DVD Review: Catch this tasty sitcom with spice

Channel 4’s groundbreaking comedy was first broadcast in 1985 and is now out on DVD for the first time on the Simply Media label, giving fans old and new the chance to meet embattled curry house owner Jimmy Sharma (Saeed Jaffrey from My Beautiful Laundrette and Gandhi) and his wayward family.

Jimmy’s making a comfortable living running an upmarket Indian restaurant, the Jewel in the Crown, until one of his waiters opens a rival and cheaper eatery, the Far Pavilions, right across the street.

Jimmy is both supported and given the runaround by his feisty daughters Asha (Rita Wolf from Coronation Street) and ‘Bubbly’ (Shelley King from The Bill) who, in turn, are watched over by domineering Gran (Zohra Segal from Bend It Like Beckham) whose dearest wish is to marry each of them off to a suitable boy.

Prolific writer and producer Farrukh Dhondy created this must-see series which interweaves such provocative issues of sexual and racial equality, as well as taking a wry look at inter-racial tensions between London’s Indian and Bangladeshi communities, sassy Asian women, mixed-race relationships and grasping business methods.

This 300-minute, two-disc set of the complete series one and two (including two episodes written by a 20-something Meera Syal) is now out on the Simply Media label priced £19.99.