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Friday Flashback: Are You Being Served Down Under?

In 1980 Channel 10 brought John Inman to Australia for a localised version of Are You Being Served?

In 1980 Channel 10 brought John Inman to Australia for a localised version of Are You Being Served?  Down Under…..

It starred Inman as Mr. Humphries alongside a local cast: June Bronhill as Mrs. Crawford (a copy of Mrs. Slocombe), Reg Gillam as Captain Wagstaff (a copy of Captain Peacock), Shane Bourne as Mr. Randel (a copy of Mr. Lucas) and Christine Amor as Ms. Nicholls (a copy of Miss Brahms).

Writer Jeremy Lloyd adapted episodes for the show from his own scripts from the British original.

Abigail even guest starred in an episode, later saying, “I took this role because I very much wanted to work with John Inman and I have a high regard for the series itself. Besides, I thought it would be a fun proposition.”

It ran for 16 episodes.

8 Responses

  1. I don’t know what is more cringeworthy, the promo’ or the actual show itself.

    The line in the promo (at about the 30 second mark) that says ‘the only thing not Australian is the pouf ‘ (with a quick shot of a pouf being held up to the camera, followed by a shot of John Inman) says it all. The original UK series had a lot of innuendo and seaside humour (which was part of its charm), but this Aussie version dispensed with any such subtlety and went right for the vulgar laugh, as though Australians needed to be hit over the head with this sort of thing before they would laugh.

  2. Wonder who has the rights?

    It would not be Fox Classics. Being this was produced in Australia, no doubt Actors Equity may come into why these are no longer screened being local productions had some actors sign residual rights for each broadcast. As that costs money and sometimes chasing up the estates of long passed away actors can be problematic and or either are asking for too much money or the estate forbids any rescreenings?
    Who knows.

  3. I remember that…wish Fox Classics would air those eps as they currently air the original series…

    Fast forward made fun of this series also

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