Khandavaneh, an uplifting entertainment programme on national state television, is successfully introducing standup to TV viewers in Iran

Iranians enjoy making a joke out of pretty much anything and sharing it on their smartphones, a habit some indulge in on a daily basis. And in a country with a restrictive political atmosphere, satire has gained a function beyond simple entertainment.

Now, standup comedy is being brought into Iranian homes through a new show on state TV. Khandavaneh, which translates as �laughmelon� (a combination of laugh and watermelon), broadcast on the Nasim comedy channel on a number of evenings each week, has proved a huge hit. The programme is hosted by Rambod Javan, a well-known satirist popular with young people, who invites other Iranian comedians to perform standup and compete with each other on the show.

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This article was written by Saeed Kamali Dehghan for The Guardian on Sep. 30, 2015. Saeed Kamali Dehghan is a staff journalist with the Guardian. He has previously written from the Iranian capital, Tehran.