Naveen Andrews (Lost) returns to television as the patriarch of a newly-immigrated family in The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh, written by Vijal Patel. Patel, who wrote on The Middle and black-ish, helmed the Prime Video series based on his own experiences. So how does this family comedy fare?
THE PRADEEPS OF PITTSBURGH: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
Opening Shot: At the FBI interrogation room #404, a standard Indian family sits across the table from two officers who ask if they understand the âgravity of their situation.â
The Gist: The new episodic series is structured according to interrogation logs as the central Pradeep family are questioned by authorities for a mishap with their neighbors. Flashing back and forth between the interrogation room and scenes from the past two years of the Pradeeps life in Pittsburgh, the comedy series depicts the family membersâ varying levels of assimilation to society.
What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Though the two network comedies differ in the POV structure, Pradeeps of Pittsburgh tells an immigrant story that feels very reminiscent of Fresh Off the Boat.
Our Take: The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh might remind you of a 2000s network comedy. Centered on an immigrant family who has just arrived in America, the Prime Video series follows each member of the family as they assimilateâand pick up some friends and enemies along the way.
This, in my opinion, is exactly why The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh doesnât work. The premise, as well as the comedy and writing, feels like a step back in terms of Indian (and by extension, all South Asians) representation on screen. Jokes about mispronounced names and brown people being terrorists feels like the stuff of 20 years ago, and does very little to move our stories forward.
But if weâre going to have another show about Indian immigrants, I hoped that it would get the cultural specificities right. Unfortunately, there were a few glaring mistakes in The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh. Any Indian-American who has had to carry toilet paper in their suitcases when they go to India would know that itâs because Indians prefer to use water and bidets. So when Vinod shouts for toilet paper on the first night in the new home in the pilot episode, it doesnât track with their Indian upbringing to that point. Itâs a small detail but a noticeable one, especially for the broader South Asian audience.
There are some bright spots. Most of the main actors are convincing, even when their accents occasionally slip. There are some good bitsâparents Sudha and Mahesh can communicate via the inflections in pronunciation of her name, which immediately sets up the dynamic of their relationshipâand occasionally the jokes are at the expense of the Americans instead of the Indians.
But perhaps most frustrating is the idea that South Asian stories must be couched in a feeling of otherness, often via an immigrant story. Those experiences and stories are valid, but itâs high time to move beyond this limited scope of storytelling for our culture. Whether itâs Outsourced or The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh, a brown (and in both of these examplesâIndian) story must feature a lack of awareness of social norms, struggles with assimilation, and forced accents. (Never Have I Ever escaped this to a certain degree by focusing on an Indian-American experience, but still employed some of these tropes.)
If I sound bitter, itâs because I want our community to push beyond the expected stories about usâfrom immigration stories to arranged marriage to terrorist depictions. Hopefully one day soon, weâll be able to expand who we are on screen.
Sex and Skin: Bhanu is a sex-crazed teenager, but the most she does in the pilot is have a little makeout session with her neighbor.
Parting Shot: As the series flips back and forth between the interrogation room and flashbacks to the events that led up to their detention, the officers inform the family that they are facing deportation if they donât cooperate.
Sleeper Star: Itâs a tie between Sindhu Vee as the scolding matriarch and Ashwin Sakthivel as her âoptimistic doofusâ youngest sonâboth are scene stealers with wit and charm.
Most Pilot-y Line:: âAlrighty, who do we have here? Soda, Mohawk, Bonnaroo, Camel, and Window,â an uninterested TSA agent pronounces the familyâs name upon their first arrival. This type of joke around the mispronunciation of the names shows us exactly what type of low-hanging fruit comedy this show will be employing.
Our Call: SKIP IT. There are some funny jokes, but the series feels like it belongs in 2005.
Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer based in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared on Paste Magazine, Teen Vogue, Vulture and more. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.
The post Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh’ on Prime Video, An Immigrant Family Comedy That May Take You Back in Time appeared first on Decider.
