Swap Shop (Australian TV series)

Swap Shop
GenreChildren's
Written byRussell Taylor
Directed by
  • Ian Bone
  • Julia Kalytis
Starring
Theme music composerJames Valentine / Roger Mason
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes56
Production
Executive producerJudith Simpson
Producers
  • Ian Bone
  • Julia Kalytis
Running time30 minutes
Original release
NetworkABC
Release20 June 1988 (1988-06-20)[1] –
1990 (1990)

Swap Shop is an Australian children's television series that screened on the ABC from 1988.[2] The show features comedy, stories, animation and has musical guests performing original songs.[3] It debuted on 20 June for an initial 12 episodes.[1] A Christmas episode aired on 23 December[4] and the second season began on 1 May 1988.[5]

Synopsis

Aunt Mimi and George run a shop where things are swapped instead of purchased.[6]

Cast

Episodes

  • Moo
  • Shorts
  • Snores
  • Drips
  • Chopsticks
  • Aliens
  • Birthday
  • Thief
  • Tea
  • Woof
  • Tutu
  • Vote
  • Mummy
  • Christmas
  • Star - part 1
  • Star - part 2
  • Video
  • Hiccups
  • Ole
  • Fire
  • Air
  • Tents
  • Shoes
  • Hello
  • Flyers
  • Sing
  • Gift
  • Novel
  • Break
  • Renovation
  • Tick Tock
  • Yeah
  • Flood
  • Swim
  • Hero
  • Clubs
  • Nightmare
  • Cereal
  • Treasure Hunt

Reception

Sian Watkins of the Age said, "The Ideas behind Swap Shop are hardly innovative — Sesame Street has been doing similar things for years — but nevertheless it's light and fun a hint of something comic."[7] Judith Whelan from the Sydney Morning Herald, commenting on tangents from the main story lines, wrote, "It is these extra bits that make the series work."[4] Commenting on the first episode of the second seaso,n Jim Schembri of the Age notes, "Most of this episode is congenial but disposable and a bit too down beat."[5]

Soundtrack

An EP (1988) and a record (1989), both titled Swap Shop, were released featuring songs from the show.[6][8]

References

  1. ^ a b Oliver, Robin (20 June 1988), "What's new?", The Sydney Morning Herald
  2. ^ Swap Shop - ABC 1990 - Pilot "Moo". YouTube. Archived from the original on 8 December 2021.
  3. ^ Camm, Mark (13 June 1988), "Time to switch to Swap", The Sydney Morning Herald
  4. ^ a b Whelan, Judith (19 December 1988), "Top-quality fare from ABC, SBS", The Sydney Morning Herald
  5. ^ a b Schembri, Jim (27 April 1989), "One for a rainy day", The Age
  6. ^ a b Camm, Mark (25 July 1988), "A swap shop without junk", The Sydney Morning Herald
  7. ^ Watkins, Sian (16 June 1988), "Welcome hint of slapdash", The Age
  8. ^ "Swap Shop music fun", The Sydney Morning Herald, 25 June 1989