Acropolis Now

Acropolis Now
Company type	Television series
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	August 9, 1989; 37 years ago
Defunct	November 4, 1992
Headquarters	Melbourne, Australia
Products	Television sitcom
Owner	WIN Television
Parent	Crawford Productions

Acropolis Now was an Australian sitcom broadcast on the Seven Network from 9 August 1989 until 4 November 1992, totaling 63 episodes. The series was set in the fictional "Acropolis Cafe" located in Melbourne and was created by, as well as starred, Nick Giannopoulos, George Kapiniaris, and Simon Palomares. This television program expanded upon their earlier triumph with the stage comedy Wogs Out of Work. Its title is a playful nod to the movie Apocalypse Now. Each episode had a duration of approximately 20 minutes and was recorded in front of a live studio audience.

Synopsis

Following his father's departure back to Greece, Jim (Giannopoulos) assumes control of the family-run Acropolis café. The narrative centers around the café’s team: Jim Stefanidis, the Greek proprietor; Ricky Martinez (Palomares, seasons 1-2), a pragmatic Spanish manager and close friend; Memo (Kapiniaris), a traditional Greek waiter; Liz, an independent Australian waitress; Skip, an inexperienced cook from rural Australia who surprisingly excels in Greek cooking; and Manolis, a stubborn, inept, and alcoholic chef. The comedic elements arise largely from cultural misunderstandings and contrasting worldviews.

A highlight of the show was Jim’s cousin Effie Stephanidis, portrayed by Mary Coustas, who became a fan favorite. Coustas later brought Effie back in various television specials and series, including Effie, Just Quietly on SBS and Greeks on the Roof, which was a short-lived Greek-Australian adaptation of the British program The Kumars at No. 42.

Popular culture

The term "skippy" or "skip" gained popularity through Acropolis Now as a descriptor for Anglo-Celtic Australians and other Europeans not of Mediterranean heritage. Drawing inspiration from the 1960s television series Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, this nickname became especially widespread among Mediterranean-Australians in Melbourne.

Production

Produced by Crawford Productions, the series is now under the ownership of WIN Television.

Overview

Character	Played by	Acropolis Now
Character	Played by	1	2	3	4	5
Drimitrius "Jim" Stefanidis	Nick Giannopoulos	colspan="5" Template:CMain
Agamemnon "Memo" Aristotele Hatzidimitropoulos	George Kapiniaris	colspan="5" Template:CMain
Efthimia Francesca "Effie" Stefanidis	Mary Coustas	colspan="3" Template:CRecurring	colspan="2" Template:CMain
Ricardo "Ricky" Martinez	Simon Palomares	colspan="2" Template:CMain
Elizabeth "Liz" Maloney	Tracey Callander	colspan="3" Template:CRecurring
Gavin "Skip" Farrell	Simon Thorpe	colspan="3" Template:CRecurring
Manolis	George Vidalis	colspan="1" Template:CRecurring
Sophie	Sheryl Munks	colspan="1" Template:CRecurring	colspan="2" Template:CGuest	colspan="1" Template:CRecurring
Aphrodite (Aphroula) "Afro" Costadina Afiyenya Hatzidimotropoulos	Evdokia Katahanas		colspan="2" Template:CGuest
Harry (the bouncer)	Kris Karahisarlis		colspan="2" Template:CGuest
Alfredo	Nick Carrafa			colspan="1" Template:CRecurring	colspan="1} Template:CMain	colspan= "1"{ {N/a} }
Suzanna Martin	Nicki Wendt	colspan= "3"{ {N/a} }	colspan= "2"{ {CMain} }
Despina Hatzipapadopoulos	Georgie Parker	colspan= "4"{ {N/a} }	colspan= "1"{ {CMain} }
Lars Larson	Simon Wilton	colspan= "4"{ {N/a} }	colspan= "1"{ {CMain} }
Julia	Katerina Kotsonis	colspan= "4"{ {N/a} }	colspan= "1"{ {CRecurring} }
Olga	Christine Kaman	colspan= "4"{ {N/a} }	colspan= "1"{ {CRecurring} }

Additional Characters

Russell Crowe portrays Danny O'Brien, a professional soccer player
Anthony Brandon Wong appears as Guido Mazzio, an Italian-Asian character and cousin to Guido Rosi
Warren Mitchell plays Kostas 'Con' Stefanidis, who is Jim's father
Zlatko Kasumovic takes on the role of Vlad, Harry's brother and the club's bouncer
Lawrence Mah features as Colin, a Chinese green grocer
Tony Poli (Season 3, Episode 7) and Joe Perrone (Season 4, Episode 2) both depict Vinnie Vincenzo, proprietor of Vinnie's Bistro and Jim's competitor
Gerry Connolly acts as Larry, the host of Wheel of Language
Vince D'Amico appears as Don Santo, known as the Italian Godfather
Di Adams plays Michael 'Mike,' a chef with a masculine style who is female
Fotis Pelekis portrays Dimi Stefanidis, Jim's adolescent cousin
Jeremy Stanford in the role of Andy Farrell
Gina Riley as Demi Cashimedes
Diane Craig plays Joan Wilson
Mike Bishop appears as Kevin
Nikki Coghill in the role of Rebecca
Rebecca Gibney features as a bank manager and Mrs. Spiro Strangulator

Accolades

Although the series itself did not secure awards, Mary Coustas was honored with the 1993 Logie Award for Most Popular Comedy Performer for her portrayal of Effie.

DVD Release

The complete Acropolis Now series was made available through Crawfords Online Store as a box set containing all 63 episodes spread over 15 discs. This collection includes episode summaries and exclusive behind-the-scenes content.

Filming Site

The exterior shots of the Acropolis café/hotel were filmed at HSV-7 Studios. The building still stands at 251 Brunswick Street, on the corner of Greeves Street in Fitzroy, Melbourne, closely resembling its television depiction.

External links

Acropolis Now at the National Film and Sound Archive