Deli Boys, a new Hulu series that just recently premiered on March 6, features a fictional Philadelphia deli that is inspired by a real one located in Northern Liberties, writes Hira Qureshi for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The show is about two Pakistani American brothers played by actors Saagar Shaikh and Asif Ali who are left to run their late father’s deli. However, they must also navigate the criminal activities going on around it.
Creator Abdullah Saeed and executive producer Michelle Nader both have Philadelphia roots. The former studied at Temple University and worked as a journalist for Philadelphia Weekly, while the latter was born and raised in South Philadelphia.
“I think Philly is a magical place,” Nader said. “It’s a crazy place, and I think this show captures the eccentricity of Philadelphia in a way that a lot of shows don’t.”
In addition to Philadelphians, Pakistanis are also represented within the Hulu series.
Actor Tan France, who plays a character in the series, praised the show that “gives us a chance to be real, fully formed humans.”
While the show is actually filmed in Chicago, a number of Philadelphia references can be seen throughout. This includes a SEPTA joke, a box of pretzels, and TastyKake.
Read more about the premise of Deli Boys and its Philly connection in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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