BBC Three & iPlayer Slate Shabaz Ali-Led Doc

BBC Three and iPlayer have commissioned Shabaz Asks: Are Billionaires Bad?, hosted by content creator Shabaz Ali, also known as ShabazSays.

“Shabaz has built a strong connection with young audiences by combining his sharp humor with genuine cultural insight,” said Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of entertainment commissioning at the BBC. “We are excited to be working with him on his television debut and see him explore such a relevant debate. Shabaz Asks: Are Billionaires Bad? promises to be bold and conversation-starting and reflects the BBC’s commitment to distinctive, homegrown storytelling.”

Shabaz Asks: Are Billionaires Bad? is produced by Brighton-based Indie, Hello Mary.

Ali, aka ShabazSays, has 4 million followers and creates online comedy content on wealth inequality, celebrity and culture. In this BBC commission, he will head out on a mission to meet a billionaire in person to try and understand what life is actually like for the super wealthy—and whether they are as bad as some might think.

“Like millions of others, we’re massive fans of Shabaz and are delighted to show his legions of followers a new side to him, as well as introduce him to viewers who have somehow not discovered him yet,” said Steven Regan, executive producer for Hello Mary. “We love working with big characters at Hello Mary, and Shabaz is no exception: he’s clever, funny and provocative.”

“I’ve always looked at my social media content as only one way to approach important subjects,” said Ali. “I’m interested in digging deeper into the issues of inequality, community and our comparative culture, and a film offers the most exciting opportunity yet to ask questions about our culture: whether it is broken, or whether we just need to update our perspective. There is no format quite like television in which to do that. I am super nervous, but I’m super excited to be working with the BBC to make a film that will explore the burning question, ‘Are billionaires bad?’ It’s going to be interesting to leave all the filming, editing and producing to someone else (since it’s always been just me doing it all for my online videos), but TV is something I have always wanted to do and this is going to be very fun!”