20 January (2015-01-20) – 9 September 2015 (2015-09-09)
Desi Rascals is a reality television series broadcast by Sky 1 and Sky Living in the United Kingdom. Desi Rascals chronicled the lives of a multi-generational cast living within the British Asian community of London.[1] The show was created by former producer of The Only Way Is Essex, Tony Wood, and Bend It Like Beckham director, Gurinder Chadha. Desi Rascals was cancelled on 15 October 2015 after disappointing ratings in the second series.
History
The show was first commissioned by Celia Taylor, head of non-scripted at Sky, in September 2014. Sky Living director Antonia Hurford-Jones told Broadcast that the "way into" Desi Rascals would be through the eyes of a group of British Asian thirty-somethings. The first series began on 20 January 2015, continuing for twelve episodes, with two episodes broadcast each week (on Tuesday and Friday at 8pm). The show's title is a play on the name of British rapper, Dizzee Rascal, and Desi, a term for people from the Indian subcontinent.
After a successful first series, a second was commissioned by Sky and began broadcasting on Sky 1 on 22 July 2015. Unlike the debut series, the second failed to attract much of an audience and on 15 October 2015 it was revealed that a third series would not be commissioned.[citation needed]
Senior bank manager, husband to Celia Shah and father to Natalie and Jo. Famous for "meddling" and drinking tea.
1–2
Celia Shah
Healthcare assistant and phlebotomist, wife to Manoj Shah and mother to Natalie and Jo
1–2
Natalie Shah
Assistant supermarket manager/supervisor, sister to Jo Shah
1–2
Jo Shah
Performer and Bollywood dancer, sister to Natalie Shah
1–2
Arshina Trivedi
Co-owner of dance company Angels
1–2
Rita Siddiqui
Estate agent
1–2
Episodes
Series 1 (2015)
The first series of Desi Rascals, with a total of twelve episodes, began showing on Tuesday 20 January 2015. It was broadcast on Sky Living and had an average of 105,000 viewers. Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan made a special appearance in the fourth episode broadcast on 30 January 2015.[3]
No. in series
No. in season
Title
Original airdate
UK viewers
1
1
"Episode 1"
20 January 2015 (20 January 2015)
88,000
2
2
"Episode 2"
23 January 2015 (23 January 2015)
65,000
3
3
"Episode 3"
27 January 2015 (27 January 2015)
106,000
4
4
"Episode 4"
30 January 2015 (30 January 2015)
74,000
5
5
"Episode 5"
3 February 2015 (3 February 2015)
179,000
6
6
"Episode 6"
6 February 2015 (6 February 2015)
123,000
7
7
"Episode 7"
10 February 2015 (10 February 2015)
134,000
8
8
"Episode 8"
13 February 2015 (13 February 2015)
90,000
9
9
"Episode 9"
17 February 2015 (17 February 2015)
118,000
10
10
"Episode 10"
20 February 2015 (20 February 2015)
70,000
11
11
"Episode 11"
23 February 2015 (23 February 2015)
156,000
12
12
"Episode 12"
27 February 2015 (27 February 2015)
59,000
Series 2 (2015)
Immediately after the finale of the first series, Sky commissioned a second series. On 6 July 2015, it announced that former The Only Way Is Essex cast member Jasmine Walia, her boyfriend Ross Worswick (Ex on the Beach), The Apprentice star Solomon Akhtar and Farah Rai of Take Me Out will all be starring in the second series. The second series trailer was released on 10 July 2015 and unlike the first series, will be broadcast on the main Sky channel Sky 1 rather than Sky Living. The second, and last series, began on 22 July 2015 and lasted eight episodes.[4]
