Goodness Gracious Me
Topic: Media (TV and Radio)
Topic: Media (TV and Radio)
Concept and Context
Goodness Gracious Me is a BBC English language sketch comedy show originally on BBC Radio 4 (1996-1998) and later televised on BBC Two (1998-2001) based on four British Asian actors: Sanjeev Bhaskar, Kulvinder Ghir, Meera Syal and Nina Wadia. In the television version most of the "white" parts are played by Dave Lamb and Fiona Allen, while in the radio version the white parts were played by the cast themselves.
The title and theme tune are based on a hit comedy song of the same title sung by Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren, in which they reprise their characters from the 1960 film The Millionairess in which Sellers played an Indian doctor and Loren his Italian patient (contrary to popular belief the song does not appear in the film). The show's signature tune is a bhangra arrangement of the song. The show's original working title was "Peter Sellers is Dead", but was changed because the cast generally liked Peter Sellers. (The character Sellers plays, although in itself a fairly crude and broad parody of an Indian man, is actually portrayed as an intelligent, diligent, professional person). In her 1996 novel Anita and Me, Syal had referred to British parodies of Asian speech as "a goodness-gracious-me accent".
The title and theme tune are based on a hit comedy song of the same title sung by Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren, in which they reprise their characters from the 1960 film The Millionairess in which Sellers played an Indian doctor and Loren his Italian patient (contrary to popular belief the song does not appear in the film). The show's signature tune is a bhangra arrangement of the song. The show's original working title was "Peter Sellers is Dead", but was changed because the cast generally liked Peter Sellers. (The character Sellers plays, although in itself a fairly crude and broad parody of an Indian man, is actually portrayed as an intelligent, diligent, professional person). In her 1996 novel Anita and Me, Syal had referred to British parodies of Asian speech as "a goodness-gracious-me accent".
It was wickedly apt for the creators of this show to choose a title so reminiscent of the stereotypical portrayal of Asians that had blighted the British media for decades. The cast casually drop Punjabi and Hindi/Urdu slang phrases into their speech, in the manner of many British Asians living in the UK. 
Reactions and Evaluation, Artistic Quality and Awards
It started as a radio series and then broke out on television, with four British Asian performers (plus 'token white' Dave Lamb) taking part in sketches that managed to be bred from their own backgrounds and yet relevant and (most importantly) funny to a wider demographic.
They set their stall almost immediately with the classic "going for an English" sketch, in which a group of Asians embody the loutish behaviour of lager swilling Brits in an Indian restaurant (one diner asks for something "really bland"). They mispronounce the waiter's name, order the blandest thing from the menu (apart from one of them, who opts for the safer option of a curry) and ask for 24 plates of chips. This parodies the often-drunk English people "going out for an Indian", ordering chicken phall and too many papadums. This sketch was recently voted the 6th Greatest Comedy Sketch.
Like the best sketches, it was a simple idea done brilliantly, and their strongest ideas took Asian stereotypes but used them to illustrate comic ideas of universal appeal.
The reason it really worked through was because it was essentially an exercise in character comedy: each character strongly defined and recognizable enough not to alienate the general viewing public.
They included a man who firmly believes everything has its origins in India; Smeeta Smitten, a preening Bollywood reporter, who was instantly recognisable as an irritating embodiment of crass showbiz journalism everywhere; and best of all, the Kapoors (pronounced Coopers), social climbers who were at great pains to deny any of their heritage, desperate to be seen as 100% British.
Goodness Gracious Me had a fine ensemble cast, was generally very well written and boasted a broad range of comedy styles - TV spoofs, slapstick and catchphrases were all present and correct - whilst not shying away from satirical content.
It justly won a number of awards and stopped before it ran out of steam, allowing its core players to go on to deservedly glittering careers elsewhere.
It started as a radio series and then broke out on television, with four British Asian performers (plus 'token white' Dave Lamb) taking part in sketches that managed to be bred from their own backgrounds and yet relevant and (most importantly) funny to a wider demographic.
They set their stall almost immediately with the classic "going for an English" sketch, in which a group of Asians embody the loutish behaviour of lager swilling Brits in an Indian restaurant (one diner asks for something "really bland"). They mispronounce the waiter's name, order the blandest thing from the menu (apart from one of them, who opts for the safer option of a curry) and ask for 24 plates of chips. This parodies the often-drunk English people "going out for an Indian", ordering chicken phall and too many papadums. This sketch was recently voted the 6th Greatest Comedy Sketch.
Like the best sketches, it was a simple idea done brilliantly, and their strongest ideas took Asian stereotypes but used them to illustrate comic ideas of universal appeal.
The reason it really worked through was because it was essentially an exercise in character comedy: each character strongly defined and recognizable enough not to alienate the general viewing public.
They included a man who firmly believes everything has its origins in India; Smeeta Smitten, a preening Bollywood reporter, who was instantly recognisable as an irritating embodiment of crass showbiz journalism everywhere; and best of all, the Kapoors (pronounced Coopers), social climbers who were at great pains to deny any of their heritage, desperate to be seen as 100% British.
Goodness Gracious Me had a fine ensemble cast, was generally very well written and boasted a broad range of comedy styles - TV spoofs, slapstick and catchphrases were all present and correct - whilst not shying away from satirical content.
It justly won a number of awards and stopped before it ran out of steam, allowing its core players to go on to deservedly glittering careers elsewhere.
Message to pass on
The "going for an English" sketch is often highlighted as the first time a British audience saw a parody of its own behaviour from a British Asian perspective. However some elements had been done before, including by Rowan Atkinson in his early 1980's stage show "Indian Waiter" monologue, which directly mocked such behaviour, whilst Alexei Sayle in his late 1980's TV show Stuff made a very brief hypothesis that residents of New Delhi enjoy alcoholic Friday nights out with English food.
The majority of the sketches explore the conflict and integration between traditional Indian culture and modern British life. Some reverse the roles to view the British from an Indian perspective while others poked fun at Indian stereotypes.
ANNEX
Parodies and references in the show
"The Six Million Rupee Man" - Parody of Six Million Dollar Man.
"Skipinder: The Punjabi Kangaroo" - Parody of Skippy the Bush Kangaroo.
"I'm a Punjabi Girl..." - Parody of Aqua's Barbie Girl song.
"Hindi People" - Parody of Pulp's Common People.
"Club Nirvana" - Parody of Wham!'s Club Tropicana.
"The Marriage Emporium" - Homage to Monty Python's Cheese Shop sketch and Dead Parrot sketch.
"Fawlty Turrets" - Homage to Fawlty Towers.
"The Delhi Tubbies" - Fictional Asian equivalent of the Teletubbies
"They Were The Blacked-Up Men" - Parody of Men In Black.
Other parodies are based on shows such as Animal Hospital (where members of lower castes take the place of the pets) and Rough Guide (where tourists from India visit and make unpleasant remarks about England).
Bibliography
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/goodnessgraciousme
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhangra_Man#Recurring_characters
