In a rather ambitious season reflecting upon the journey of what is now Britain's largest minority population- British Asians, BBC has announced the Big British Asian Summer, a series of programmes from across the channel diving deep into the culture and social aspect of the community. “The Big British Asian Summer is a wonderfully rich season of programmes from across the BBC exploring the cultural, social, and familial impact of these two regions of the world coming together. From Bollywood to Sharwoods, the season will encompass a huge range of shows- sometimes celebratory, sometimes challenging, always inspiring,” said Alison Kirkham, Controller, Factual Commissioning.
Hanging at over three million, the British Asian community is vast and a force to reckon with. Not only are they deeply rooted in each and every fabric of modern Britain, it is they who indefinitely helped with the makeover. The season will be broadcast on BBC One, Two, and Four in August. Fozia Khan, Channel Commissioner of BBC Two said, “We are delighted that BBC Two will be at the heart of the Big British Asian Summer. From nostalgic cookery series 'A Taste of Home' to the major social history series 'Passengers', the season promised to be both celebratory and questioning.”
There will also be specially commissioned episodes of BBC Two's 'Inside the Factory', which will take viewers deep into the world of curry, and 'Gardners' World', which will celebrate south Asian influences on British gardens. BBC Four will also air a documentary titled 'The Stolen Maharajah: Britain's Indian Royal'. A BBC spokesman said, “British Asians are now the biggest minority population in Britain. They're not just part of the fabric of contemporary Britain, they've helped create it.”
Not only glossy, fluff pieces, the season will also look into racial tensions and “the fault lines between white and non-white Britain.” 'British Asian Men', a feature presented by Mehreen Baig will ask some thought provoking questions. “The season is a celebration of all things British Asian, but it's important to have a piece that is a bit more challenging. It would be nuts to do a British Asian season without asking the more difficult questions,” Kirkham said.
