Well having heard rave reviews about this from various quarters, I have been catching up on I-player. And thus my life has been enriched beyond measure (although sadly I was not in time to grab the first episode before it was removed).

 

At first it seems like your usual run-of-the-mill "expert moves in and turns around the business" thing, copying the format of Gordon Ramsay's iamspamspamamiNightmares and The Hotel Inspector. But this series more than holds it's own, thanks to Queen MARY PORTAS.

She's basically this ginger lesbian power-dressing fashionista who tries to carry herself off like some Devil Wears Prada superbitch. But she's actually a lot witter and warmer, and genuinely seems to care about the fate of the shops she visits. In a recent episode, Mary leads a delicate woman into her revamped hairdressing salon, who is overwhelmed and starts sobbing. And there's hard-faced Mary Portas weeping along with her and hugging her. It was beautiful.

 

And some of the shops she visits really ARE utterly dreadful!

 

Surely others must watch?

hey i watched this too i absolutely love this woman though she does scare me a bit. the first one really annoyed me but the rest were really good especially the one with the three sisters.

I've seen episode two of this series (the Dorset cornershop) and been meaning to catch up with the rest. She's a formidable, deeply fabulous woman. Love.

Corfe Castle Spar was the first episode I saw, but it's actually probably the weakest, bar the snooty village matriarch who Mary clearly despised.

 

Episode 4 is my favourite. Total weirdos which always guarantees televisual gold. Mary did battle with two hippies called Dazzle and Denny who had travelled back in time from the 1960s to fill a homeware shop up with dentist chairs and lampshades in the shape of breasts. They also had Denny's mentally disturbed son on the till who insisted on wearing a dressing gown throughout the entire proceedings (including a visit to Elle magazine) on the reasoning that he did not have a scarf. It was truly wonderful.

It also ended heartwarmingly though because the hippies turned out to be a rather nice couple who DID turn things around, and they sacked the mentally ill son.

Well having heard rave reviews about this from various quarters, I have been catching up on I-player. And thus my life has been enriched beyond measure (although sadly I was not in time to grab the first episode before it was removed).

 

At first it seems like your usual run-of-the-mill "expert moves in and turns around the business" thing, copying the format of Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and The Hotel Inspector. But this series more than holds it's own, thanks to Queen MARY PORTAS.

She's basically this ginger lesbian power-dressing fashionista who tries to carry herself off like some Devil Wears Prada superbitch. But she's actually a lot witter and warmer, and genuinely seems to care about the fate of the shops she visits. In a recent episode, Mary leads a delicate woman into her revamped hairdressing salon, who is overwhelmed and starts sobbing. And there's hard-faced Mary Portas weeping along with her and hugging her. It was beautiful.

 

And some of the shops she visits really ARE utterly dreadful!

 

Surely others must watch?

 

I did a post when she did a special 'Mary Queen of Charity Shops' last year ... only got about five or six replies though. I think she's great but my husband can't stand her.

 

http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=95063

 

Norma

I can see why people may not be able to stomach her. She's pretty brutal but she IS efficient (if you trust that the show isn't too heavily edited) and seems pretty genuine.

she has an awful fashion sense.

 

anyone see the one with the bakery was lolol, the woman who ran the bakery was getting all pissed off like 'ive been running this business for x years and now have some bitch telling me what to do' and its like if you have that attiude then why you on this programme.

anyone see the one with the bakery was lolol, the woman who ran the bakery was getting all pissed off like 'ive been running this business for x years and now have some bitch telling me what to do' and its like if you have that attidude then why you on this programme.

 

This is why hubby can't stand her. It's fine for her to go in for a week or two ... but she's a multi-millionairess already ... and she can just walk away.

 

Norma

Mary is a legend. Nothing more to say :wub:

This is why hubby can't stand her. It's fine for her to go in for a week or two ... but she's a multi-millionairess already ... and she can just walk away.

 

Norma

 

But then like Chris says - these people DO ask for her for her help. If they're going to do that, then they should expect to play the game and let her make whatever changes she feels necessary.

I'd be interested to see how things are a year later or so. The last one, that DIY store, I'll be surprised if any of Mary's changes are still in place in 12 months time.

Yeah I've been watching this, it's compulsive viewing! That DIY shop in the last episode is only 10 minutes from where my sister lives in Surrey, next time I talk to her I'll ask if she knows it. What did they reopen it as, The Fixit Factory?

Yeah I've been watching this, it's compulsive viewing! That DIY shop in the last episode is only 10 minutes from where my sister lives in Surrey, next time I talk to her I'll ask if she knows it. What did they reopen it as, The Fixit Factory?

 

Yeah, but they hinted that the guy was about to put everything back the way it was as soon as Mary left, so whether it still is The Fixit Factory...?

I think she's great too, but it was very frustrating last week when that man Tony just refused to accept the changes would be worthwhile, especially as his staff were really starting to get inspired to do more to help in the end and make it feel like 'their business' as well.

 

Sadly he reverted back to the old name only a few months after filming ended:

 

http://lightwater.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/lightwater-homecare.jpg

 

Very stubborn, no doubt it'll be his downfall in these hard times. -_-

The name itself won't really be that much of a huge issue I don't think. It just depends on what else he's brought back - he'd already brought back the greeting cards, so you can presume it was only a matter of more time before he also brought back the pet store, then the toys, then the grannie shoes etc. And yes, then he will be back to square one. He may find himself in an even worse position, because not only will itl show him up for being an utter buffoon, but after Mary really raised the staff morale there, I would think it would crush his team to see him trash the good work.

It really is a bad situation when the £6.00 an hour casual staff show more enthusiasm than the owner.

Mary is brilliant!! I love her!! Completely agree with the poster who commented on the hippy weirdos with their mental son. She was meant to be an artist... Yet did you see what she had done to her house??!!