Goodness Gracious Me (TV series)

2022-10-22T20:27:51Z

79.79.195.110: /* Cast */

{{Short description|British sketch comedy series}}
{{For|the hit comedy song of the same name|Goodness Gracious Me (song)}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox television
| image = GoodnessGraciousMe.jpg
| caption = DVD cover
| genre = [[Sketch comedy]]
| runtime = 30–50 mins
| creator = [[Sanjeev Bhaskar]] [[Meera Syal]] [[Anil Gupta (writer)|Anil Gupta]]
| executive_producer = [[Jon Plowman]]
| starring = [[Sanjeev Bhaskar]] [[Meera Syal]] [[Kulvinder Ghir]] [[Nina Wadia]]
| opentheme = [[Goodness Gracious Me (song)|Goodness Gracious Me]] (''Bhangra version'')
| endtheme = Goodness Gracious Me (''Bhangra version'')
| country = United Kingdom
| network = [[BBC Radio 4]] [[BBC Two]]
| first_aired = {{Plainlist|
* '''Original Series:''' {{Start date|1998|01|12|df=y}} – {{End date|2001|02|19|df=y}}
* '''Revived Specials:''' {{Start date|2014|05|26|df=y}} {{Start date|2015|08|25|df=y}}
}}
| num_series = 5 ''(2 radio series and 3 TV series)''
| num_episodes = 39 ''(19 radio and 20 TV)''
}}

'''''Goodness Gracious Me''''' is a [[BBC]] [[sketch comedy]] show originally aired on [[BBC Radio 4]] from 1996 to 1998 and later televised on [[BBC Two]] from 1998 to 2001. The ensemble cast were four [[British Asian]] actors, [[Sanjeev Bhaskar]], [[Kulvinder Ghir]], [[Meera Syal]] and [[Nina Wadia]]. The show explored British Asian culture, and the conflict and integration between traditional [[South Asian culture]] and modern British life. Some sketches reversed the roles to view the British from a [[South Asia]]n perspective, and others poked fun at [[South Asian stereotypes]]. In the television series, most of the [[White British|white]] characters were played by [[Dave Lamb]] and [[Fiona Allen]]; in the radio series those parts were played by the cast themselves. Some of the white characters were also played by [[Amanda Holden]] and [[Emma Kennedy]].

The show's title and [[theme tune]] is a [[Bhangra (music)|bhangra]] rearrangement of the [[Goodness Gracious Me (song)|comedy song of the same name]], originally performed by [[Peter Sellers]] (portraying an [[Indian people|Indian]] doctor, Ahmed el Kabir) and [[Sophia Loren]], reprising their characters from the 1960 film, ''[[The Millionairess]]''. Sellers sings the song in a stereotypical "cod-Indian" accent, acceptable as a comic device at the time but by the 1990s considered dated and belittling. Consequently, the show's original working title was "Peter Sellers is Dead"; this was changed as the cast admired Sellers' other work, as well as the fact that although Sellers' Indian doctor was a parody, the actor still portrayed him as a competent professional.{{citation needed|date=March 2019}} (In her 1996 novel ''[[Anita and Me]]'', Syal had referred to British parodies of south Asian speech as "a goodness-gracious-me accent".)

The cast casually drop [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] and [[Hindi]] slang phrases into their speech, in the manner of many British Asians living in the UK.

The show won Best Entertainment at the [[Broadcasting Press Guild]] Award and the Team Award from the [[Royal Television Society]], UK in 1999.

In March 2014, the BBC announced that the show would return with a special episode as part of celebrations of fifty years of [[BBC Two]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26483277|title=Goodness Gracious Me back for one-off special|work=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Beaumont-Thomas|first=Ben|title=Goodness Gracious Me cast to reunite for one-off special|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/mar/07/goodness-gracious-me-cast-reunite|access-date=9 March 2014|newspaper=The Guardian|date=7 March 2014}}</ref> An India special was broadcast on BBC Two on 25 August 2015.

