One of the ’s most beloved comedy shows of the past 25 years is set to be revived in the as the Kumars are being recommissioned overseas.
was an institution at the broadcaster following its introduction to our screens in 2001, blending sitcom, comedy improvisation and a chat show element that kept fans thoroughly entertained.
It also made stars out of its cast, which included , and Vincent Ebrahim.
Now, the award-winning programme is poised for international success, nearly 18 years after it aired its final episode in August 2006 after its original run of seven seasons.
A reboot has been ordered by American broadcaster Fox, with a multi-camera ‘presentation’ of the show in the place of a pilot being filmed in March, reportedly at Elstree Studios.
Even more excitingly, the original stars are – of course – back, with playing aspiring broadcaster Sanjeev, his real-life wife Syal as his grandmother, Sushila/Ummi, and Ebrahim as his father, Ashwin.
Actress Shaheen Khan is also joining the cast as a new addition, playing Sanjeev’s new stepmum. Indira Joshi previously played his mother.
There’s also a new title for the programme, which has been rechristened Meet The Kumars for its return, according .
For those who need a recap, the Kumars are a British Indian family, originally living in Wembley, who have replaced their back garden with a TV studio, in order to support their son’s presenting dreams, where they host their own talk show.
Guests on the original run included boyband Westlife, Donny Osmond, David Hasselhoff, Gary Lineker, Stephen Fry and Boy George.
A six-episode revival at Sky that aired in 2014 saw them add Daniel Radcliffe, Olivia Colman, Chevy Chase and Diana Rigg to their roster of illustrious visitors.
Richard E. Grant also made a return visit.
Hat Trick Productions, which was behind the original series, is back to produce Meet the Kumars.
‘We’re thrilled to be working with Fox on this presentation and look forward to introducing our much loved Kumars family to an American audience,’ the company’s managing director Jimmy Mulville told the publication.
He will be executive producing alongside Sarah Fraser and stars Bhaskar and Syal.
The Kumars at No. 42 was originally created by , who also worked with Bhaskar and Syal on .
A previous attempt to adapt the series in the US ended up with The Ortegas, which was about a Mexican-American family and starred Cheech Marin.
Filmed in 2002, it was cancelled before it made it to air.
Metro.co.uk has contacted Hat Trick Productions and the BBC for further comment.
