August 17, 2026
Provided Image/Hulu; Onyx
'Deli Boys,' the Hulu crime dramedy set in a Grays Ferry delicatessen, has been cancelled after two seasons.
The show's high-energy pace and strong chemistry between cast members earned it a 98% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and nominations from the Gotham TV Awards and Film Independent Spirit Awards, but the crime dramedy failed to gain a strong enough following to continue production, Deadline reported.
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"Deli Boys" never appeared in Nielsen's top 10 streaming rankings, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Temple alum Abdullah Saeed, executive producer and creator of the show, acknowledged the cancellation Saturday by thanking the Muslim and Pakistani immigrant communities who "saw themselves" in the show.
"I created this world and these characters for YOU," Saeed wrote on Instagram. "DELI BOYS was a spec script … every detail a reflection of OUR experience in America. I'm amazed and proud that we got a real one into the world. To the next generation of browns, I hope I helped you see that you deserve the airwaves, no matter how hard you have to fight for your rightful place.
"We will always have obstacles and infuriating curveballs, but they will only make us stronger," he continued. "I promise I have a million more stories to tell that will show us as the complex, hilarious, emotional, brilliant and deeply human folk that we are."
"Deli Boys" followed the lives of two Pakistani-American brothers — Raj Dar (Saagar Shaikh) and Mir Dar (Asif Ali) — who inherit their late father's delicatessen chain which, unbeknownst to them, served as a cover for a Philadelphia crime ring. The sitcom showed the brothers attempting to keep their last remaining storefront afloat in Grays Ferry.
"Deli Boys" was renewed for a second season last August, and signed stars like Kumail Nanjiani, Andrew Rannells and Fred Armisen to its cast. Their characters were pushed by Hulu's Onyx Collective brand to attract new viewers, Deadline reported.
With the show's cancellation, the series ends on a cliffhanger. The final episode of the second season culminated with Raj and Mir receiving a mysterious note from "the eldest Dar," who sought to take a piece of their father's fortune.
Saeed, a former journalist for Philadelphia Weekly, said the setting of the show was inspired by a college party he attended in Forgotten Bottom, saying the "name always stayed with me."
Showrunner Michelle Nader, a South Philly native and University of Pennsylvania alum, called the show an ode to the city's "underbelly." Each half-hour episode was packed with niche Philly references including cracks about SEPTA and expired Tastykakes. One scene was set in a cavern of Philly treasures. Among them: Black Thought's lunch box and a golden bust of Frank Rizzo.
"I feel like people externalize their emotions more in a city like Philly," Saeed said before the show's premiere. "New York is a lot of people in their little bubble just existing. But Philly still has that old-school communalism, especially South Philly, where people are interacting with strangers on the street and there's not as many people. … There's no other place like that."