== Parodies and references in the show ==
* ''The Six Million Rupee Man'' – parodies ''[[The Six Million Dollar Man]]''.
* ''I Know Him Too Well'' – parodies the song "[[I Know Him So Well]]".
* ''Skipinder: The Punjabi Kangaroo'' – parodies ''[[Skippy the Bush Kangaroo]]''.
* ''I'm a Punjabi Girl...'' – parodies [[Aqua (band)|Aqua]]'s "[[Barbie Girl]]" song.
* ''Hindi People'' – parodies [[Pulp (band)|Pulp]]'s "[[Common People]]".
* ''Club Nirvana'' – parodies [[Wham!]]'s "[[Club Tropicana]]".
* ''The Marriage Emporium'' – pays homage to [[Monty Python]]'s [[Cheese Shop sketch]] and "[[Dead Parrot sketch]]".
* ''Fawlty Turrets'' – pays homage to ''[[Fawlty Towers]]''.
* ''The Delhi Tubbies'' – fictional Asian equivalent of ''[[Teletubbies]]''.
* ''They Were The Blacked-Up Men'' – parodies ''[[Men in Black (1997 film)|Men in Black]]''.
* ''The Bhandari Bunch'' – parodies ''[[The Brady Bunch]]'' opening sequence.
* ''Channa's Angels'' – parodies ''[[Charlie's Angels]]''
* ''Arranged Shag'' – parodies the [[arranged marriage]]
* ''Not Saving Private Narayan'' – parodies ''[[Saving Private Ryan]]''

Other parodies are based on shows such as ''[[Animal Hospital]]'' (where members of lower castes take the place of the pets) and ''[[Rough Guides]]'' (where tourists from India visit and make unpleasant remarks about the United Kingdom).

===Going for an English===
One of the best known sketches featured the cast "going out for an English" after a few [[lassi]]s. They continually mispronounce the waiter's name, order the blandest thing on the menu (apart from one of them, who opts for the stronger option of a [[steak and kidney pie]]) and ask for 24 plates of chips. The sketch [[parody|parodies]] British people "going out for an Indian" after drinking heavily, being rude to the waiter, demanding the spiciest thing available on the menu for show and ordering far too many [[papadum]]s. This sketch was voted the 6th Greatest Comedy Sketch on a [[Channel 4]] list show.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/G/greatest/comedy_sketches/results.html |title=Channel4 – 50 Greatest Comedy Sketches |publisher=Channel 4|access-date=19 December 2008}}</ref>

