BBC America: The Kumars and Goodness Gracious Me

Merchant

If you get BBC America, or the real BBC, do yourself a huge favor and tune into "The Kumars at Number 42." The premise is that Sanjeev, living at home with his parents and grandmother in a London suburb, is an aspiring TV personality who hosts a talk show in a studio built in the backyard. His parents and grandmother join him on the set to interview the guests--Patrick Stewart, Boy George, Helen Bonham Carter, etc.

They greet the guests first in the living room, serve them tea, etc., then get on with the show. Much of it is improv comedy, with the guests having to go with the flow. Then it becomes a talk show like Leno. It's brilliant, but hard to describe.

Better is "Goodness Gracious Me," which airs after it on BBC America--sketch comedy starring Sanjeev, his wife Meera (who also plays the grandmother), and two more actors. This is brilliantly scripted comedy, much of it savage, and entirely Indian.

My favorites:

An Indian ad firm wins a contract to design a campaign for tampons in India ("We'll have a woman in a burqa appear on the screen, then have someone scream UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!")

A spoof of the love scene in "Ghost," but the Demi Moore character is not working clay on a pottery wheel but rolling roti dough.

A guy comes home from work, sees a plate of samosas on the kitchen table, and knows that his parents have a prospect and her family in the living room, but it's not for an arranged marriage but an arranged shag ("Love comes later, bitta. You have forgotten the traditional ways.").

Two Indian couples imagine themselves to be more English than the English and so decide to go to church ("We'll take a table for four," one wife says to the priest.) At communion, one guy has a dish of chutney on the altar rail, spoons it onto the wafer, and eats it.

It's brilliant, and funnier the more you know about and appreciate Indian culture. The show is a few years old--I don't know if it's still on the real BBC, but it follows "The Kumars" on BBC America.

Wednesdays at 10:00 PM on the East Coast, and other times as well.

seventies'hippy

It was a big hit in the UK,
I think they sold the copy rights to lots of different countries to produce their own versions.

Just last year in real life Sanjay married the actress who plays his Grandmother, at a guess I would say she's only around 35ish yrs old.

Great Programme

Merchant

Yes, Meera Syal. She also wrote the book to the London production of "Bombay Dreams."

Alan D

Ah, another convert to "Goodness, Gracious Me" and "The Kumars"!

Have you seen the sketch yet about the group of young Indians travelling around the UK which includes "Going for an English (meal)". Absolutely hilarious!

Enjoy the rest of the series!

steven_ber

Both programmes are brilliant, though I suspect they were made for the British Asian community.

I used to plan my days to make sure I never missed an episode.

Another sketch that comes to mind is when (trying to be as 'English' as possible), two couples tried to join the golf club, very funny.

I seem to remember a special episode where they went for a skiing holiday (with full ski clothes on) and due to a mistake ended up walking down the streets of Delhi on a hot day.

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Merchant

The US is the only English-speaking country in the world that doesn't get the BBC. They created this special BBC America channel, and the Kumars just started appearing on it in January.

It amazes me that I have better access to global television media in a hotel in Madurai than I do in my apartment in Manhattan.

monkgonemad

this show rocks, ive seen it on star. indians showing how they can have a good laugh attheir own expense and win in the process. it is really, really funny and the combo of brittish wit and blunt indian nature makes it hilarious!

not as good as faulty, black adder, prisoner or even mpython but hugely good fun!

monkgonemad

hey merchant -

"The US is the only English-speaking country in the world that doesn't get the BBC. They created this special BBC America channel, and the Kumars just started appearing on it in January."


who needs the most distinguished and respected news organization in the world -when you have the likes of fox 'news' -lol. ... i try to stay as far away from the place as possible.

cheers

vinayverma

Now we have an Indian version of Kumars..called 'Batliwalla house no 43' every friday on Sony Entertainment channel.
Here is the link:
http://www.setindia.com/shows/shows_inside.php?id=48

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Rob_The_Pom

The 'going out for an English' was one of the most superb pieces of observational comedy ever.
How many times have you seen some dope go into a curryhouse and ask for the 'The hottest thing on the menu'?

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lotus blossom

there was s suggestion for this on the favorite you tubes thread, and i've been watching episodes of goodness gracious me for the past week. i love it! tune in on you tube if you've not seen it. good stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_lis...3AC1993DD 643

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Nick-H

Another great Goodness Gracious Me...

The Guy who eventually comes out, and introduces his boyfriend to his parents. the boyfriend is white. The punchline: "But couldn't you have found yourself a nice Indian Boy?"

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lotus blossom

that's one of my favorites!

ba9rn

Just an aside - I kind of miss BBC America (watched it a lot when I lived in California for a few years). But it infurated me that they would repeat the same program multiple times a day. USA could not even get that right.

Incidentally, 'BBC America' is not owned or run by the real Auntie Beeb. They also show programs originally on Channel 4 (like Father Ted).

But for all its faults, I do miss it - it's a lot better than most of the dross on the other 579 channels.

(Rant over - I love Kumars too by the way! Enjoy.)

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steven_ber

The link doesn't work for me.