Last Night’s TV – The Family
So it’s back, and with a new family to gawk it, it all got off to a rather impressive start. I’m unashamedly a fan of fly-on-the-wall; I can’t help myself, though oddly, I do no curtain twitching in my own home. I don’t even know what most of my near neighbours are called, but show me a house full of people I don’t even know being filmed, and I’m there.
This time around, the family we’re spying on are the Grewals, who, judging by first impressions are analogous to the Garnetts in Til Death Us Do Part. There was stubbornness, curmudgeonliness and obstreperous moaning, and that was just from mum and dad Sarbjit and Arvinder. And like Alf and Elsie Garnett, their apparent animosity towards each other belies a deep affection that you might have to dig deep to see, but know is there.
And like Alf Garnett’s daughter Rita, the Grewals are not strangers to having parents disapprove of a choice of partner. For Rita, Alf’s daughter, it was “that lazy scouse git” her dad objected to, but for women in the Grewal family, their marrying a man from a Sikh caste who’s considered “below” them has caused seemingly irrevocable and very sad family divides.
My overall impression of the Grewal family is that they’re warm, loving and in large part, keeping the faiths of their religion but adapting some aspects to accommodate living in a Western society. And it seems it’s not a comfortable or easy hybrid this West meets traditional Sikh values.
We heard how Arvinder and Sarbjit met for the first time on the day of their marriage while daughter-in-law Shay met and fell in love with Sunny Grewal, and has been estranged from her own mother because of it. However, though Arvinder and Sarbjit were themselves ‘forced’ into marriage, they wholly support Shay who chose her love for Sunny over her family’s wishes. It’s all very sad.
But there were plenty of comedic moments in amongst the deeper issues about religion and culture, such as Arvinder slogging away on his exercise bike and repeatedly yelling Sarbjit to get him a cup of tea. When she stoically ignored him, he rang her on her mobile, forcing her to issue forth a mumble of, “Stupid man…” while Arvinder was clearly quite smug about interrupting her rest.
Alf and Elsie would’ve been proud…
Another little nugget of amusement came when Arvinder said of Sarbjit, “I care! I have to care because in the end, she’s the only one who’s going to cook for me.”
Ooo, so close to a Brownie point there Arvinder, but you lost it again with the cooking reference…
Another interesting character is younger Grewal, Tindy. He’s clearly up to all sorts of things he really shouldn’t be and, like millions of other young men in the world, he knows how to stick dirty clothes in the washer but not how to then miraculously turn them into clean, ironed ones that turn up in bedroom.
I’m already hooked and can’t wait to see the next episodes!
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I was so excited when i found out that a sikh family were going to be on the family and the adverts looked brilliant and you know what the show exceeded all my expectations it had humour, love and sadness and The Grewals seem like such a loving family. i love the relationship between Arvinder and Sarbjit its hilarious..and i cant wait until next week and i am sure i will be glued to my seat every wednesday at 9pm to watc them. x
Oh Bloody blimey, I like this programe.
It makes me want to go, oh how you say in uk…
Oh Disco-teq-ie and dance.
It remind me of home.
How is it a Sikh family when none of them look like a Sikh
I dont know Gupi..but I enjoyed do you enjoy
love this programme already can not wait for next week
WHAT A DISGRACE TO SIKHS
DISGRACE!
Ridiculous Program, These people are NOT SIKHS as this is not a SIKH way of life!!!
So what????? its light entertainment.
Im sick of all the serious sh*t on tv..Its all aload
of cr*p..theres enough serious shit going on in real
life..who cares!
I think they r shaming our respected sikh society
Man, grow up everyone!
“not sikhs”
yes they bloody are!
I’m sikh, i keep a turban, and so daoes my dad, that doesnt make my family MORE sikh than theirs!
Just because they are not orthodox doesnt make them less. Grow a brain and lighten up you pathetic moaners.
People are people these guys are funny and pretty typical, so accept it, or move on.
I could stand here and say, “god us sikhs LOVE to moan” and judging from the above comments i’d be right! But people love to moan, that’s the lesson here.
“Knowledge is power”! This Bal and Natalie people need to understand this and its not called ‘moaning’. SIKHs are Saints and Warriors not fools. Not a follower of the way of life, but this show does NOT realate to Sikhs but just a tool for pure ENTERTAINMENT.
Why are they not Sikhs, because Shay wants to marry out of caste. We are not meant to have castes hence when you go to the gurdwara you all eat langhar on the floor. Those who think the Grewals are a disgrace (Jay, Sid, G )to Sikhism are wrong as you are the disgrace to Sikhism as you have no idea what it means to be a Sikh.
Gupi what are talking about. They don’t look like Sikhs. When was the last time any of you did paath at home like shay does.
BTW the jatt caste is not lower then that of Shays, it is in fact higher. The reason for her family not being happy about it is because Sunny is 9 years older then her and he is not educated.