Filmmaker Minhal Baig may not be a household name yet, but judging by her recent output, particularly her festival standout drama, “Hala,” the writer-director is one of the most exciting folks creating content in the film/TV industry today. However, it appears that one place where she won’t be lending her talents any longer is the series, “Ramy.” And going off what she says in her recent tweets about the situation, there’s some problematic stuff happening behind the scenes of the acclaimed Hulu comedy series.
Just recently, Baig posted a cryptic tweet on her social media, explaining why she wouldn’t be returning to a series that she previously wrote for in the first season.
She wrote, “I was not asked to return for the 2nd season on a show that had a critically acclaimed first season. And none of the other women on staff were asked back either. Who did get asked back? The male office PA and a male EP w/no previous writing experience. #NotWorthLess”
Now, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that she’s talking about “Ramy,” the breakout Hulu comedy series.” For those that missed the series’ first season, “Ramy” focuses on the title character as he balances living his life as a Muslim, while also trying to adapt to the more American customs that he’s embraced. That doesn’t necessarily sound like a hilarious comedy, but thanks to the aforementioned Baig and the rest of the writers’ room, “Ramy” is a really clever, thoughtful, and often hilarious look at a segment of folks that normally don’t get the spotlight in film and TV series.
“The women on staff were featured in press ahead of the release of the show,” she continued. “None of us were brought back. The reason given? ‘We need different voices.’ I wish the best of luck to the creator. It was the most hurtful thing I’ve experienced professionally.”
While this might just be speculation, it stands to reason that the “creator” she references is the series’ star, Ramy Youssef, who rose to prominence as a stand-up comedian and based “Ramy” on his life and experiences. However, as Baig points out in another tweet, Youssef wasn’t the sole writer on the series, and that is proven by the credits.
She added, “One last thing: the creator asked for co-writing credit on every episode (b/c the show is based on his life). I consulted other TV writers for advice. He finally relented in giving sole writing credit to the staff writers, but the sense of entitlement behind the ask was stunning.”
Oof. Not a good look for those involved in the series, particularly the “creator” that she referenced.
Hulu has picked up “Ramy” for a second season, but no release date has been revealed. As for Baig, despite being hurt by the result of this situation, she has a bright career ahead of her, as “Hala” is expected to be released by Apple TV+ later this year and the writer is now part of the group tasked with bringing Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” TV series, ‘The Sisterhood,’ to life.
I was not asked to return for the 2nd season on a show that had a critically acclaimed first season. And none of the other women on staff were asked back either. Who did get asked back? The male office PA and a male EP w/no previous writing experience. #NotWorthLess
— Minhal Baig (@minhalbaig) September 18, 2019