Right curry on

AN Indian version of Mary Poppins and a swipe at a certain popular, right-wing newspaper with The Delhi Mail are just two of the new sketches from the cast of Goodness Gracious Me, who have reunited for a 30-minute episode.

When the show first aired (originally on BBC Radio 4 in 1996 before switching to BBC2 from 1998), it was a ground-breaking and innovative - if a little risque - exploration of how traditional Indian culture was managing with modern British life.

Conceived, written and performed by British Asians, stars Sanjeev Bhasker, Meera Syal, Kulvinder Ghir and Nina Wadia won over the nation with their take on culture and poking fun at the various stereotypes. I particularly loved the first time the cast announced they were "going for an English" and then parodied the antics of British people who go for a curry after a night of partying.

This Asian comedy has launched a whole new genre and Meera Syal, one of the show's creators and stars, has become one of the UK's best-known Indian personalities on TV, and she also writes for various newspaper columns.

Asked about her own Goodness Gracious moments, Syal says: "The memory actually for me was just that it felt a bit like a juggernaut. It got on at the beginning and it just seemed to have its own momentum. I'd been waiting for this for a long time – I think we all had.

"I think the Going for an English sketch is holding up a mirror to British society and British racism. However, if you made that the forefront of the sketch no-one would remember it or enjoy it. What you have to do is get the funny right first and then trust that where you're coming from politically will inform all of that."

In this one-off special, expect to be reacquainted with well-known characters including the competitive grandmothers I'm particularly looking forward to the heartbreaking ending of black-and-white movie classic, Madrasablanca.

Britain's Got Talent (ITV, 7.30pm)

IT'S half-term week, so it just has to be the final stages of the show that many of us are now dubbing Has Britain Got Talent? After all, of the previous two winning acts, one wasn't British and the other wasn't human.

Fortunately, award-winning Geordies Ant and Dec present the first live semi-final, which sees nine of the 45 chosen acts compete to impress the judges and secure the all-important viewers' vote.

Only two of this evening's acts will reach the final, and it's going to take a performance of a lifetime to grab that Royal Variety Performance slot.

Springwatch 2014 (BBC2, 8pm)

THERE are times I wonder whether pompous Chris Packham is the biggest birdbrain on the box, or I am for getting in a flap about this show each year.

Thankfully, Michaela Strachan and Martin Hughes-Games will also be chirping, sorry chipping, in as the trio take up a new base of operations in RSPB Minsmere, Suffolk. This time we're promised badgers (just don't tell Harry Hill), otters, marsh harriers, avocets as well as plenty of other new life among the fascinating fauna.

There will, of course, be footage from the rest of the country too, of course - not least from the wild west coast of Scotland, where ornithologist Iolo Williams is based. He's trying to get footage of one of the country's largest birds of prey, the white-tailed eagle.