== Recurring characters ==

* Cheque, Please – A man who, on serial dinner dates, always says something so tactless or offensive that the woman walks out on him, leaving him asking for the "Cheque, please!"
* The competitive mothers – Two women who constantly argue about the respective accomplishments of their sons, becoming more and more exaggerated as they go along. Their discussions always end with one of them using their catchphrase, "Yes, but how big is his danda?" (slang for penis)
* Mr "Everything Comes From India" – A man who insists that just about everything comes from India or was invented by Indians (often to the chagrin of his more knowledgeable son), including [[William Shakespeare]], [[Cliff Richard]] (who, in the character's defence, was actually born in India), [[Leonardo da Vinci]], most English words: ([[veranda]], [[shampoo]], [[Hair conditioner|conditioner]]), the [[British Royal Family]] (all except [[Prince Charles]], who he claims to be African, because of [[African elephant|the size of his ears]]), [[Superman]] (who is apparently Indian as he has two jobs, a bad haircut and, in a reference to Indian railways, can run faster than a train) and the number zero (which is a widely attributed discovery in Indian culture). In one short sketch, he was found in a bookshop, transferring books from the English and Chinese Literature sections to the Indian Literature section. He even claims that [[Jesus]] was Indian as he worked for his father, and managed to feed 5,000 people with very small amounts of food. He also claimed that everyone in the Bible was Indian, except God, as he "created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. What kind of Indian doesn't work Sundays?".
* The Coopers (Kapoors) and Robinsons (Rabindranaths) – Two snobbish ''[[nouveau riche]]'' couples who claim to be entirely English with no Indian blood whatsoever, but often give themselves away by using each other's real names, mispronouncing words or making silly mistakes such as serving guests some [[Pimm's]] with sliced [[courgette]]s in it. They refuse to acknowledge their real ethnic background under any circumstances, and become very upset whenever anyone refers to them as foreigners.
* Skipinder, The Punjabi [[Kangaroo]] – Redubbed footage of the television show about ''[[Skippy the Bush Kangaroo]]'' (1968–70), with the kangaroo being "voiced over" so that he can talk. Skippy, who now calls himself Skipinder, is always drunk, speaks in a [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] accent and frequently insults the other characters.
* The Bhangra Muffins – Two Anglo-Asian teenage boys who are always trying to be "cool" and attract girls, referring to them as ''[[ras malai]]'' (Indian sweet) but failing miserably. In their sketches, they seem to be having an intelligent discussion, albeit in their own "street" language, but it is then shown that they are doing something nonsensical or are in the wrong place (for example: in one episode they are waiting in the audience of what they think is a taping of ''[[The Oprah Winfrey Show]]'', leading to a conversation about the purpose of television and [[talk show]]s in society, but then the show starts and they find out they have in fact gone to an [[opera]] performance by mistake.) Their catchphrase is "Kiss my chuddies, man!" – ''chuddies'' being slang for underwear.
* Chunky Lafunga (''lafunga'' means "hooligan") – A [[Bollywood]] superstar (probably based on Bollywood actor [[Chunky Pandey]]) who is now trying to make his name in Western cinema, but manages to turn every production he appears in, from an adaptation of a [[Jane Austen]] novel to an Australian [[soap opera]], into a Bollywood [[Musical film|musical]].
* Mrs "I can make it at home for nothing!" – A mother who, when out in restaurants with her family, repeatedly decries various things as wasteful, saying "I can make it at home for nothing!" For some reason she always seems to need "a small [[eggplant|aubergine]]" to be able to do so – in one episode she even appears on ''[[Masterchef]]'', describing a series of complicated dishes she intends to cook, yet has only the ubiquitous aubergine in her ingredients. In later episodes she claims to be able to recreate other, non-food experiences for nothing – even reacting to the news that her husband has a mistress with "mistress I can make at home..." followed by flirtatious behaviour. She was inspired by [[Nina Wadia]]'s mother.
* Meena and Beena, the Minx Twins – Two teenage Anglo-Indian girls who believe themselves to be highly desirable 'Asian babes' and complain about unwanted male attention and shout out rude comments at the men who walk past them, with the camera then pulling back to reveal why the men are there (e.g. in one sketch the girls are shown to have gone to a [[gay bar]], in another they are standing outside a men's [[public toilet]].) During one episode they actually managed to get dates, but insist on leaving because the men fail to offer to buy them a drink. Their catchphrase is: "In your dreams, buddy!" This can be varied, for example, in a Christmas sketch, when acting as Santa's assistants, they say to a little boy, "In your dreams, very small buddy!" [[Nina Wadia]] said on the BBC documentary ''Comedy Connections'' that [[Meera Syal]] was behind the creation of these characters and they are one of Nina's favourites on the series. "[[West End Girls]]" by the [[Pet Shop Boys]] frequently plays in the background of their scenes.
