In 1970s New Zealand, the workers in the Stores branch of an unspecified Public Service department became known to Kiwi TV viewers in Gliding On. John, Jim, Beryl and Hugh lived in an era when public servants were slow but reliable, unimaginative but trustworthy, dull but incorruptible... Twenty years on and times have changed in the Public Service. John, Jim, Beryl and Hugh are back, still working in the Department of Supply and Information, but now grappling with the brave new world of the market economy. After their initial shock, they begin to fight back against the tyranny of mission statements, corporate re-imaging and full cost recovery, consultants, full cost recovery, and redundancies. In series 2, Jim, Beryl, John, Hugh and the gang are still locked in mortal combat with the market driven machinations of CEO Brian Fraser. DOSI has become SICORP in a corporatisation of Stores. Beryl is still married to Perce, still looking after them both while he terrorises the golf courses of the Hutt Valley; Hugh is divorced from Bronwyn, and retains just enough energy to pursue the ladies; John is a late parent with two kids under five; and Raewyn has reinvented herself after redundancy, with a booming lunch round, selling to her old workmates - ginger crunch her specialty. And Jim is still Jim.
Comments powered by CComment