Are You Being Served? (Australian TV series)
John Inman reprises Mr. Humphries in an Australian adaptation.
Are You Being Served? is an Australian sitcom produced by Network Ten, based on the British sitcom of the same name. It aired 16 episodes across two series in 1980 and 1981, featuring John Inman reprising his role as Mr. Humphries from the original series. All other characters were given new names, with no other original actors returning.
Quick Facts
- Runtime
- 25 minutes
- Creator
- Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft
- Director
- Bob Spiers
- Opening theme
- "Are You Being Served Sir?" (Jeremy Lloyd, Penny Croft)
- Country
- Australia
- Company
- Lyle McCabe Productions
- McCabe
- Paradine Productions
- Network
- Network Ten
- First aired
- 15 June 1980
Facts from the source article.
Premise
Mr. Humphries is sent to Australia by Mr. Grace to work temporarily for his Australian cousin Mr. Bone at Bone Brothers. The characters and situation closely mirror the original series, with menswear and ladies apparel sharing a floor of a large department store. The staff includes floor-walker Captain Wagstaff, senior salesman Mr. Mankowitz, sales junior Mr. Randel, senior saleswoman Mrs. Crawford, and younger saleswoman Miss Buxton. The set design, layout, and costuming are also similar.
Cast
John Inman plays Mr. Humphries. June Bronhill portrays Mrs. Crawford, Reg Gillam is Captain Wagstaff, Judith Woodroffe plays Miss Buxton, and Tony Bazell is Mr. Mankowitz. Shane Bourne plays Mr. Randel, Basil Clarke is Young Mr. Bone, Reg Evans plays Mr. Cocker, and Kerry Daniel is the nurse. For series two, Judith Woodroffe and Peter Collingwood were replaced by Christine Amor as Miss Nicholls and Ken Fraser as Mr. Fenwick.
Production notes
The first series was produced at ATV-10 studios in Melbourne in early 1980. It was the first television role for opera singer June Bronhill, who said she was delighted with her character and had loved the British version. For the second series in late 1980, Judith Woodroffe and Peter Collingwood were unavailable; Christine Amor joined as Miss Nicholls and Ken Fraser as Mr. Fenwick. Amor noted the series lacked Australian idioms and was influenced by English humour, and that it was her first acting job before a live audience. Actress Abigail guest-starred in one episode as a perfume saleswoman who performs a strip tease.
Legacy
The series never aired outside Australia and has not been repeated on Australian television since the late 1980s. The National Film and Sound Archive holds copies of each episode. A recurring joke on the radio show Get This claimed that loss of master tapes prevented DVD release.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created Are You Being Served? (Australian TV series)?
Are You Being Served? was created by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft.
When did Are You Being Served? (Australian TV series) first air?
Are You Being Served? first aired on 15 June 1980.
More in Australian Television Series Based on British Television Series
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