In the start I used to hate this program , but after seeing 2 - 3 episodes I started liking it. Sanjeev Kumar is a spoilt only child hurtling toward middle age and still living with his parents, who have bulldozed their back garden to build him a TV studio. He hosts his own weekly chat show in front of a live audience, with his family always nearby to throw criticism at him and ask embarrassing questions of the bewildered guests. The results are hilarious.
Sanjeev is played by comedian and writer Sanjeev Bhaskar, who was one of the minds behind the brilliant skit comedy series Goodness Gracious Me. Goodness Gracious Me’s final season was broadcast by SBS last year, and I for one would love to see it get a re-run soon.
The interviewees include some British television celebrities that are virtually unknown in Australia, but half the fun is gauging their reactions to the many left field questions. Once you have watched this show a few times, you will realise that regardless of who the guest celebrities are, it?s the excellent characterisation of the Kumar family that gives the show its substance.
Sanjeev?s father Ashwin has a habit of launching into inane stories that lead nowhere, while his mother cannot go without asking guests about their kids, wedding or any other subject that could catch them off guard. Interestingly, the guests that survive the experience with their credibility intact are the ones that play along with the characters, and don’t attempt to outdo them.
By far the most lovable of the characters is Sanjeev’s grandmother (Meera Syal). She played a similar character in Goodness Gracious Me, but this grandma is much more cheeky, delivering many of the wittiest lines and showing the least respect for Sanjeev’s show.
You may not have noticed, but this is the original concept, bought by Mary Coustas (a.k.a. Effie) for her ’’new’’ series Greeks On The Roof. So desperate are they to make sure people don?t discover this that Effie?s program is broadcast in the same timeslot as the Kumars ? a very savage programming decision in my opinion.
Among the guests on these six episodes are: Richard E. Grant, Michael Parkinson, Minnie Driver, Stephen Fry and footballer Gary Lineker.