London – U.K. independent distributor Hat Trick International has shipped its new scripted comedy format The Kumars to Turkey, as Star TV commissions a six episode series for local primetime audiences.
Based on the new Hat Trick and Avatar Productions’ series The Kumars, which recently debuted on Sky 1 HD in the U.K., the format is produced for Turkey by Yirmibes Film and will launch on March 8 on Star TV. The series, known locally as Kim O, features a Turkish family who host their own talk show in their own home, welcoming a roster of local and international celebrities.
The deal comes ahead of MIPTV, where Hat Trick International will debut scripted format rights for The Kumars, as well as the finished show, to the global market. The format is based on the U.K. series starring Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal, which marks the return of one of television’s most loved families from the original The Kumars at No. 42, winner of two International Emmy Awards and a British Comedy Award and nominee for four BAFTAs.
Sarah Tong, Director of Sales at Hat Trick International said, “We’re very pleased to announce this landmark format deal for The Kumars in Turkey. The new U.K. version of the series on Sky 1 HD, which saw The Kumars return after a seven-year hiatus, has been very well received, almost doubling the slot average. With a warm-hearted yet always slightly oddball style of humour, Sanjeev Bhaskar and the writing team behind The Kumars have developed a fantastic character-driven series perfect for adaptation – and we’re looking forward to seeing further local versions of the unique and much-loved Kumar family arriving on air around the world”.
Originally produced by Hat Trick Productions (Episodes, Outnumbered) in association with Avatar Productions (The Indian Doctor) for Sky 1 HD, The Kumars is written by Sanjeev Bhaskar and produced by John Pocock with Executive Producers Jimmy Mulville and Helen Williams. The original U.K. version sees Sanjeev Bhaskar resume the role of Sanjeev Kumar alongside Meera Syal (Gran/Ummi) and Vincent Ebrahim (Dad/Ashwin Kumar). Seven years on, the Kumars have been forced to downsize as a result of the economic downturn and now live in a rented flat in Hounslow, behind the shop they run. Sanjeev has been married and divorced, with his ex-wife and child now living in New York, and Ashwin has decided to use the platform of the shop to resurrect the family’s talk show. With their own unique brand of humour and daring style of questioning, the Kumars play host to globally renowned stars such as Daniel Radcliffe, Richard E. Grant, Elizabeth McGovern, Chevy Chase, James Corden, Emilia Fox and Ray Winstone.
