Mo is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on August 24, 2022 on Netflix. The series stars Mo Amer as the titular character. The series is loosely based on Amer's own life as a Palestinian refugee living in Houston, Texas. It is co-created by Ramy Youssef and also stars Farah Bsieso, Teresa Ruiz and Tobe Nwigwe.
| Mo | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster for the first season | |
| Genre | Comedy drama |
| Created by | |
| Starring |
|
| Composers | Common Karriem Riggins Patrick Warren |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original languages |
|
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Running time | 23–31 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | August 24, 2022 – present |
In January 2023, Netflix renewed the series for a second and final season.[1]
Premise
editMo follows a Palestinian refugee living in Houston, Texas, who is currently seeking asylum and citizenship in the United States.[2]
Cast and characters
editMain
edit- Mo Amer as Mohammed "Mo" Najjar, the protagonist
- Teresa Ruiz as Maria, Mo's girlfriend
- Farah Bsieso as Yusra Najjar, Mo's mother
- Tobe Nwigwe as Nick, Mo's childhood friend
- Michael Y. Kim as Chien, Mo's tattooist and lean dealer
- Lee Eddy as Lizzie Horowitz, the Najjars' immigration lawyer
- Cherien Dabis as Nadia Robinson (née Najjar), Mo's sister
- Mariah Albishah as young Nadia Najjar
- Omar Elba as Sameer Najjar, Mo's brother
- Ahmad Rajeh as young Mohammed "Mo" Najjar
Guest
edit- Paul Wall as a court room security guard[3]
- Bun B as a Catholic priest listening to Mo's confession[4]
- Bassem Youssef as Abood Rahman, mobile store owner
Episodes
edit| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | August 24, 2022 | ||
Season 1 (2022)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Hamoodi" | Solvan "Slick" Naim | Mohammed Amer & Ramy Youssef | August 24, 2022 |
| 2 | 2 | "Yamo" | Solvan "Slick" Naim | Adel Kamal | August 24, 2022 |
| 3 | 3 | "Remorse" | Solvan "Slick" Naim | Luvh Rahke and Azhar Usman | August 24, 2022 |
| 4 | 4 | "Moola" | Solvan "Slick" Naim | Harris Danow | August 24, 2022 |
| 5 | 5 | "Tombstone" | Solvan "Slick" Naim | Nichole Beattie and Sophia Lear | August 24, 2022 |
| 6 | 6 | "Holy Matrimony" | Solvan "Slick" Naim | Luvh Rahke and Harris Danow | August 24, 2022 |
| 7 | 7 | "Testimony" | Solvan "Slick" Naim | Teleplay by : Adel Kamal Story by : Adel Kamal and Iturri Sosa | August 24, 2022 |
| 8 | 8 | "Vamos" | Solvan "Slick" Naim | Mohammed Amer & Sophia Lear | August 24, 2022 |
Reception
editCritical response
editAs of June 2024[update] Mo holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[5]
The series has received critical acclaim for being one of the first major American television shows to portray a Palestinian-American refugee as the protagonist as well as highlighting the growing ethnic diversity of Houston.[6][7][8][9][10]
Accolades
edit| Award | Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gotham Awards | 2022 | Breakthrough Series (Under 40 Minutes) | Mo | Won | [11] |
| Independent Spirit Awards | 2023 | Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series | Mohammed Amer | Nominated | [12] |
| Peabody Awards | 2022 | Entertainment | Mo | Won | [13] |
References
edit- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 12, 2023). "'Mo' Renewed For Second & Final Season By Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
- ^ "Netflix's 'Mo' Brings Laughs and Empathy to a Palestinian Experience TV Rarely Acknowledges: TV Review". Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- ^ "Houston oozes through the screen in Mo Amer's new Netflix series". August 24, 2022.
- ^ "Bun B, Tobe Nwigwe, Teresa Ruiz join Mo Amer as he introduces series to Houston".
- ^ "Mo". Rotten Tomatoes. August 24, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
- ^ "Mohammed Amer's new series explores the tragedy and comedy in the refugee experience". Retrieved August 23, 2022.
- ^ "Hollywood puts 'no face' on the Palestinian experience. Mo Amer plans to change that". Retrieved August 27, 2022.
- ^ "How the Netflix Series Mo Balances Side-Splitting Laughs With Heartfelt Drama". Retrieved August 27, 2022.
- ^ "We had to show that the immigration system is a mess': how Mo Amer's refugee status led to comedy gold". Retrieved August 26, 2022.
- ^ "Netflix's Mo Keeps the Faith For Insightful Muslim-American Stories". Retrieved August 23, 2022.
- ^ "'Everything Everywhere All At Once' Wins Best Feature at Gotham Awards". Variety. November 28, 2022.
- ^ "Film Independent Spirit Award TV Nominations: 'Abbott Elementary,' 'The Bear,' 'Severance,' 'Station Eleven' Lead". The Hollywood Reporter. December 13, 2022.
- ^ "Peabody Awards: 'Abbott Elementary,' 'Andor,' 'Severance' and 'We're Here' Among Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. May 9, 2023.
