Delhi royal

GGM maintains the high standard we have been used to. Few sketch shows can boast that there are no "weak-links" in the cast. (Not even "Monty Python" ). All four of the GGM are versatile performers..Including Dave Lamb.(Mind you I'm not sure Kulvinder Ghir is the greatest singer!) The new series seemed to me a little "naughtier" than before, in terms of language, but I'm not complaining about the unexpected flashes of Nina Wadia's midriff! Even the songs in GGM (Not usually my favourite part of a comedy show) are funny and relevant. All the usual favourites in top form and some clever new characters too with spoofs on a lot of UK shows e.g motoring and home-shopping. Oh yes and alot of mentions of Guildford and Hounslow.

The "Coopers" and their friends caused a bit of a stir with a sketch involving a visit to an English church and the bible which didn't go down too well with some viewers. But then GGM has always been even-handed with which religions/beliefs it tackles.

Plenty of scope left still I hope for another new series.

The return of Goodness Gracious Me for a one of special in 2014 was a reminder how groundbreaking the Asian comedy sketch show was albeit one with a Punjabi bent.

The series was mainly primarily aimed at people of Indian sub continent heritage but had broad appeal with the standout being the Kapoor family pronouncing their name as the Coopers, the mother who could make anything at home including an Apple Ipad, the father who thinks everything is Indian including Joanna Lumley (which she is.)

There would also be parodies of songs and musicals, the recent episode poking fun of Blurred Lines as well as Mary Poppins.

The series lasted a remarkably short time although the cast did well in taking the show on tour in Britain and other parts of the world as well as having diverse solo careers.

When it started Kulvinder Ghir was the more well known person to me as he appeared in the drama Howards Way and he seemed to be in his element prancing around in the various sketches.

The comedy was a bit hit and miss at times. Dave Lamb would appear as the token white person and the butt of some jokes as the show liked to display role reversal in racial stereotypes such as the archetypal rowdy lads night out and then to a late night restaurant for a bit of 'English.'

The strength of 'Goodness Gracious Me' was that it appealed to a wide audience - not squarely Asian or White British, but to everyone. And with sketches and characters like the Coopers/Kapoors (more English than anyone around them), Mr 'Check Please' (insulting every girl he sits down in a restaurant with), the Showbiz Kitten (Meera Syal purring like a poisonous cat), the huge Bollywood spoofs (usually involving Kulvinder Ghir poncing around in some ridiculously glamorous setting like the Indian song and dance fests), the 'Innit' teenagers, and, my favourites, the song pastiches, how could it fail? The four main performers were all instrumental to the show's success - Meera Syal as main writer and a key performer, with a classical acting background; Nina Wadia with her squeaky voice and amusing screen presence (some great characters were created for her); Sanjeev Bhaskar laying the foundations for his chat-show Kumar character; and Kulvinder Ghir as the daft scene-stealer who was better than you initially thought he was.

'Goodness Gracious Me' set the standard for ethnic comedies to follow, and by bringing the humour into the mainstream (the Indian family who 'go for an English', for example), it broke through boundaries that had been previously set for what would work in prime-time TV. Not enough episodes were made but what did get to the screen was definitely among the funniest comedy of the late 1990s.

"Goodness Gracious Me" is a hilarious laugh. Full of short skits poking fun at Indians and Anglo-indians it still manages to be funny to those of us who don't fall into those categories. Certain characters make frequent appearances like Mr. Everything-is-India and Smeeta Smitten Shobiz Kitten.

If you enjoy the show, keep an eye out for the CD's or cassette of the radio show. Many of the same characters first appeared there.

I'd also recommend "Red Dwarf" and "Monty Python's Flying Circus"

'Goodness Gracious Me' is probably one of Britain's best comedies and it's a shame it only aired for a couple of seasons. The show was comprised of sketches portraying a humorous take on Indian culture in the UK, poking fun at both Asians and British alike without causing offence (and those who were offended almost always were the uptight politically correct). The four performers of the show-- Meera Syal, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Kulvinder Ghir and Nina Wadia-- all threw themselves into their various roles, bringing their outlandish characters to life and clearly had much fun doing so.

Particularly hilarious sketches included the fat spoilt boy, the father who thinks everything comes from India and Mr 'Check Please'. Although 'Goodness Gracious Me' sadly only lasted for such a short time, I recommend 'The Kumars at No. 42' as a nice compliment to the show. Also, for comedies with a similar theme of making fun of a culture/section of society, check out 'Chewin' The Fat' (a hilarious Scottish comedy) and 'Father Ted' which is a side-splitting insight into the lives of three unconventional Irish priests.