'Deli Boys' brings laughter and chaos to the screen

Abdullah Saeed wasn't looking to write a groundbreaking comedy. He was just looking for a job.

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The “Deli Boys” creator wrote a sample script in 2019, hoping to secure a staff position in a writers’ room after transitioning from journalism to screenwriting. (“Nobody was buying my documentaries,” jokes Saeed.) He had recently co-written a script for a feature film, but needed something to showcase his own voice. Saeed sat down to write without worry about representing his entire community, and decided to freely create a show that was as lighthearted as he is.

“The pressure was off because I didn’t think it was going to be a TV show. I was just like, ‘OK, whatever, I think that’s funny,” said the Pakistani American writer. “Deli Boys" soon landed in front of television writers and producers Jenni Konner (“Girls”) and Nora Silver (“Single Drunk Female”), who immediately wanted to do more than hire Saeed. They wanted to develop the half-hour pilot and bring it to life.