* Guru Maharishi Yogi (based on [[Maharishi Mahesh Yogi]]) – A man who in different sketches is either shown giving completely made up lectures about [[Hinduism]], or going door to door saying silly things to the people who answer. During his symposia, he claims to translate words of wisdom from original [[Sanskrit]], but they are actually random gibberish in English (often containing pop culture references). In one sketch he resorts to handing out flyers for a [[double-glazing]] company when a householder does not want to hear him talk about religion. He also has two similarly dubious guru friends, with whom he likes to play [[board games]] and [[association football|football]].
* Smita Smitten, Showbiz Kitten (from Series 2, her name becomes "Smeeta Smitten") – A "showbiz gossip" style TV reporter who claims to be at a big movie premiere or showbiz party, but turns out to be somewhere very ordinary, like queueing outside a video shop or a public bathroom. She is then refused entrance, so to distract the viewers, she finishes by saying "Look, there goes [[Art Malik]]!" and running out of the picture. She was once in a chip shop, and Art Malik was there, but she did not recognise him. After making a fool of herself, she tried to get out of the situation by pointing to Art outside the shop, and running after him. Fellow character Chunky Lafunga is the only "celebrity" she has ever managed to interview. In Series 2 she loses her job and resorts to presenting her TV show from different rooms of her mother's house, then in Series 3 produces a variety of pilot shows for a possible new TV series, with disastrous results.
* Uncle Fixer – A man who shows up to greet different family members in unexpected places, such as at a [[funeral]] or during a [[kidney]] [[Organ transplant|transplant]] operation, and then asks why they didn't come to him for help with the arrangements, because "I could have got it for you much cheaper!". He often says "Don't worry" or "Don't insult me!" when people decline his help. He usually destroys what was the topic of conversation i.e. cash from a cash machine and a kidney.
* The Sindi Dolls – Two wealthy young women who act like [[Valley Girl]] stereotypes, forever showing off about the number of credit cards they have and how much their fathers have spent on them. They are nearly always seen in an expensive clothes shop, which may or may not be [[Harvey Nichols]] and are forever berating and physically assaulting the sales assistants who are attending to them. In series three, they have (reluctantly) got themselves jobs as [[Air hostess|air stewardesses]], and reveal to the flight passengers during the emergency procedure instructions that they only took the jobs because of the glamour factor. In one notable sketch they state their opinion that a friend of theirs should make more effort with her appearance, "[[leprosy]] or no leprosy".
* Will I, bollocks! (Ironic Granny) – This sketch follows an old woman who is continually causing trouble for her family, then when she is asked to do something to help with the situation, she replies: "Will I, bollocks!" In the last of her sketches, she collapses at home and her son-in-law, Ravi, offers to perform mouth to mouth resuscitation but when his wife asks him if he will really do it, he says, "Will I, bollocks!"
* The Delhi Students – These sketches are about four Indian young adults who go to England and describe their experiences. They parody the way westerners act when they visit India (in one sketch, they remark on the number of beggars on the streets; they say that you can't eat meat off the street, in reference to a [[McDonald's]] burger; and they say that you must drink water from a bottle, as tap water could be dangerous).
* Bhangraman – A parody of [[superhero]]es in general, he always saves the day using his "uncanny bhangra powers", which usually consist of bhangra dance moves. While he speaks entirely in [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], every other character understands him perfectly. His battle cry is "''chaakde phaate''", meaning "raise the floorboards". His supervillain arch rival is the [[Morris Dance]]r.
* The Reporter – A reporter constantly tries to do "exposés" on British Asians. He often runs into Mr Ishaq, a Muslim man whom the reporter interviews. The reporter assumes that Mr Ishaq is "up to something", ultimately being disappointed when Mr Ishaq reveals that he is doing something extremely ordinary.
* The [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] Exterminator – A Buddhist monk who is often hired in jobs that will force him to kill living beings, as a mouse exterminator, a [[mafia]] murderer and even as a [[surgeon]] (where he discovered how to kill cancer cells), which conflicts with his religion and prevents him from doing his job, being surprised that people would want him to kill. As an exterminator, he was determined to make the mice reflect upon their actions until they reach [[Nirvana (concept)|Nirvana]]. He has an "exterminator" friend who would make the mice reincarnate as pebbles, "which are much easier to catch, they don't run about as much." His catchline is: "Kill?! No, no, we mustn't kill".

