The Sell Out

When Bruno's synthesizer is damaged, his father buys him an expensive new one. Feeling guilty Bruno takes a job as an accordion player to help pay for it. Bruno also has to write a song for his Aunt's new born baby. 

Coco and Julie clash during the preparations for the midterm show when Coco believes Julie is the wrong star sign. 

For the 3rd episode in a row Bruno takes a lead role, where as characters like Danny and Doris haven't yet had a real story line. This is the first episode after the pilot where a cast member is missing as Montgomery doesn't feature.

In many ways this episode echoes themes that have already been featured in other episodes, like the friction between Julie and Coco. Although this time they give it a reason and explore Coco's belief in astrology more, which is quite interesting. Also Bruno not agreeing with his father was an on going part of their relationship.

It's great to finally hear Valerie sing and Carlo too even though he only does a few backing vocals. It's interesting that they changed the song for the recorded version with a different intro and taking Lee and Carlo's vocals off.

I always wondered why "Hi Fidelity" was actually chosen as the first single release when songs like "We've Got The Power", “I Can Do Anything Better Than You Can” and "Life is a Celebration" are better songs and show more of what the show is about.

There is lots of humour in this episode and I particularly like the scene where Bruno is reading the lips of the teachers and Lydia’s reactions is great. The best line in the show however, is when Danny and Doris are dancing together and Doris says "okay this time you be the man", it's very funny and just shows how well the two characters work together.

Again they confuse us with the locations of the rooms. When Bruno's Dad is looking for Bruno he is told the dance room is on the 2nd floor so goes upstairs. He then enters the room at the far end doors, having walked past 2 other doors to get there.

Also at the beginning Leroy says he’s going to the bathroom and goes upstairs but in season 4 the bathrooms are just at the end of the corridor in the opposite direction and in the Pilot they are just off the cafeteria which is opposite the dance class. I think at the beginning of the show they wanted to make it look like the school was a big place and they wanted us to think there were a variety of different rooms by the 3rd season they don’t seem to care any more and just show the same locations.

Michael Delorenzo gets his first line of dialogue but he’s in the music class as opposed to being a dancer and the credits don’t even give him a name just list him as “Student”.

The scene where Lydia is dancing and Coco watches her lets Debbie show off her dancing skills again.

Lee gets another one of his songs into an episode with the lovely “Could We Be Magic Like You” although I have to say the simpler live version with just Lee singing is much better and more like a dreamy lullaby than this version with Debbie sharing the vocals and Lori on cello. I’m not sure Debbie’s and Lee’s voices work that well together here.

Still by the end of the episode everyone is friends again so things end on a high note! 

Original  air date in U.S.A.  11th February 1982

Original  air date in U.K. 22nd July 1982,  BBC repeat 05th  August 1986,  The Children's Channel  Autumn 1992, Now 80s 21st & 25th November 2021 

Original air date  in France 10th April 1982

Original Air date in Australia (Melbourne)  02nd May 1982

Original air date in The Netherlands 28th January 1983     

Original air date in Italy 05th February 1983

Original air date in Spain 27th March 1983 

Original  air date in West Germany 06th February 1985

Original air date in Belgium 20th  August 1987