The Kumars at No. 42

Review by Laurence Marcus

The Kumars at No. 42 was an inventive and highly entertaining fusion of scripted comedy, improvisational performance, and the traditional chat show format. Created by several of the same team behind Goodness Gracious Me, the show brings a refreshing take on the classic chat show by centring on a fictional British-Indian family living in Wembley. The family, in an attempt to support their son's dream of becoming a television presenter, transform their garden into a state-of-the-art TV studio. The result? A warm, hilarious, and often chaotic household that provides the backdrop for celebrity interviews peppered with offbeat humour and cultural insights.

At the heart of the show is Sanjeev (played by Sanjeev Bhaskar), the well-meaning yet often frustrated wannabe presenter. His efforts to keep the show on track are constantly undermined by the delightful interruptions of his parents, Ashwin and Madhuri (Vincent Ebrahim and Indira Joshi). Ashwin, obsessed with money matters, delivers long-winded anecdotes that are supposed to impart “good advice” although they have little relevance to the conversation, while Madhuri asks naïve questions and offers guests traditional Indian snacks at every turn. However, the real scene-stealer is Sanjeev's grandmother, Sushila (affectionately known as "Ummi"), played to perfection by Meera Syal. Her flirtations with male guests and deadpan storytelling about her past exploits with her childhood friend Saraswati, who was nicknamed "the bicycle" due to her contortionist skills (although one suspects there was another reason), make her the heart of the show. One of her funniest moments includes asking Charles Dance if his fans were called Charlie's Angels because there were only three of them. Syal's impeccable comedic timing and delivery are a joy to watch and contribute heavily to the show's success.

The format of The Kumars cleverly blends scripted moments with improvisation. Guests enter the Kumars' home under the guise of a completely scripted scene, which gradually transitions into the more improvised and spontaneous interview portion. This gradual shift makes for a dynamic and unpredictable watch, with the guests gradually warming up to the eccentric family. In the early episodes, only Meera Syal's character engaged in much improvisation, but as the show progressed, the cast became more comfortable, and the improvised content increased. Bhaskar himself remarked that the best guests were the ones who could keep the improvisational ball rolling.

The show's roots lie in Bhaskar's own experiences—particularly a memorably uncomfortable evening when he took a girlfriend to meet his parents, only to find himself embarrassed by their probing questions. The exaggerated portrayals of his own parents in Ashwin and Madhuri, reflect the unique, often humorous clash between generational and cultural expectations. The title's reference to the house number 42 was also a nod to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, where 42 is famously "the Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything."

The cultural commentary embedded in the show is also significant. By focusing on a British-Indian family and their quirks, The Kumars at No. 42 celebrates British-Indian culture in a way that hadn’t been seen before on mainstream television. The show’s success went beyond British shores - broadcast in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and India - among others, and spawned several 'home-grown' overseas adaptations, including Greeks on the Roof in Australia, The Ortegas on Fox in the US, Ghaffar at Dhoraji in Pakistan and Batliwala House No. 43 in India, as well as a revival of Meera Syal's character in 2021 for BBC Radio 4’s Gossip and Goddesses with Granny Kumar.

With critical acclaim, multiple prestigious awards including International Emmys and a Peabody Award, and a lasting legacy, The Kumars at No. 42 was a trailblazer in British television. Its mix of humour, cultural exploration, and improvisational flair left a lasting impact on both viewers and the industry, while its relatable characters and groundbreaking format continue to be fondly remembered.