Could the Kimmel Call Center Guys Have a Spin-off in the Works?
LOS ANGELES – May 14, 2010 – After their debut performance on the ABC talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! was such a hit on April 13th, South Asian actors Anjul Nigam and Pramod Kumar have become a staple on the show, appearing no less than four times in one month. In fact, their skits posted on Youtube’s JimmyKimmelLive Channel, where each episode is segmented into sketches, have generated the most views for every night in which they have appeared on the show.
The ongoing setup is that Kimmel has outsourced a company in India for jokes for his show, and Nigam and Kumar portray two Indian men at the call center communicating via Skype, the online video-conferencing service. Nigam plays the main role, “Sandeep”, who fields the calls from Kimmel with immense enthusiasm and charisma, inevitably having to correct himself when he learns that it’s the talk show host on the line: “Sorry, Mr. Kimmy. Jimmy Kimmel Joke Hotline, how may I help you?” Kumar plays “Roger” who, inaccurately dubbed by Sandeep as the “Number One Joke Teller”, is given the duty of announcing the jokes that Kimmel has requested by reading them from a paper.
On the first episode with Nigam and Kumar, Kimmel mentions that his writers are tired of writing Tiger Woods jokes, so they’ve outsourced to a company in India. Kimmel Skypes the outsourced Indian Call Center to get a status on the jokes.
On the April 15th episode, Kimmel calls the call center seeking assistance with jokes regarding Tax Day and Larry King.
On the April 22nd episode, Kimmel calls the call center in India seeking jokes regarding “American Idol” contestant Tim Urban’s disqualification on the talent show.
On the May 13th episode, Kimmel calls the call center seeking a joke about Chinese astronauts recently reported to eat dog meat in space. The talk show host’s call seems to have interrupted the guys who are in the midst of a birthday celebration.
Could there be an ABC spin-off television series in the works with Nigam and Kumar? “Kimmy’s Angels” or “Skyping India” would be good titles. As of this writing calls to ABC and the talent representatives of Nigam and Kumar seeking comment were not returned.
ABOUT THE ACTORS:
Anjul Nigam (www.imdb.com/name/nm0631413), a veteran character actor of South Asian descent who has appeared in over fifty American prime-time network shows, is best known for his recurring role as “Dr. Raj” the psych doctor on “Grey’s Anatomy” and the very popular MetroPCS’s “Tech and Talk with Ranjit and Chad” commercial campaign.
Pramod Kumar (www.imdb.com/name/nm1040577) is known for his appearances on prime-time shows such as “The Starter Wife”, “ER”, and “My Name Is Earl” in addition to appearing in over forty television commercials.
ABOUT JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!:
Emmy-winner Jimmy Kimmel serves as host and executive producer of “Jimmy Kimmel Live”, ABC Television Network’s distinctive late-night talk show. The show features a diverse lineup of guests, including celebrities, athletes, comedians, politicians and human interest subjects. The show originates from Disney’s El Capitan Entertainment Center, located on Hollywood Boulevard in the heart of LA’s star studded Walk of Fame. This illustrious location is featured prominently in the show as Kimmel showcases the unique character of Hollywood. “Jimmy Kimmel Live” airs Weeknights, 12:05-1:05 a.m., ET.
Personally, I think Ranjit and Chad on the Metro PCS ads really should add an evil, jealous call center US competitor who frequently sends them ‘gifts’. Gifts like Chinese lunch delivered … beef almond ding. I’m a huge fan of these actors and their call center appearances. I’ll keep you posted for what they get to do next.