‘Deli Boys’ Expected to Premiere on Hulu This February

The highly anticipated premiere for one of Chicago’s newest television series may soon be here. Sources tell SCREEN the series premiere of Deli Boys will arrive on Hulu this coming February. Exact dates and details are forthcoming, but you can put a pin in that month on your calendar for now.

And will there be a second season of Deli Boys? Sources tell SCREEN that decision will be made after the series premiere in February.

Starring Asif Ali, Saagar Shaikh, Alfie Fuller, Poorna Jagannathan and new series regular Brian George, the series from 20th Television will stream exclusively on Hulu in the U.S.

The Path to the Premiere

The pilot for Deli Boys was shot in Chicago in Fall of 2022, from October 26th through November 5th. Click here for more of SCREEN’s coverage of the Deli Boys pilot production.

After the pilot was picked up to series in May of 2023, the target date for filming was announced as that Summer. Of course, the SAG-AFTRA and WGA Strikes sidelined that start. Meanwhile, sources had been telling SCREEN that there was uncertainty as to whether or not the series would film in Chicago. Fortunately, those doubts subsided quickly as Season One began rolling cameras in the Windy City this past January, with production wrapping in April. Click here for more of SCREEN’s coverage of the production.

Get to Know the Story and Stars of Deli Boys

In Deli Boys, when their convenience store-magnate father suddenly dies, a pair of pampered Pakistani American brothers (played by the aforementioned Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh) lose everything and are forced to reckon with their Baba’s secret life of crime as they attempt to take up his mantle in the underworld.

Actor and comedian Asif Ali (Don’t Worry Darling, Wandavision) plays Mir Dar, a hardworking son whose eager to impress his father, Baba — a scrappy immigrant who arrived in the U.S. broke and built an empire from scratch. Ms. Marvel actor Saagar Shaikh plays Mir’s brother Raj, who’s a pot-smoking and entitled playboy who lives the high life on his father’s millions.

Best known for her work in the critically acclaimed The Marvelous Ms. Maisel, Alfie Fuller plays Prairie, Raj’s shaman, an “Afro-futurist” hipster who lives with him and various other hangers-on in stoner heaven luxury.

Acclaimed Director Ganatra Helmed the Pilot

The half-hour, 10-episode series was created by Abdullah Saeed and developed by Jenni Konner and Nora Silver under Jenni Konner Productions. Michelle Nader, who also serves as showrunner, is an executive producer alongside Saeed, Konner, Silver, and Vali Chandrasekaran.

Nisha Ganatra was executive producer and director on the pilot. Ganatra was awarded the Cannes Lions Grand Prix for film craft. She directed the Sundance hit film Late Night starring Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling and most recently, Welcome to Chippendales for Hulu.

Here is a look at the trailer for Late Night…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxefiCjQirw

More updates ahead for Deli Boys as the series forges ahead to its series premiere, and we expect to have them for you here in the coming weeks.

Be sure to check back here at SCREEN Magazine for the latest in Chicago and Illinois television production. You can also click right here to subscribe to our weekly email newsletter.

Photo Credit: Saagar Shaikh Instagram