To kafe tis Charas
| To kafe tis Charas Το καφέ της Χαράς | |
|---|---|
| Created by |
Charis Romas Anna Chatzisofia |
| Written by |
Charis Romas Anna Chatzisofia |
| Directed by |
Kostas Lychnaras Takis Michael |
| Starring |
Charis Romas Renia Louizidou Joyce Eveidi Gerasimos Skiadaresis |
| Country of origin | Greece |
| Production | |
| Running time | approx. 45 to 50 minutes (55 to 60 min with commercials) |
| Distributor | Studio ATA |
| Release | |
| Original network | ANT1 |
| Original release | September 3, 2003 – June 2006 |
To kafe tis Charas (Greek: Το καφέ της Χαράς) was a Greek comedy-drama TV series that broadcast on ANT1 and ran for three seasons from September 2003 until mid-2006, its timeslot was at 21:00 local time right after Ta Nea tou ANT1 which was the same timeslot for other ANT1 stations outside Greece, within the Greek diaspora in 2007, the show broadcast at 19:00 on one of ANT1 stations. Its producer is Kostas Lychnaras and the directors were Charis Romas and Anna Chatzisofia. The show stars Haris Romas (of Mama Mia, Oi Men Kai Oi Den and Konstantinou kai Elenis fame), Renia Louizidou, Joyce Eveidi, Vassilis Chalakatevakis, Kostas Flokatoulas, Christina Tsafou, Foteini Demiri, Haris Grigoropoulos, Stelios Goutis, Rania Ioannidou, Sofia Moutidou, Periklis Lianos, Dimitris Tsakalas, Hara/Chara Ismirou/Ismyrou, Dimitrios Macheras and Giannis Papathanas(s)is.
The show currently runs for reruns in 2007 and airs every Weekend mornings on ANT1 and has also Greek subtitles or closed captioning for the hearing umpaired, unlike most English programs, it is one of the few Greek speaking shows that offers closed captioning probably different.
Opening sequence
The opening credits show photos of the cast as children amidst scenes of Kolokotronitsi with children's drawings of the cafe, several houses, its school, the village square and the village. Its theme song is one of the popular used ones dating back to the early to mid 20th century, the remix is used only during the beginning of the program, the original is heard at the closing credits.
Plot
The story begins in Athens, with Chara Chaska, a single mother who works at an advertising agency. When her boyfriend and fellow co-worker steals her ideas for a campaign and gets promoted instead of her, she decides to leave her old life behind, quit her job and accept an inheritance (a house and a shop) at a remote village.
As soon as she and her daughter reach the village in question, Kolokotronitsi (Κολοκοτρωνίτσι, presumably named after Theodoros Kolokotronis) located somewhere in Arcadia, Peloponnese, they meet the mayor, Periandros Popotas (Περίανδρος Πώποτας), an old - fashioned person with a pathological hatred of everything "modern" who dislikes all "foreigners" who may disrupt the motto of the village "Order and Morality" (Τάξις και Ηθική). Having studied folk art and traditions in London, he lives with his son Emmanouil and with the family help of Tasia, but has a secret shady past of his own (he is pretending that his wife Penelope, a world-renowned opera singer has died, while in reality they have divorced - and he has blocked her from seeing their son ever since). Periandros has a sister, Stavroula, unhappily married to the village's cheating cafe owner, Vangelis.
As soon as Chara comes to the village, opening a modern cafeteria (which she calls "To cafe tis Charas", literally "The cafe of joy", a pun on her name) and questioning many of the old - fashioned beliefs, the mayor turns everyone against her but sure enough, she soon manages to turn everybody round with her liberal and kind-hearted ways. The mayor is not unaffected and soon falls desperately in love with her.
Among the secondary characters is Lefteris and Kanella, the village's bakers who have a long-running feud with the village's greengrocers, Tasos and Chaido over a fig tree (only to have their feud resolved when their children, Billy and Gogo get together and eventually marry), the village's priest Papa-Triantafyllos and his gossiping wife Marika and Aglaia, the wacky teacher who is madly in love with Periandros and fantasizes about getting married to him.
About the village
The village features a square where its bakery, its greengrocers, its primary school and the city hall is located. It has three neighboring villages mentioned many times in the series as Megalochori (the biggest village of the region), Ano Kremasta and Pera Rachoula.
Trivia
- The real location of the village is Karia village at Argos of Peloponnese
- Little Valia, the daughter of Chara is the niece of protagonist Haris Romas in real-life
- The scenes for the cafe were in fact shot in Kallithea, Athens
- Trelantonis, Charis Grigoropoulos is actually married to Foteini Demiri that plays Kanela
Music
The music editor heavily uses tracks from movies but also incorporates classical music in the series. Alan Silvestri, Joaquin Rodrigo and Jon Brion play a lot through the series. For example,in a scene where Aglaia performs voodoo, in order to make Periandros fall in love with her, Halloween (1978 movie) theme song plays in the background.
Cast
| Character | Cast |
|---|---|
| Mayor Periandros Popotas Περίανδρος Πώποτας (Δήμαρχος) | Charis Romas |
| Chara Chaska Χαρά Χάσκα | Renia Louizidou |
| Stavroula Fatsea Σταυρούλα Φατσέα | Tzoys (Joyce) Eveidi |
| Vangelis Fatseas Βαγγέλης Φατσέας | Gerasimos Skiadaresis |
| Trelandonis or Trelantonis Τρελαντώνης | Charis Grigoropoulos |
| Kanela Poulopoulou Κανέλα Πουλοπούλου | Foteini Demiri |
| Lefteris Poulopoulos Λευτέρης Πουλόπουλος | Vasilis Chalakatevakis |
| Chaido Polymenea Χάιδω Πολυμενέα | Christina Tsafou |
| Tasos Polymenas Τάσος Πολυμενέας | Kostas Flokatoulas |
| Marika Μαρίκα (Παπαδιά) | Rania Ioannidou |
| Papa-Triandafyllos Παπα-Τριαντάφυλλος | Stelios Goutis |
| Aglaia Αγλαΐα (Δασκάλα Α') | Sofia Moutidou |
| Theodoros (Mayor's Assistant) Θεόδωρος (Βοηθός Του Δήμαρχου) | Periklis Lianos |
| Tasia Τασία | Maria Kanellopoulou |
| Matoula Ματούλα | Chara Smyrou |
| Billy Polymeneas Μπίλλυ Πολυμενέας | Dimitris Tsakalas |
| Dionysis Διονύσης | Dimitris Machairas (actor) |
| Emanouil Popotas Εμμανουήλ Πώποτας | Paris Skartsolias |
| Vallia Chaska Βάλλια Χάσκα | Efi Rasia |