I feel this is a hugely underrated show that deserves much more recognition. It's too good to slip under the radar of TV history, and ought to be better remembered!
For starters, it's funny. It's multi-layered; there's humour for children as well as older audiences. It's well-written. Complex, farcical plots. Well-acted and some terrific characters. A great premise for a show, and the colourful set design (and fun, campy props) complement it very well.
All the greatest, most memorable characters in TV sitcom are desperately seeking something. With Mr. Vong it is a NIFTY Award. Which may seem like a rather trivial thing, but what it represents is recognition for his greatness. This "greatness", however, is unwarranted. He is universally despised (in part for his big ego), and his plots for greatness sometimes take a somewhat nefarious route. He makes frequent clashes with our protagonist, Spike Bannon (who's, incidentally, desperately seeking acceptance as a spy and recognition for his spy skills), and more often than not wins victories over him. Rarely, Spike may win. Either way, despite being an antagonist, the audience still sympathises for Vong. This is due to great acting as much as to great writing. Ramon Tikaram's performance as Vong I do find particularly praiseworthy; his delivery is perfect and he is always amusing.
Anyway... The other characters are quirky and interesting enough, and they all have their own group dynamics. It's a pity Des isn't in season 3 - but at least Talia replacing him as manager of his cafe shakes things up a bit after the first two seasons.
In short: Fun and interesting stories, well-crafted plots, memorable characters, ... and simply funny!
Very addicting watching. It definitely deserves a proper release.
