To Retire (English: ''The Penthouse'') is a Greek

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

series that aired from 1990 to 1992 on the Greek channel Mega. It was written and directed by

Giannis Dalianidis Giannis Dalianidis (; 31 December 1923 – 16 October 2010) was a Greek film director. His first film was ''Mousitsa'', released in 1959, which was followed by a series of musicals. Between 1974 and 1981, he produced the television series ''Luna ...

Plot

In a penthouse in a small-town neighborhood of Athens, live Katerina, her motherm Sofia and her niece, Eirini. Katerina is a hyperactive, active and slightly neurotic woman. She works for the company "Cosmos Ltd.: Advertising-Television Broadcasting-Public Relations". Katerina generally faces problems in her relationships with people, which are mainly caused by her eccentric character. Her friends call her "crazy", but some minor outbursts are probably justified by the absurdities of everyday life. The main causes that disturb Katerina's nerves are the reactions of her mother and niece to her relationship with the pharmacist Christos and the negative attitude of his sister on the same issue. Eleni, a young and beautiful girl who meets Iason and falls in love, also works at "Cosmos Ltd.: Advertising-Television Broadcasting-Public Relations". The characters that frame the story are Jason's "classic Greek" mother, Eleni's friend, Charoula, the all-around coffee shop owner Foivos, and many other simple everyday heroes.

Characters

The main character is Katerina Sofianou. Katerina is a divorced, nervous lady that lives with her mother Sofia and her niece Eirini. She wants to get married again but her family does not like the groom. {, class="wikitable" ! Actor , , Character , - ,

Katerina Gioulaki Katerina Yioulaki (, born Aikaterini Yiouvarlaki (Αικατερίνη Γιουβαρλάκη); 27 March 1938 – 9 June 2025) was a Greek actress. Biography Yioulaki was born in 1938 in Athens. She studied at the Dramatic School at the Nation ...

, Katerina Sofianou , - , Koula Agagiotou , Sofia Sofianou , - , Joyce Eveidi , Eirini Sofianou , - , Nikos Kouros , Christos Vakouras , - , Pavlos Evaggelopoulos , Iason Sekeris , - , Elda Panopoulou , Charoula Peponaki , - , Klairi Katsantoni , Eleni Sotiriadou , - , Nefeli Orfanou , Amalia Vakoura , - ,

Tasos Kostis Tasos Kostis (; born 14 January 1951) is a Greek film and voice actor. He appeared in more than sixty films since 1980. He's also participated in many dubs. Early and personal life As of 2024, Kostis resides in Nicosia Nicosia, also kn ...

, Foivos Oikonomou , - ,

Vicky Vanita Vasiliki "Vicky" Vanita (; 15 May 1948 – 8 March 2007) was a Greek actress. Life She was known for her participation in several Greek movies and television series (''Eisai to tairi mou'', '' Sto Para Pente'', '' To Retire''). She appeared in ...

, Nora Zacharopoulou , - , Makis Delaportas , Alkis , - , Maria Martika , Thaleia Sekeri , - , Dimitra Seremeti , Aunt Christina , - , Giannis Nezis , Kostas Tselios

Similarities

A few years after ''To Retire'', Giannis Dalianidis wrote and directed a new sitcom, ''Oi Mikromesaioi'' which was a total copy of his previous work. But still, ''To Retire'' was not original either. In the late '80s Dalianidis had written a sitcom about modern Greeks and their problems, titled ''Odos Antheon'', which in many ways is similar to both of his following creations.

Success

''To Retire'' was actually a big hit and it is one of the most popular Greek sitcoms. Every summer it is aired again and again on Mega. In the 2008 summer, the sitcom experienced another rerun, also with success. The average rates were 17%, which is very good, especially if you consider that the American sitcom

Ugly Betty ''Ugly Betty'' is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from September 28, 2006, to April 14, 2010. It is based on the Colombian telenovela ''Yo soy Betty, la fea' ...

reached 8% when it is aired on the same time with ''To Retire''.

Sources

* http://www.megatv.com Greek comedy television series Mega Channel original programming Greek television sitcoms 1990 Greek television series debuts 1992 Greek television series endings 1990s Greek television series Greek-language television shows Television shows set in Athens