Konstantinou kai Elenis (Greek: Κωνσταντίνου και Ελένης; English: Konstantino's and Eleni's) is a Greek TV sitcom broadcast on ANT1 channel, which aired from October 1998 until June 2000. The story revolves around the cohabitation of two people with very different personalities; an assistant professor of Byzantine Studies at the University of Athens named Konstantinos Katakouzinos and a waitress named Eleni Vlachaki. The series focuses on the clash of Konstaninos and Eleni's very different personalities as they live together and have to deal with each other.

The main stars are Haris Romas, who co-wrote the script along with Anna Hatzisofia, and Eleni Rantou. The character of Manthos is portrayed by Vasilis Koukouras whereas the character of Peggy, Matina and Nikolas are portrayed by Maria Lekaki, Kalirroi Miriagou and Stergios Nenes respectively. The series ran for two seasons, 1998-1999 and 1999-2000, and consisted of 68 episodes. Each episode lasts about 40–45 minutes. Reruns of the series are still being broadcast to date.

Konstantinou kai Elenis is widely considered the most successful Greek TV series of all time and maintains a huge cultural impact on the Greek-speaking world even to this day. The show is also one of the few Greek-produced that have achieved a cult status, scoring high viewership ratings for roughly twenty years after its finale and maintaining a dedicated fanbase.^[1][2][3]

Storyline

Konstaninos' uncle dies and leaves two wills appointing as inheritors of his small mansion in Marousi, Athens his nephew, an assistant professor of Byzantine Studies at the University of Athens and Eleni, his gardener's daughter. The prospective inheritors and their lawyers do not know which will was written first as the second will would deem the first invalid. As they are both emotionally attached to the house, they decide to compromise and live together until the court's decision.

Konstaninos and Eleni's very different personalities conflict, leading them to major quarrels over sometimes unimportant things. Konstantinos, a narrow minded but extremely educated person, with good manners, obsessed with the Byzantine Empire, is a very conservative character who speaks puristic Greek and is very religious and superstitious. He also dislikes being in the company of others and hates every type of modern entertainment. Eleni works as a waitress at a bar, non educated with terrible manners, uses slang and often vulgar words and expressions, and is a very open minded and kind-hearted person. A typical young woman, she enjoys all kinds of modern entertainment and has many friends and many short-lived relationships. In many episodes, their mutual dislike even leads one of the two, or even both, to plot against the other to become the sole inheritor of the house.

Various other subplots play a significant role in many episodes, usually involving the most important supporting characters: Peggy is Eleni's closest friend, a waitress at the same bar and a talentless actress. Manthos, Konstantinos' closest friend and schoolmate, is the son of a rich industrialist who has multiple relationships including his most permanent one, Peggy. Matina is Konstantinos and Eleni's old friend and neighbour, a civil servant who is single, afraid that she'll die alone, and is obsessed with getting married. Nicolas is the bartender at the bar where Eleni and Peggy work and a very close friend of both.

Recording

The show was mostly recorded at Paiania Studio in Attica, but the characters visited many areas inside and outside the city such as Arachova and Hydra.

Cast and characters

The main cast of the series includes Haris Romas and Eleni Rantou as Konstantinos and Eleni, the protagonists. The show also featured many popular actors and as guest stars in various episodes.

Episodes

A total of 68 episodes have been broadcast; thirty-three in the first season and thirty-five in the second season.^[4]

References

External links

• Konstantinou kai Elenis official site (in Greek)
• Konstantinou kai Elenis episodes (in Greek)