The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh

I found the show really entertaining! Honestly, just ignore the haters-most of the negative comments seem to come from people who just don't get the humor. I'm Indian, and my girlfriend is Colombian, and we both couldn't stop laughing at the accents and the little guy who's obsessed with garbage and recycling. The show definitely has its moments, and what's funny is that I even see some similarities between the characters and my own parents. It's refreshing to see something that plays with cultural quirks. These days, people are so overly sensitive that it's hard to enjoy anything without someone getting offended. But seriously, give it a watch and decide for yourself!

This is great, happy to see this. The film Growing Up Smith (also on Prime with Jason Lee from My Name is Earl and Hilarie Burton) helped open doors for this show (and many like it). Houghton was the original creator of Growing Up Smith after living with four gents from India in a small apartment. OIt's crazy, a Growing Up Smith series was actually shopped around H-wood with Alec Baldwin, the series had even been discussed with Lorne Michaels.

But this is a fun show. Fade the haters who won't/don't get it. They'll say "stereotyping", etc. It's based on a TRUE STORY, for goodness sakes. Uh, duh. And it's a strong story about strong people.

No laughs out loud, which is how I judge comedies. But it's an interesting idea and rather fun. Culture shock is usually great comedy.

But the biggest objection I have is that none of the Pittsburgh natives speak Pittsburgese! I caught one "yinz," but the pronunciations are all wrong. I was born Pittsburgh. So it's painfully obvious.

The acting is good, overall, and Vinod is precious. He got smiles. And Naveen Andrews is always good. As I see it, the show just needs better writing. Maybe season 2 will be better, and I do hope it gets another run. I'll try the show again.

But if it's Pittsburgh, and that's in the title, make it Pittsburgh. Don't dance around it. That could be much funnier. And p.s., it should be easy for actors to assume the dialect.

Yes, the characters are over the top. That's because this is a comedy and not a documentary. The Indian characters are stereotypical, but so are the American ones. The Mills Family are every single American stereotype wrapped into one family - it's actually impressive that the writers managed it: overly religious, petty, redneck, hunting, etc. - every American stereotype ever, wrapped up in a bushy beard and a bleach-blonde hairdo.

So two stereotypes - Indian and American - living next-door to each other: it was just funny. The youngest Pradeep was adorable, and not at all realistic for any child his age, no matter what country they came from. But it's a tv show and not reality.

It's not perfect, far off from that. But it's definitely pretty funny and good for a Sunday binge.

The show felt like a guilty pleasure - entertaining but with average acting. What really disappointed me was the shallow portrayal of Indian culture, especially considering it was directed by an Indian.

I don't mind lighthearted jokes that play with stereotypes, but it missed the mark on traditions. For instance, Rakhi signifies a brother's duty to protect his sister, not the other way around, yet they got that wrong along with many other cultural elements.

On top of that, it rehashed the usual stereotypes about poverty and cleanliness in India without offering anything new or insightful. I had hoped for an accurate and authentic representation of India, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a mix of hits and misses.