I never saw this kids show when it was on in the early 1990's. Indeed, I doubt if it would of been the sort of show I would of gone in for had I read it's premise, which is mainly a kids comedy series set in a struggling burger bar in England called Spatz, run by two Canadians, T. J. Strickland and Karen Hansson. They are complete opposites as characters; while T. J is cheery, wisecracking and laid back, Karen sees herself in Thatcher mould, with shoulder pads and sharp suits, obsessed with beating rivals Blimpy's in drawing in customers, and with an abrasive manner and sharp tongue to terrify or put up any customer's back. They are helped - or hindered - by a number of staff, such as dim Stanley, cheeky chappie Vince, lady's man Dexter, and sensible but disapproving Debbie.
This episode marked the beginning of the 2nd series, and begins with Spatz being troubled by rowdy builders working nearby their diner and their struggle to compete with rivals Blimpy. This is highlighted when their only customers are a mother and daughter (Jo Unwin and Victoria Shalet, pre-Queen's Nose, in a amusing cameo performance) who walk out again when they discover that the free hat offer going around is actually being done by Blimpy's! Karen is not happy about this, so demands from her staff that they think up a gimmick to draw in customers. Dexter, however, makes the mistake of bragging that he knows famous footballer Gary Linekar to Stanley, who lets it slip to Karen. Sensing the publicity it would generate, she puts out all over the place that Linekar will arrive for a special opening of their burger bar, leaving Dexter to panic on how to get out of the hole he has dug himself into.
This proved a joy to watch, not least due to the comedy and dialogue, which was far better than you imagine from your usual kids show. Karen in particular has some acid remarks, such as the scene where the wolf whistling builders on the scaffold who ask her to smile. "You wanna see me smile?" she asks. "Jump!" Her main ire is poor T. J, and their sparring with each other is hugely enjoyable. This episode also benefits from the arrival of Freddy (Katy Murphy, who I always remember from Mike & Angelo) as Spatz's new staff member, though she doesn't go down well with Karen, due to the fact she is wearing a Blimpy hat when she arrives for work. Murphy is always good fun, and she makes her mark early on by lobbing a brick at one of the builders on the scaffold. Later she and Debbie get into a war of words with one of the builders (played by another pre-fame, Rhys Ifans), who comes in to the burger bar for regular food orders and to chat up Debbie, but who the girls assume is just another 'typical' builder. Eventually it backfires on them as he tells them the reason he visits, before then taking his custom to Blimpy's - thus losing Spatz another customer. It seems it isn't just Karen who can frighten away the customers.
This was a surprise delight to view (the episodes are available on Youtube somewhere), and somewhat of a shame that it isn't repeated any more. I'd never heard of the show until I'd come across it by chance, but it's well worth a watch. I expected it to be a bit cheesy, but it's feels almost grown up with it's humour, despite being a children's show. If you come across it sometime, give it a go, as it was far better than I was expecting it to be!
This episode marked the beginning of the 2nd series, and begins with Spatz being troubled by rowdy builders working nearby their diner and their struggle to compete with rivals Blimpy. This is highlighted when their only customers are a mother and daughter (Jo Unwin and Victoria Shalet, pre-Queen's Nose, in a amusing cameo performance) who walk out again when they discover that the free hat offer going around is actually being done by Blimpy's! Karen is not happy about this, so demands from her staff that they think up a gimmick to draw in customers. Dexter, however, makes the mistake of bragging that he knows famous footballer Gary Linekar to Stanley, who lets it slip to Karen. Sensing the publicity it would generate, she puts out all over the place that Linekar will arrive for a special opening of their burger bar, leaving Dexter to panic on how to get out of the hole he has dug himself into.
This proved a joy to watch, not least due to the comedy and dialogue, which was far better than you imagine from your usual kids show. Karen in particular has some acid remarks, such as the scene where the wolf whistling builders on the scaffold who ask her to smile. "You wanna see me smile?" she asks. "Jump!" Her main ire is poor T. J, and their sparring with each other is hugely enjoyable. This episode also benefits from the arrival of Freddy (Katy Murphy, who I always remember from Mike & Angelo) as Spatz's new staff member, though she doesn't go down well with Karen, due to the fact she is wearing a Blimpy hat when she arrives for work. Murphy is always good fun, and she makes her mark early on by lobbing a brick at one of the builders on the scaffold. Later she and Debbie get into a war of words with one of the builders (played by another pre-fame, Rhys Ifans), who comes in to the burger bar for regular food orders and to chat up Debbie, but who the girls assume is just another 'typical' builder. Eventually it backfires on them as he tells them the reason he visits, before then taking his custom to Blimpy's - thus losing Spatz another customer. It seems it isn't just Karen who can frighten away the customers.
This was a surprise delight to view (the episodes are available on Youtube somewhere), and somewhat of a shame that it isn't repeated any more. I'd never heard of the show until I'd come across it by chance, but it's well worth a watch. I expected it to be a bit cheesy, but it's feels almost grown up with it's humour, despite being a children's show. If you come across it sometime, give it a go, as it was far better than I was expecting it to be!