==Series==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}

===Radio show===
* 5–26 July 1996 (4 episodes)
*11 July – 1 August 1997 (4 episodes)
*21 May – 25 June 1998 (6 episodes)
{{col-3}}
{{col-end}}

==Television show==
===Series 1 (1998)===
{{Episode table|background=#DEDDE2 |overall= |title= |airdate= |episodes=
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=1
|Title=Episode One
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1998|1|12|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=2
|Title=Episode Two
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1998|1|19|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=3
|Title=Episode Three
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1998|1|26|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=4
|Title=Episode Four
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1998|2|2|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=5
|Title=Episode Five
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1998|2|9|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=6
|Title=Episode Six
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1998|2|16|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
}}

===Series 2 (1998)===
{{Episode table|background=#DEDDE2 |overall= |title= |airdate= |episodes=
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=1
|Title=Episode One
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1998|11|13|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=2
|Title=Episode Two
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1998|11|20|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=3
|Title=Episode Three
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1998|11|27|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=4
|Title=Episode Four
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1998|12|4|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=5
|Title=Episode Five
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1998|12|11|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=6
|Title=Episode Six
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1998|12|18|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=7
|Title=Episode Christmas Special
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1998|12|23|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
}}

===Series 3 (2000)===
{{Episode table|background=#DEDDE2 |overall= |title= |airdate= |episodes=
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=1
|Title=Episode One
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2000|2|25|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=2
|Title=Episode Two
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2000|3|3|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=3
|Title=Episode Three
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2000|3|10|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=4
|Title=Episode Four
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2000|3|17|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=5
|Title=Episode Five
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2000|3|24|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=6
|Title=Episode Six
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2000|3|31|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
}}

===Specials===
{{Episode table|background=#DEDDE2 |overall= |title= |airdate= |episodes=
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=1
|Title= Goodness Gracious Me Unpugged
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1999|7|24|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=2
|Title= Goodness Gracious Me Live on the Road '99
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1999|7|24|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=3
|Title= Back Where They Came From
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2001|2|19|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=4
|Title= Reunion Special
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2014|5|26|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=5
|Title= India Special
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2015|8|25|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
{{ Episode list
|EpisodeNumber=6
|Title= Goodness Gracious Me – 20 Years Innit!
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2018|12|22|df=y}}
|ShortSummary=.
|LineColor=DEDDE2
}}
}}

==Cast and crew==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}

===Directors and producers===
*Gareth Carrivick (''director'')
*Nick Wood (''director'')
*Christine Gernon (''director'')
*[[Anil Gupta (writer)|Anil Gupta]] (''producer'')
*Jon Plowman (''executive producer'')
{{col-3}}

===Cast===
*[[Sanjeev Bhaskar]]
*[[Meera Syal]]
*[[Kulvinder Ghir]]
*[[Nina Wadia]]
*[[Dave Lamb]]
*[[Sharat Sardana]]
*[[Amanda Holden]] (''Series 1'')
*[[Fiona Allen]] (''Series 2'')
*[[Emma Kennedy]] (''Series 3'')
*[[Anil Desai]]
*[[Nitin Sawhney]]
*[[Parminder Nagra]]
{{col-3}}

===Writers===
*Sanjeev Bhaskar
*Anil Gupta
*Sanjeev Kohli
*Richard Pinto
*Sharat Sardana
*Meera Syal
*Nina Wadia
*Kulvinder Ghir
{{col-end}}

==See also==
*[[The Kumars at No. 42]]
*[[The Real McCoy (TV series)|The Real McCoy]]
*[[Citizen Khan]]
*[[Brown Nation]]
*[[Fresh Off the Boat|Fresh off the Boat]]
*[[Family Law (American TV series)|Family Law]]
*[[Kim's Convenience]]

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote|Goodness Gracious Me (TV & radio)}}
* {{BBC programme}}
*{{BBC Online|comedy/goodnessgraciousme/|''Goodness Gracious Me''}} Comedy Guide
*{{British Comedy Guide|tv|goodness_gracious_me|Goodness Gracious Me}}
*{{IMDb title|0137305|Goodness Gracious Me}}
*{{Epguides|GoodnessGraciousMe}}
*{{Screenonline TV title|521352|Goodness Gracious Me}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080803224411/http://www.bafta.org/learning/webcasts/meera-syal-in-conversation,374,BA.html In Conversation with Meera Syal], [[BAFTA]] webcast, March 2008

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodness Gracious Me (Tv Series)}}
[[Category:1998 British television series debuts]]
[[Category:2015 British television series endings]]
[[Category:1990s British television sketch shows]]
[[Category:2000s British television sketch shows]]
[[Category:2010s British television sketch shows]]
[[Category:1996 radio programme debuts]]
[[Category:Radio programs about families]]
[[Category:BBC television sketch shows]]
[[Category:BBC Radio comedy programmes]]
[[Category:Asian-British culture]]
[[Category:Ethnic humour]]
[[Category:British Indian mass media]]
[[Category:Radio programs adapted into television shows]]
[[Category:Television series based on radio series]]
[[Category:Television series about families]]
[[Category:English-language television shows]]
[[Category:British television series revived after cancellation]]
[[Category:BBC Radio 4 programmes]]
[[Category:Television shows shot at BBC Elstree Centre]]

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Goodness Gracious Me (TV series)