Comedian and writer David Baddiel is to front a part polemic, part personal documentary for Channel 4 that explores why, in his opinion, anti-Semitism is often seen as a lesser form of racism.
At a time when important and urgent discussions are taking place about representation and inclusion regarding race, David Baddiel: Jews Don’t Count will argue that Jews appear to have been neglected from the conversation and in particular by those who consider themselves progressive.
The 75-minute programme from Mindhouse Productions, will see David talk candidly about the volume and frequency of anti-Semitic abuse he has experienced on social media and express the alienation he’s felt – as many Jews have – at the lack of support on the subject from what he considers to be his default political home.
Conducting shocking, surprising, humorous and sometimes awkward conversations with a range of voices – including prominent Jewish figures and those who have experienced anti-Semitism themselves – David will ultimately seek to investigate why identity politics seems to have failed this one particular identity and why Jews really should count.
David Baddiel: “I’m very excited to be given the chance to present my polemic about Jews not counting - not counting in the identity politics conversation, not counting as a real minority who experience real racism - on TV. My critique is aimed mainly at progressives, at those people who care about minorities and racism - those people who consider themselves on the right side of history - and I think of a lot of those people as Channel 4 viewers. So let me thank Channel 4 in advance for giving me this opportunity to address, and maybe take apart a bit, their own audience’s self-image.”
Shaminder Nahal, Head of Specialist Factual at Channel 4: “I’m so thrilled to be working alongside David Baddiel and Mindhouse on this challenging and provocative film. Jews Don’t Count is set to be a searing and forensic look not just at anti-Semitism throughout the world today - but at the whole state of identity politics in contemporary discourse.”
Louis Theroux, Executive Producer for Mindhouse Productions, “I am delighted to be involved in bringing David Baddiel’s Jews Don’t Count to the screen on Channel 4. With so much more awareness around the world about the importance of diversity and the reality of all kinds of racial bias, it seems the perfect time to take a thoughtful, challenging, and funny look at why Jewishness has sometimes been left out of the racial reckoning, not to mention a great excuse to see David in conversation with a host of hilarious and fascinating people on both sides of the Atlantic. This documentary is exactly what we need right now, a provocative and sparkling polemic that will start arguments and get people thinking about identity politics in a different way.”
David Baddiel: Jews Don’t Count was commissioned by Shaminder Nahal, Head of Specialist Factual at Channel 4. The 1x75’ programme is a Mindhouse Productions film, and the Executive Producers are Louis Theroux and Nina Davies. The Director is James Routh, the Producer is Alex Emanuel and Rachel Duncan is production manager.
David Baddiel: Jews Don’t Count will air later this year on Channel 4
