The Kumars at No. 42

Part scripted comedy, part improvisation, and part genuine interview, The Kumars at No. 42 invites a typical, albeit exaggerated, Indian family to American network television. The fusion of genres never fails to delight as it illustrates the quirks that unite families, regardless of culture, location, or ethnic background. Living in north London, the Kumars have found a unique method of “keeping up with the Joneses”—they have bulldozed their back yard and build a state-of-the-art TV studio from which they host their very own talk show. Kumar creator Sanjeev Bhaskar stars as Sanjeev Kumar, whose loving, interfering family members—parents Madhuri (Indira Joshi) and Ashwin (Vincent Ebrahim) and grandmother Sushila (Meera Syal)—sit in on celebrity interviews, asking irrelevant questions and bonding with the guests. Executive producers Denise O’Donoghue and Jimmy Mulville, Producers Richard Pinto, Sharat Sardana, and Anil Gupta and Director Lissa Evans have crafted a laugh-out-loud comedy that breaks boundaries long established by conventional sitcoms, sketch programs, and talk shows. For this hilarious, offbeat, and refreshing comedy offering, a Peabody Award goes to The Kumars at No. 42.