One of these days, life will slow down a bit, and I'll have enough time to listen to a series rather than another pilot. However, today is not that day, so here's Beta Female.
That's a pun, naturally, as beta is Urdu for child, and Amna, the beta of the title, is the child of some rather troubling parents. They're most troubling about her visiting new boyfriend, an agnostic white boy who has the potential to clash somewhat heavily with her family's punjabi heritage.
Not an uncommon setup, the unacceptable lover, so fertile ground for a fair bit of farce. That's easily provided by the almost immediate confusion between the words "boyfriend" and "fiancee" throwing everyone at the regular family gathering into a maelstrom of gossip.
Luckily, even though it's a slightly cookie cutter setup, the dialogue is fun enough that I didn't mind. Amna's parents are the best source of silliness, with her mother in on the joke trying to stop her father finding out. Add to that the constant one-upmanship that is the lifeblood of large, competitive families, and the snideometer gets a good workout.
Decent, solid comedy, and one I could stand to hear more of.
Tagged: Radio Comedy Cast Sitcom Family/Relationships