Amazon Freevee has given a straight-to-series order to “The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh,” an eight-episode series inspired by the life of showrunner Vijal Patel. Naveen Andrews stars in the ensemble comedy as patriarch Mahesh Pradeep.
“The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh” follows the Pradeep family and the humorous events of their first few months after moving to America from India. As told through often conflicting flashbacks from an interrogation room, the Pradeeps quickly find themselves embroiled — romantically, personally, and professionally — with a polar-opposite neighborhood family.
Andrews’ Mahesh is described as a brilliant engineer who uprooted his family to America for a business opportunity.
Sindhu Vee plays Sudha Pradeep, the intelligent and self-assured matriarch whose brewing feud with her neighbors is about to test her in new ways.
Sahana Srinivasan plays Bhanu Pradeep, a rebellious teen trying to get out from under her mother’s thumb. Unfortunately, her rebellion gets her mixed up with the one person her mother can’t abide: the neighbor’s son.
Arjun Sriram plays Kamal Pradeep, an epic mama’s boy who loves following rules and believes narcs are just heroes who tell the truth.
Ashwin Sakthivel plays Vinod Pradeep, who loves all things American and is excited for his new life in Pittsburgh. He’s quick to make friends, but in dealing with bullies he looks to the nonviolent tactics of his hero Gandhi.
Megan Hilty plays Janice Mills, a sexy suburban Christian who loves to preach forgiveness, but rarely forgives others.
Ethan Suplee plays Jimbo Mills, a gregarious “guy’s guy” who tries to befriend the guys in the Pradeep family.
Nicholas Hamilton plays Stu Mills, the Pradeeps’ teenage neighbor who spends most of his time in the garage. His “flannel hottie” vibe ensnares the Pradeeps’ teenage daughter from the get-go.
Recurring characters include Dark Suit (Pete Holmes), a rookie interrogator whose inexperience and innocence drives his partner nuts, and Light Suit (Romy Rosemont, the lead investigator in the Pradeep case. Ready for retirement, she’s uptight and ruthless in her tactics.
“The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh” is produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios. Patel executive produces alongside Sara Gilbert, Mandy Summers and Tom Werner, as well as Michael Showalter of Semi-Formal Productions, who also directs the pilot.
“This show is from a very personal place, and explores the many facets of the immigrant struggle,” said Patel. “As my parents say, the pain got funnier over time — like wine.”
“’The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh’ shines a comedic light on the centuries-old, universally relatable first-generation experience,” said Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD original content and programming at Amazon Studios. “We look forward to sharing Vijal’s personally inspired story — filled with heart, humility, and humor — with the Freevee audience.”
“Vijal created not only a rich world, but a highly personal look at the immigrant experience, grounded in heart and the outrageousness of real-life families,” said Jason Clodfelter, co-president of Sony Pictures Television. “We are thrilled to see his story come to life with our partners at Freevee.”
