For more than 100 years the Australian corner shop was an institution for millions of Australians. More than a simple shop, it was the heart of many neighbourhoods.
These days you can buy anything with the click of a button, but nothing replaces that memory of walking into your corner shop to spend pocket money on lollies or having a chat while grabbing a loaf of bread.
So, in this series of Back In Time For The Corner Shop, Annabel Crabb is on hand to help Carol and Peter Ferrone and their children Julian, Sienna and Olivia navigate the highs and lows of being shopkeepers through 150 years of Australian history.
With World War 1 behind them, Australians can start to enjoy themselves again, as they make the most of the roaring twenties. The Ferrones experience ANZAC Day for the first time, promote Australian made products and enjoy some much-needed family time at the park with their first take- out meal in 70 years.
But the good times come crashing down along with Wall Street, and hard times cast a familiar shadow over the thirties. After finding solace in sport, and converting their corner shop into a milk bar, the Second World War puts the brakes on any further recovery, as the Ferrones face their final struggle of the last three decades, rationing, and liquid stockings!
Guests to the store include actor and director Lex Marinos, who grew up in a milk bar in Wagga Wagga and tells the story of the proliferation of milk bars across Australia, introduced and run by Greek migrants. Annabel Crabb joins the Ferrones as they celebrate the 1947 royal wedding, which at the time was a welcome distraction from the war’s grim aftermath.
Production credit: Produced by Warner Bros. International Television Production for the ABC. WarnerBros. Head of Entertainment Caroline Swift. Warner Bros. Supervising Executive Producer Nicole Rogers. Executive Producer Clare Bath. ABC Acting Head of Factual Richard Huddleston. ABC Factual Manager Julie Hanna. ABC Executive Producer Madeleine Hawcroft.
All episodes of the previous series, Back In Time For Dinner and Further Back In Time For Dinner are available to watch on ABC iview.
Are the Ferrone family real actors
Hi Eva – they are not actors. They are a real family that were cast in this series to experience the different situations.