Comedy star Meera Syal hits out over lack of Asian faces on British TV and says producers have 'gone backwards' Meera Syal said it was sad that the success of Goodness Gracious Me, which catapulted her to fame 17 years ago, had not opened the floodgates to a new generation of Asian talent Goodness Gracious Me star Meera Syal has criticised British television for not showing enough Asian faces. Syal, 52, said it was sad that the success of the shows that catapulted her to fame 17 years ago had not opened the floodgates to a new generation of Asian talent. "I think in some ways we have gone backwards," Ms Syal said, adding that she still finds herself playing the "Spot the Asian on TV" game she played when she was a child. She also said that TV producers were missing a trick by not reaching out to the "brown pound." Syal, who is also a bestselling novelist, added: "It seems like the presence we had in the late 1990s and early Noughties is less and that is sad." Syal delivers her criticisms in BBC Radio 4"s The Reunion programme, which reunited members of the team that made Goodness Gracious Me a huge hit on both radio and television between 1996 and 2001. Ms Syal said the show, which co-starred Sanjeev Bhaskar, Nina Wadia and Kulvinder Ghir, gave Asian teenagers a sense of confidence. The Reunion - Goodness Gracious Me will be broadcast on Radio 4 next Sunday at 11.15am. Ms Syal (second right) said the show, which co-starred Sanjeev Bhaskar (right), Nina Wadia (left) and Kulvinder Ghir (second left), gave Asian teenagers a sense of confidence