Unfunny jokes, an unlikeable lead, an unconvincing plot: ABC’s Separated at Birth falls flat at every turn

For situational comedy to work, viewers need to be able to suspend their disbelief enough to care about what is happening to the characters on screen.

If the whole thing feels contrived – if we feel we can see the wizard behind the curtain – the jokes just don’t work. Think about how unfunny it is, almost by default, when you can tell someone is trying to be funny.

That’s the trap into which ABC’s new comedy series, Separated at Birth, falls.

Not likeable, nor interesting

The premise of Separated at Birth – a show created, co-written by and starring Australian-Sri Lankan comedian Nazeem Hussain – is strong.

Moments after giving birth, Aaleyah (Sana’a Shaik), still in the delivery room, asks her husband Sameer (Nazeem Hussain) for a divorce. We then follow Sameer as he tries to navigate parenthood while sharing custody, surrounded by his large, well-intentioned family, and his snobbish ex-in-laws.

Unfortunately, Separated at Birth feels like it tries too hard to make us laugh – right from the opening sequence, in which Sameer, a paramedic, banters with his work bestie Donna (Urzila Carlson) about how he’d rather be at work than with his wife who is in labour.

We’ve seen this scenario before, where the man-child hybrid bunglingly tries to avoid all forms of adult responsibility. And there is certainly humour to be wrought from such scenarios; films such as Step Brothers, Bridesmaids and Role Models turn this into a comedic art.

But for this framing to work, we need to believe this kind of behaviour would come from this kind of character. It just doesn’t feel right that a hard-boiled paramedic would be so incompetent and irresponsible.

There also has to be something about either the character or performer that is likeable or, at the very least, interesting. Unfortunately, Sameer is neither likeable nor interesting. He’s a cowardly, snivelling protagonist who lies to the people around him and tries to avoid accountability at every turn.

Glaring characters flaws

Beyond this, the character of Sameer is inconsistent. It makes no sense that he would try to stop the extended family from seeing the new baby in the opening episode – even if he has just been dumped.

It also makes no sense he would have forgotten that he helped pick the name Omar for his son. And why would this be funny anyway?

The depiction of Sameer’s fear of becoming a father is caricature of the worst kind, as it buys into the absurd stereotype that men don’t want to be husbands and fathers.

Moreover, Nazeem Hussain is not a strong enough dramatic actor to endow the role with the kind of sensibility and humour that could make such a weasel funny and appealing. As a dramatic actor, he looks uncomfortable on screen, over-enunciating his dialogue as he strains for laughs.

None of the other characters are believable, either. They’re all caricatures, from the snobbish parents-in-law to butch Donna. The actors labour to be funny but, with the exception of Sana’a Shaik (who seems totally naturalistic and at ease), they seem uncomfortable with the material.

We recognise the motions, but don’t become sufficiently invested in the characters or scenarios for the humour to work.

Certain lines should be funny, like when Sameer says to Aaleyah: “I’m no child psychologist, but surely it’s like milk first, divorce later?”. But the balance of dramatic and narrative comedy isn’t struck, so the gags fall flat.

Some jokes also feel needlessly petty and unpleasant, such as when Donna drinks the water Sameer, a practicing Muslim, uses for washing his genitals. And while there are a few genuine chuckles along the way, the feeling is so off-kilter that they aren’t enough to pull us through.

That said, if you think a fist fight between two Muslim men at an aqiqah party – a celebration of birth in which the baby’s head is shaved – is comedic gold, maybe you will see this one out to the end.

Separated at Birth is on ABC iview from today.

Ari Mattes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.