1 9 8 9 – 1 9 9 2 (Australia)
63 x 30 minute episodes
When Kostas Stefanidis (Warren Mitchell) arrived in Melbourne (Australia) from Greece in the 1960s with £20 in his pocket, one suitcase and his father’s pants, he opened the Acropolis café, where old Greek men played cards and drank coffee.
Now, he had decided to retreat to an idyllic lifestyle in the Greek islands, leaving his one and only son, Jim (Nick Giannopoulos), to run the café and uphold the family tradition.
But rather than entrust his beloved Acropolis café to his only son, Kostas insisted on putting someone more sensible in charge – Jim’s pal, Rick (Simon Palomares).
After all, Ricky had brains – he’d been a College Student.
Most of the laughs came from the culture clashes as the cafe was managed, operated and frequented by a colourful assortment of ethnic Australians – and the odd “skip”.
Mary Coustas co-starred as breakout character Effie – an off-the-wall Greek Australian who was streetwise, abruptly honest and always ready with a can of industrial-strength hairspray.
The series from Crawford Productions – effectively a spin-off from the successful Wogs Out Of Work stage show that toured Australia in the 1980s (also conceived by Nick Giannopoulos and Simon Palomares) – aired on the Seven Network.
Jim Stefanidis
Nick Giannopoulos
Ricardo ‘Rick’ Martinez
Simon Palomares
Agamemnon ‘Memo’ Hatzidimitropoulos
George Kapiniaris
Effie Stefanidis
Mary Coustas
Liz Wilson
Tracey Callander
Manolis
George Vidalis
Gavin ‘Skip’ Farrell
Simon Thorpe
Suzanna Martin
Nicki Wendt
Alfredo
Nick Carrafa
Lars Larsen
Simon Wilton
Despina Hatzipapadopoulos
Georgie Parker
Stella
Zoe Carides
Sophie
Sheryl Munks
Kostas Stefanidis
Warren Mitchell









