Anglo-Iranian comedian Omid Djalili is developing a multicultural sketch show for the BBC, mixing material from his stand-up routine and new characters.
The 40-year-old comedian has signed a development deal with the BBC creative head of comedy talent, Kenton Allen, to develop a script for a comedy based around characters including an inept Turkish mafia boss and a Nigerian therapist.
Mr Allen said he hoped to make a pilot of the new show, which will be pitched to a BBC channel controller at a later date.
"One inspiration for this is Dave Allen at Large - this will be comedy from Omid's point of view," he said.
"Omid is a fabulous stand-up with tremendous skills as an actor."
Mr Allen said Djalili already had the advantage of a strong following in the US, where his cinema credits include Spy Game with Robert Redford, Gladiator alongside Russell Crowe, and Jude Law film Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.
Last year, Djalili became the first British performer since Eddie Izzard to record an HBO special based on his work.
If the show gets the green light, Djalili expects to bring other performers and possibly writers into his team, drawing inevitable comparisons to the award-winning BBC2 sketch show Goodness Gracious Me, which featured the Asian quartet of Meera Syal, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Nina Wadia and Gulvinder Ghir.
Djalili, who began his career as a stand-up comedian, has gone on to enjoy widespread success in television and film, sharing a platform with former American president Bill Clinton and singer Bryan Adams for his live show, Behind Enemy Lines.
Most recently he played the character Spiro in the BBC's drama adaptation of My Family And Other Animals, which was broadcast at Christmas.
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