Are You Being Served? (Australian TV series)

Are You Being Served?
Created by	Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft
Directed by	Bob Spiers
Starring	John Inman June Bronhill Shane Bourne Christine Amor
Country of origin	Australia
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	16
Production
Running time	25 minutes
Release
Original network	Network Ten
Original release	1980 – 1981
Chronology
Related shows	Are You Being Served? Are You Being Served? (film) Beane's of Boston Grace & Favour

The Australian version of British sitcom Are You Being Served? was produced by Network Ten in 1980. A total of 16 episodes were produced in two series, which aired in 1980 and 1981. The draw-card was the presence of actor John Inman reprising his role of Mr. Humphries from the original series. The other characters were all directly based on the regular characters in the show's original version, but were all given new names.

In comparison to the original series, Inman described this version of the series as "tighter - there's less padding."

For the opening theme, Inman himself performed vocals.

Mr Humphries (Inman) is sent to Australia by Old Mr. Grace to work temporarily for his Australian cousin Mr. Bone at Bone Brothers. Apart from the new setting and Australian rather than British characters, the characters and situation were almost identical to that of the original series, as were the set design and layout and even the costuming (down to the senior sales woman's ever-changing hair colours and the female assistants' uniforms). Menswear and ladies apparel shared a floor of a large city department store and the departments came into regular conflict. The staff on the floor were the pompous floor-walker Captain Wagstaff (Reg Gillam), crusty senior salesman Mr Mankowitz (Anthony Bazell), randy sales junior Mr Randel (Shane Bourne), strident older sales woman Mrs Crawford (June Bronhill) and attractive but brassy and common younger sales woman Miss Buxton (Judith Woodroffe). Basil Clarke portrayed the store's owner Mr Bone, Reg Evans was the obnoxious cleaner Mr Cocker, Kerry Daniel played a nurse, and Tracey Kelly was Bone's attractive secretary.

The first series was produced at the ATV-0 studios in Melbourne in the early months of 1980.

It was the first television role for opera singer June Bronhill. (Her first straight dramatic acting role had been in a theatre production the previous year.) John Inman said, "It's amazing to think this is her first television role, she's a natural." Bronhill discussed the role with TV Week magazine. "I'm delighted with the way my character has turned out. Mrs Crawford tries to be very refined but sometimes the ocker in her slips out. The British version of Are You Being Served? has always been my favourite comedy series. And I loved Mollie Sugden's performance as Mrs Slocombe, my counterpart."

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