There's more good news for The Kumars At Number 42 creator Sanjeev Bhaskar, following the popular TV series' international Emmy win on Monday. US broadcaster NBC – the company behind smash hits Friends and Frasier – has just shelled out £6 million for the rights to make an American version of the British Asian comedy.
Several other countries have also expressed an interest in the format, including Australia, which would base its version around a Greek family.
The global attention looks set to make millions for British production company Hat Trick which produces the series and Sanjeev, the driving force behind cutting-edge Asian sketch show Goodness Gracious Me.
The Kumars focuses on the son of an Asian family living in north London – played by Sanjeev – who has his heart set on a career as a chat show host. Celebrity interviews are conducted in a studio built on the side of the family's semi-detached home, with its members adding their own quirky contributions.
Famous names who have participated include Helena Bonham Carter, Jerry Hall and Richard E Grant. "It's unbelievable to think how successful the show has become," says Sanjeev.
Speaking in this week's Sun newspaper, NBC Entertainment president Jeff Zucker says: "We fell in love with this show when we first saw it. Everyone here sees potential in it. British TV takes risks both on camera and behind the scenes that we mistakenly don't have the guts to do." The American version of the Kumars will feature a Mexican-American family called the Ortegas who live in Los Angeles.
