Having etched an indelible mark on TV, expectations from the world streaming giant's venture with Kapil Sharma were quite high. But the premiere episode of 'The Great Indian Kapil Show' on Netflix offered nothing earth-shattering. That was the extravaganza's new backdrop, but that was a show that felt like déjà vu for Sharma's old works—very overt self-promotion by Netflix.

However, with Sunil Grover making his appearance, the adrenaline in the show was renewed. Grover and Sharma were at their best once again, taking potshots at themselves and revisiting the old rivalry in good humor. The first of the episodes saw the Kapoor family dishing out anecdotes that have already become familiar from their earlier appearances on the show.

Ranbir Kapoor may have tried to be funny with the subject of fatherhood and his use of quirky anecdotes, but simultaneously, Ranbir Kapoor's repetitive reminders about the international reach of the show were actually quite an overdose. Kiku Sharda's fatness and Archana Puran Singh's unemployment were actually pretty predictable themes of humor, and Krushna Abhishek's imitation of Bobby Deol was worth a chuckle or two.

Sunil Grover's comeback as Dafli only added more emotional and fun banter between the two. However, the most hilarious moment of the episode comes when Kapil Sharma, talking to his wife Ginni Chatrath, exhibits her comic timing.

The show's format and guest lineup did not promise anything new or fresh; the following episodes still featured Diljit Dosanjh, Parineeti Chopra, Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, and Aamir Khan. Yet, Kapil Sharma on Netflix, predictably, could have rung the bell with his undoubted fans and proved to be a big gain for the streaming service.