My Uncle Napoleon

An uproarious adoption of a popular novel by Iraj Pezeshkzad set in and around the family compound in early 1940s Tehran, marvelously rich in personality and incident. The title character, so-called because of his constant invocation of the general, rules over a wonderfully complex extended family. A hilarious series which makes fun of just about everything.

My Uncle Napoleon (1976) is a Persian national-television comedy series produced by National Iranian Radio and Television, adapted from Iraj Pezeshkzad's popular novel. Gholamhossein Naghshineh plays Daei Jan Napoleon, the title patriarch so named for his constant invocation of the French general, who presides over a sprawling, quarrelsome extended family living in and around a shared compound. Saeed Kangarani plays Saeed, the young relative whose perspective keeps the household's rivalries in view, while Parviz Fanizadeh as Mash Ghasem, Parviz Sayyad as Asdollah Mirza, and Nosratollah Karimi as Agha Joon supply a steady stream of schemes, feuds, and social pretensions. The engine of the series is the gap between the uncle's grand self-image and the petty squabbles, romantic scheming, and status anxieties that fill each episode. Set in early 1940s Tehran, its sixteen hour-long episodes form a single season with a loosely connected run of incidents rather than a fixed case-of-the-week format. The tone is warm, witty, and gently satirical, lightly mocking nearly everyone while keeping affection for its characters. Fans of Downton Abbey for its household ensemble and Arrested Development for its satire of self-important families will find resonance here, as will admirers of classic family sitcoms like Everybody Loves Raymond.

• Downton Abbeyfamily comedy of manners, ensemble of eccentric relatives, satirical social observation
• Everybody Loves Raymondensemble family comedy built on a domineering patriarch and chaotic household
• Arrested Developmentsatirical comedy of a self-important family dynasty and its social pretensions

Release Date

1976-04-01

Episode runtime

60 min

Rating

8.7 / 10 (11)

What is My Uncle Napoleon about?

A wealthy Tehran extended family's comic chaos unfolds around a self-styled Napoleon-worshipping patriarch in 1940s Iran.

What is My Uncle Napoleon like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of My Uncle Napoleon as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as layered.

Is My Uncle Napoleon violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in My Uncle Napoleon.

Which shows are like My Uncle Napoleon?

Shows with a similar feel include Downton Abbey, Everybody Loves Raymond, and Arrested Development.

How long is My Uncle Napoleon?

My Uncle Napoleon: 1 season, 16 episodes.

Is My Uncle Napoleon still running?

No, My Uncle Napoleon has ended.