- Actors: Sanjeev Bhaskar, Vincent Ebrahim, Indira Joshi, Meera Syal, Donny Osmond
- Writers: Sanjeev Bhaskar, Richard Pinto, Sharat Sardana, Simon Blackwell
- Producers: Anil Gupta
- Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
- Language: English
- Subtitles: English
- Region: (US and Canada This DVD will probably NOT be viewable in other countries. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
- Number of discs: 1
- MPAA Rating:
- Studio: Warner
- Release Date: Nov 8 2005
- Run Time: 173 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- ASIN: B000AOEPM0
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #29,553 in DVD (See Top 100 in DVD)
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Product Description
From Amazon.com
Winner of the British Comedy Award, this very funny series puts a fresh spin on the talk show format. Live from No. 42, it's Sanjeev (Sanjeev Bhaskar), a self-styled talk-show host who interviews actual celebrities from the home TV studio his very indulgent immigrant parents have constructed in the family's backyard. Sanjeev considers his show to be "the perfect blend of Indian flavor and English refinement," but the meddling of his chutney-maven father (Vincent Ebrahim), doting mother (Indira Joshi) and sassy put-down artist grandmother (scene-stealer Meera Syal) puncture any delusions of grandeur. When actor and celebrated wit Stephen Fry arrives on the Kumar doorstep, the grandmother greets him, "Tell me, what's an erudite, sophisticated gentleman like yourself doing on a stupid show like this?" The Kumars at No. 42 is partly scripted and partly improvised. Much of the comedy comes from the guests' pre-show interactions with Sanjeev's family, who continue to kibbitz during the on-air interviews from a sofa onstage. The more game the guest, the better. Actors Richard E. Grant and Minnie Driver are clearly having a ball. Many of the celebrity guests are not popularly known in America (Roy Winstone, from Sexy Beast, appears to be Britain's equivalent of James Gandolfini), but Sanjeev gives them a proper introduction. The Kumars at No. 42 would seem poised for an American remake (one attempt, The Ortegas, featuring an Hispanic family, was quickly cancelled in 2003). Note to network casting directors: try Andrea Martin as the grandmother. --Donald Liebenson
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious!,
By PLR (Toronto) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Kumars at No. 42 (DVD)
This has to be one of the funniest shows I've seen out of the UK in quite awhile. The members of the Kumar family are well timed and played, and the unscripted interactions between them and the guest of the day is hilarious. If you're a fan of Meera Syal - you won't recognize her as she beautifully plays the role of aging grandmother, Ummi. Totally recommended!
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.6 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews) 45 of 45 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best of the British comedies,
By M. L. Bergman - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Kumars at No. 42 (DVD)
I came upon the Kumars totally by accident, and now I'm an addict. Part chat show, part comedy improv, it is uproarious, especially when the guests "play along". The format is simple. A talk show hosted by a vain, somewhat self-indulgent British-Indian guy and his stereotype of a family: The over-nurturing mom (she always prepares food for the guests), the money obsessed dad, and the horny grandmother. There's a studio audience that the "Kumars" play off of. The guests are real celebrities- Donny Osmond, Tom Jones, Helena Bonham Carter- but the interviews are controlled by the members of "The Kumar Family" with riotous results. American improv comedians could learn well from these actors who you might have seen on other BBC comedies. It is silly, irreverent, and incredibly clever. I can rarely make it through an episode without having to replay a section because I was laughing so hard that I missed something. Unlike other BBC comedies, this one does not rely on sight gags and outrageous plotlines to get laughs. It is the interaction of the ensemble with the guests that keeps it fresh and funny.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kumars are a riot,
By K. Jones-Silber - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Kumars at No. 42 (DVD)
Stumbled upon this wonderful BBC program and quickly fell in love with the family. Sanjeev, Mom, Dad and Gran are fantastic at heaping parental support and insults at one another, while "supposedly" living the asian stereotyical dream in London, this is very funny stuff. Check it out.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant show, disappointing DVD,
By Scrumpy - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Kumars at No. 42 (DVD)
Five stars for the show, two stars for the BBC. The Kumars at No. 42 is one of the best shows on British television -- very funny with a talented cast, but I think the compilation was a bad idea. With so few episodes to a season, it shouldn't have been too much to ask for the complete program (especially after waiting so long for the DVDs to be released). As it is, some of my favorite guests are absent from this collection and some less interesting ones have been included. C'mon BBC -- give us the full seasons in their hilarious entirety!
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