As seen on Teletex yesterday, Sanjeev Bhaskar (stars/writes The Kumars At No 42) is apprently writing a new sitcom based on an Indian Call Centre... not sure if this is good news or bad news for the industry?

Hopefully it will be funny. And perhaps it will show a human side to the voice at the end of the line. Though I can guarantee that the boss will be a caricature. Think Danny de Vito in "Taxi".

It may do for call centres what "The Office" has done for Slough

Great point Ann-Marie I guess time will tell

Did the office portray an unfair picture of Slough? Will this portray an unfair picture of life in an Indian call centre?

Certainly there are some call centres that operate in a very similar fashion to the UK, but there are many where discipline and working conditions wouldn't be accepted here. Don't get me wrong...it's not exactly sweatshop, but it makes UK staff look a bit soft.

My desk here would probably allow space for three agents on the sub-continent.

Presently a large amount of customers in the UK are displeased with Indian call centres because of the concept of losing jobs abroad and the perception that they offer poor service. A true window on life there may change this perception...it may endear customers to offshore more, or it may revolt them completely.

However I'm guessing that this will be poorly researched and serve to support the misconceptions of life in an Indian call centre, with staff not caring about customers and time spent watching East Enders to Anglicise the accent.

However I'm guessing that this will be poorly researched and serve to support the misconceptions of life in an Indian call centre, with staff not caring about customers and time spent watching East Enders to Anglicise the accent.

I have to agree with Darryl on this one!

Remember the TV programme about "Holiday Autos" anyone?

The Secret Life of the Office.

in my opinion, although I was suprised it made it to air with the companies blessing, it did well to show the hypocritical nature often found within organisations. The split that exists between "values" and the actual actions often taken closer to the "floor".

but I guess like Big Brother, its all in the editing that will allow "Reality TV" to show whatever they choose.

My wife and I took part in a documentary that followed the final few days of the birth of our 3rd Son. I never realised how these things are put together and the extent to which situations can be manipulated until then.

I watch Documentarise/Reality TV in a completely different light now

Pilot episode of Mumbai Calling

don't keep me in suspense! how was it?

IMO most comedy on ITV isn't worth watching, and this was no exception. But that just could be a case of me being a TV snob.

The funniest part was when they broadcast a message at the end of the programme to say that the flood helpline they had been referring to had no connection with the environment agency's flood helpline. Obviously the legal guys got missed out of the loop when the script was being written!

It did bring back a few memories of last summer though...dusty streets, noisy roads and the cramped office was exactly what I came across in Bangalore.

We do occasionally have a laugh at work, and the office politics is easily as melo-dramatic as any soap I've ever seen. I'll be interested to see what they come up with.

The Office only jumped on Sir John Betjeman's bandwagon. His poem Slough is very funny - except perhaps to those who live in Slough, who I hear are very nice people actually. And good at dancing.

Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough
It isn't fit for humans now
There isn't grass to graze a cow
- Swarm over, Death!

For more see http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/1522.html
Maidenhead even gets a mention.
:-)

From sunny Bristol of the lesser poor PR
Ingrid