Viewers already know what they’re getting within a few seconds of the first trailer for Ramy Youssef’s new animated series, #1 Happy Family USA.
Based on Youssef’s “childhood nightmares,” the show sees the optimistic Hussein family moving to America at the worst possible time: September 2001.
9/11 doesn’t make it easier for this Muslim-American boy trying to get through school wearing hand-me-down jerseys and a dad who insists on cosplaying as Uncle Sam to boost business at his Halal cart.
Co-created by Youssef and South Park and Lady Dynamite veteran Pam Brady, #1 Happy Family USA is a decidedly satirical take on turn-of-the-millennium politics, with the Hussein family struggling to maintain their identity in an increasingly Islamophobic culture.
However, the more this Muslim-American family is threatened, the more absurdly patriotic they become. Plus, there’s a talking sheep.
The series follows the maniacally upbeat Husseins – the most patriotic, most peaceful, and most definitely-not-suspicious Muslim family in post-9/11 “Amreeka.” With satire and absurdity, it redefines finding humor in hardship as they navigate the early 2000s under the watchful eyes of their terrified neighbors.
#1 Happy Family USA stars Ramy Youssef, Timothy Olyphant, Alia Shawkat, Mandy Moore, Chris Redd, Salma Hindy, Randa Jarrar, Akaash Singh and Whitmer Thomas. All eight episodes of the series premiere on Prime Video on April 17.
