First episode to include Daniel Radcliffe, Chevy Chase and Olivia Colman

After a seven year break the multi-award winning, much loved television family, THE KUMARS, are bounding back onto our TV screens with a new home and a new cast member. The new six part series will begin on Wednesday 15^th January at 9pm on Sky 1 HD.

Following a downturn in fortunes, THE KUMARS are now living in a flat in Hounslow, behind the homewares and gift shop that Dad, Ashwin (Vincent Ibrahim), now runs.  Sanjeev (Sanjeev Bhaskar) is divorced from his wife of nearly two years - she now lives in New York with their daughter, Angelina Jolie Kumar. Mum, Madhuri, has returned to India to look after ailing relatives and Ashwin has secured a sponsorship deal with BIMLA CORP, to resurrect the family’s talk show. Having also negotiated cheap rent in return for a regular appearance on the show, the family’s landlady - aspiring actress and hand model, Hawney (Harvey Virdi) - joins in with the questioning much to the dismay of Grandma, Ummi (Meera Syal).

Each week, the show features three celebrity guests who become embroiled in THE KUMARS’ domestic squabbles as Sanjeev fearlessly works to deliver a great chatshow. The first episode features Daniel Radcliffe, Chevy Chase and Olivia Colman with guests across the rest of the series including Ray Winstone, Rupert Everett, Dame Diana Rigg, Emilia Fox, Richard E Grant, Caroline Quentin, Elizabeth McGovern, Harry Shearer, Kay Burley, James Corden, Terry Gilliam and Twiggy.

Sanjeev Bhaskar commented: “It’s incredibly exciting to revisit these warm, oddball characters and to be given the opportunity to bring them up to date. We’ve tried to retain what viewers loved about the original show and to inject new characters and elements in a slightly new format that we hope will appeal to an even broader audience.”

Adam MacDonald, Director of Sky 1, added “I’m delighted that The Kumars are coming to Sky 1 HD to bring our customers a great big warm-hearted laugh in the cold depths of January. Sanjeev will be playing host to a terrific line up of guests in his own idiosyncratic way and I can’t wait to see where Ummi’s line of questioning dares to go next.”

THE KUMARS is co-production from Hat Trick Productions and Avatar Productions. It’s written by Sanjeev Bhaskar and a team of writers. The series producer is John Pocock. Helen Williams and Jimmy Mulville are the executive producers for Hat Trick and Saskia Schuster is the executive producer for Sky. The series was commissioned by Lucy Lumsden for Sky.

THE KUMARS will start on Wednesday 15^th January at 9pm on Sky 1 HD, Sky 1 + 1 and on the move with Sky Go. The series will be available for catch up through Sky’s On Demand service.

Notes to editor

Further information:
Sarah Aspinall                                                  Nicola Vincent

Senior Publicist, Sky 1 HD                            Publicist, Sky 1 HD

Sarah.aspinall@bskyb.com                         nicola.vincent@bskyb.com

020 7032 1488                                                020 7032 3078

www.skypressoffice.co.uk

@sky1insider

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