Spatz S1E10 (1990) - FULL EPISODE

The Strike. Vince pops into rival burger bar Blimpy's for lunch and makes the unsettling discovery that they pay their staff a full 10p more per hour than Spatz. Is industrial action the answer? Not everyone thinks so, and for once TJ and Karen find themselves on the same side - sort of. This episode was originally broadcast on Wednesday, 25th April, 1990. When it comes to issues you don't really expect to be raised in a Children's ITV sitcom, the goodies going on a proper strike has to be quite high up the list. Not only that, but the whole negotiation thing is shown in great detail (though admittedly explained in a very funny way), and then the work-to-rule situation with its associated malicious compliance surely isn't the greatest example for kids, is it? I'm also not really sure why TJ is the target of the action as he was more keen than anyone to make concessions in the name of peace until that unnecessary escalation, but, nevertheless, it's a worthy addition to the series. (Even if it's another episode that could have done with an extra five minutes in the grade, given how *very* pink indeed it is at some points.) On balance, I think there's a lot more drama and character stuff than comedy in this one, and the addition of a slightly strange romantic undercurrent only underlines that. Jeremy Gilley is back as Sebastien, making the second of his two appearances on the show, and to be honest it's difficult to have a great deal of sympathy for him this time around. Local cinema manager Bernie - played by Ricky Diamond, who you may recognise from Playdays or Bodger and Badger - is the other main guest, while there seems to me to be a bit of a change in Debby, as she's suddenly gone all domesticated like never before. I don't think her boyfriend Derek had even been mentioned until the previous episode, and now all of a sudden they're in a long-term relationship and dreaming of marriage. All that said, I don't want to come across too critical, as there are good laughs to be had from Karen getting in a mess near the end (and struggling not to corpse), the way she rips up the clipboard in anger, Dexter's apparent ad lib around 11:15, and plenty more besides. I've left the ad break in at the beginning to help you get into the full retro mood, plus there's some Children's ITV continuity featuring Jeanne Downs and Scally - including part of a promo for that weekend's Ghost Train, which came from Australia, no less. I really hope more Saturday morning shows from the era will start to come to light sooner rather than later, but I fear many of them are gone forever. Many thanks to Joe for lending me this tape. (To the best of my knowledge, the contents of this video have never been available commercially anywhere in the world. Please also note that I don't monetise any of my uploads. Nevertheless, if you are a copyright holder and have an objection, please don't hesitate to contact me.)