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Desmond's by Kasia
In addition to lovable characters, genuinely humorous and touching writing, and fine acting, Desmond's also played an important role in British society of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The show starred Norman Beaton and Carmen Munroe as the family patriarch and matriarch, Desmond and Shirley Ambrose. Often billed as the Cosby Show of the UK, Desmond's artfully brought the black experience to the forefront of the national psyche simply by empathetically portraying the everyday lives of an immigrant family from the Caribbean nation of Guyana.
In fact, Bill Cosby was so taken with Norman Beaton and Desmond's that he invited Mr. Beaton to appear on an episode of Cosby and donned a Desmond's cap during the shooting. The family's barbershop serves as a gathering place for the community and attracts a gallery of regulars including fellow Guyanese and family friend Porkpie and African student Matthew. The Ambrose offspring grow up in Britain and challenge their parents with different cultural norms. The oldest son, Michael, is part of the young, upwardly mobile black set and is often chided by his siblings and father for his capitalist leanings.
Dominic made his first appearance in the third episode, The New Stylist (or Expansion Plans) (Series 1, 1989). The shop is suffering from an outdated look and failure to keep up with the latest styles. The family convinces a wary and reluctant Desmond to take on a new stylist—the trendy, talented, and relentlessly upbeat Tony. Desmond does not warm to change easily and fears his own obsolescence, but Tony brings youth and much-needed business to the shop. Cheery Tony is the perfect counterbalance to Desmond's curmudgeon and the interaction between the two provides a lot of comic relief. In a light way, Tony represents the incursion of English culture into Desmond's world. Interestingly, the ice-breaking moment between the two characters is when Tony reveals a knowledge and love for Caribbean music. A tacit bond is forged. Tony is also quite the ladies' man, and one of the show's funniest moments arrives when zany, endearing Auntie Susu – Shirley's sister from Guyana – delivers a playful slap to Tony's rear end in Susu Again (Series 4, episode 8, 1992). Dominic played Tony in Series 1 to 5, from1989 to 1993. |
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| Thank you Katie for these images! | ||||
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