The Kumars: TV review - Chevy Chase and Daniel Radcliffe join the family for new series

 

Will Dean
Wednesday 15 January 2014 15:30 EST
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The Kumars (Sky1) are back. They've left number 42 at their street in Wembley and moved to Hounslow, where a divorced Sanjeev Kumar/Bhaskar is hosting his TV show from behind his dad's shop where they're renting from new landlord Hawney (pronounced "horny").

Despite their lengthy absence from our screens, the set-up – straight-man son and irritating (to him at least) family members – still works. (As did the roughly similar Backchat with Jack Whitehall and his father, Michael, on BBC3).

Meera Syal reprises her scene-stealing role as randy grandmother Ummi, at one point explaining to Daniel Radcliffe that: "The Weasleys are just like an Indian family: boy, boy, boy, then they have a girl and stop having sex."

And although there were awkward moments (Chevy Chase seemed bemused), the format does allow Sanjeev to ask some of the better chat-show questions. Daniel Radcliffe was asked: "Of all the legends you worked with [on the Harry Potter series] who was the worst actor?"

Chase was asked "Which household object do you wish was edible?" ("Broom"). Later, Ummi was bold enough to tell Olivia Colman that if she won Baftas, she wouldn't be able to keep them in the bathroom as "no solids are allowed" in the downstairs loo. It's good to have them back.

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