It is 2017 and in Iraq the killing is finally over. The bloodbath lasted until the war's bitter end, leaving a lone survivor with nothing to do but ponder old newscasts.

This is the premise behind a hit television show launched in October on the Iraqi satellite station al-Sharqiya. Broadcast nightly, Hurry Up, He's Dead is a satirical news bulletin that parodies the daily misery endured by Iraqis, throwing punches at insurgent groups, politicians, the US military and everyone in between.

Its star, the actor Saad Khalifa, was famous during Saddam Hussein's rule. With wacky costumes galore, he plays all the parts, from weathergirl to sports presenter, but is best known for his trademark star-shaped sunglasses and giant afro wig. In one skit he proclaims that Donald "Rums bin Feld" has said that all US troops will leave Iraq by 1/1 - the first of January - but then he realises he has misread the report. Troops will leave "one by one": ending the occupation in 600 years' time. Another newsflash announces: "Unknown men have kidnapped unknown men and driven them to an unknown destination."

The programme is filmed in Dubai for security reasons, though its creator, Talib al-Sudani, a Baghdadi poet and writer, still lives in Sadr City. He recently received an acute reminder of the dangers of free speech in democratic Iraq. On 20 November, Walid Hassan, star of another satirical TV show, Caricature, was killed in his car by unidentified gunmen. Khalifa was one of his four supporting actors.

The popularity of shows such as Hurry Up, He's Dead reflects the fatalistic humour with which Iraqis have come to view their lives. But Khalifa still has hope: "The purpose of this show is to fix Iraq," he has said. "We want to fix the services. We want to fix the government officials. We want to fix the relationships between people. We want to fix the government and stop the corruption." Laughter in Iraq takes courage, but it may prove as good a tool as any for fixing things.

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