrated by | Humza Arshad |
| Opening theme | "Three Pointer" |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original languages | English, Punjabi, Urdu |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 16 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer | Humza Arshad |
| Production locations | South London, United Kingdom |
| Editor | Humza Arshad |
| Camera setup | Single-camera setup |
| Running time | 10–30 minutes |
| Production company | Humza Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | YouTube |
| Picture format | 16:9 720p (HDTV) |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 6 September 2010 – 10 October 2013 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Smokey Barbers Badman Badman's Britain Britain Bubblegum Black and Brown Badman Blogs Badman's World "Coconut" |
| External links | |
| Website | |
| Production website | |
In 2011, the fifth episode was the seventh most viewed video on YouTube in the UK.[2][3] As of 2012, HumzaProductions had exceeded over 40 million views.[4]
Premise
The name draws itself from Nikolai Gogol's short story Diary of a Madman.[5] The series follows a fictionalised portrayal of Arshad consisting of video diaries chronicling the life of a self-styled "Badman with seriously good looks" as an exaggerated stereotype of an Asian youth in today's society,[4] who is also a "troubled young man with the mentality of a seven-year-old...[6][7] whose adventures don't shy away from controversy".[8]
Arshad's webcam monologues and sketches touches on impressing girls, arranged marriage,[4][9] racism, attitudes to women, relationship with his parents, his extended family and his friends.[4][9]
Badman is a dim-witted, stereotypical young guy in today's society who does wrong, makes mistakes, has no respect for anyone and gets into trouble. However, as each episode unfolds he slowly starts to learn from his experiences and improve on his flaws and character.[8][10][11]
The episodes are predominantly in English, but Arshad also uses Punjabi and Urdu phrases.
Production
The series is written, directed, edited and produced by Arshad. The supporting cast features his friends and occasional celebrity guests.[3] The episodes are shot in and around South London, filmed using a Sony Handycam HDR-SR12 and edited using Apple’s iMovie. The series theme tune is "Three Pointer" from the iMovie Music Directory.[12][13]
The advert for season two featured guest appearances from Richard Blackwood and Muhammad Shahid Nazir (One Pound Fish Man). The scenes in Arshad's father's shop Bubblegum Children's Wear are filmed in Thornton Heath, Croydon.
Episodes
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season premiere | Season finale | |||
| 1 | 10 | 6 September 2010 | 27 January 2012 | |
| 2 | 6 | 30 June 2012 | 10 October 2013 | |
Season 1 (2010–2012)
| No(s). in series | No(s). in season | Title | Running time | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Part 1" | 9:12 | 6 September 2010 |
| 2 | 2 | "Part 2" | 11:33 | 4 November 2010 |
| 3 | 3 | "Part 3" | 14:06 | 5 December 2010 |
| 4 | 4 | "Part 4" | 14:15 | 31 December 2010 |
| 5 | 5 | "Part 5" | 14:59 | 13 February 2011 |
| 6 | 6 | "Part 6" | 16:00 | 1 April 2011 |
| 7 | 7 | "Part 7" | 16:11 | 27 May 2011 |
| 8 | 8 | "Part 8" | 18:17 | 31 July 2011 |
| 9 | 9 | "Part 9" | 20:00 | 22 October 2011 |
| 10 | 10 | "Part 10" | 26:30 | 27 January 2012 |
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season premiere | Season finale | |||
| 1 | 10 | 6 September 2010 | 27 January 2012 | |
| 2 | 6 | 30 June 2012 | 10 October 2013 | |
Reception
The Guardian called the series "a satirical take on British Asian culture, with a twist: the videos all end with a moral message."[4] The Huffington Post reported that the series "defy simple labels" and that episodes "begin with a superficial obsession end with a moral lesson."[14]
Arshad has also received criticism for jokes, which have offended Muslims. In the second season, he made an effort to moderate some of the jokes. To avoid offending people he has also neglected much of the Islamic elements, which formed a major part of the first season.[15] Islamic activist Muhammad Abdul Jabbar called the series disrespectful to Islam.[4]
References
- "Muslim comedian Humza Arshad becomes internet sensation". BBC News. 20 July 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
- "Talking dog's top YouTube hit". Sky News. 20 December 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
- Hawkins, Si (24 August 2013). "Diary of a funny man: the comedian Humza Arshad on love and hate on the web". The National. Abu Dhabi. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
- Shahid, Omar (10 June 2012). "Diary of a Badman: 'I'm not a model Muslim, but I make people think'". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
- "SashTV- @HumzaProduction [Interview]". SashToonsTV. 19 October 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
- "Brit Asian 'Badman' comedy star announces tour". The Asian Today. 10 November 2011. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
- "Brit Asian 'Badman' comedy star announces tour". Desi Xpress. 10 November 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
- "Interview: Humza Arshad brings Diary of a Badman to 2013 Edinburgh Festival Fringe". The List. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
- Marya, Yasin (22 November 2011). "YouTube sensation Humza Arshad gets ready to take his 'Bad Man' show on the road". Manchester: Mancunian Matters. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
- Dakin, Melanie (14 July 2011). "Humza Arshad and Jeff Mirza head up charity comedy tour". Croydon: Croydon Guardian. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- Dakin, Melanie (14 July 2011). "Humza Arshad and Jeff Mirza head up charity comedy tour". Watford Observer. Watford. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- "YouTube 'Diary of a Badman' star visits school". Harrow: Metropolitan Police. 27 June 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
- "What's going on Bladrins?! Big up to the West Yorkshire fans!". Bradford: Awaaz News. 11 December 2011. p. 13. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
- Hooda, Samreen (27 June 2012). "Humza Arshad's Diary Of A Badman Show On YouTube Has Fans And Critics". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
- Shahid, Omar (4 September 2012). "Real Life: Citizen Khan is just a comedy, stop complaining!". Live Magazine. Retrieved 10 March 2013.