John Inman's Austrian Adventures In 'Are You Being Served?

John Inman, best known for his role as Mr. Humphries in the British sitcom Are You Being Served?, was the only cast member of the original series to reprise his role in the Australian version. Inman's portrayal of the camp Mr. Humphries, a sharp-tongued sales assistant in a menswear department, made him a household name and won him awards, including BBC TV Personality of the Year.

John Inman reprised his role as Mr Humphries in the Australian version of Are You Being Served?

John Inman, best known for his role as Mr Humphries in the British sitcom 'Are You Being Served?', did indeed reprise his role in the Australian version of the show. Inman was the only cast member of the original British series to appear in the Australian adaptation, which ran from 1980 to 1981.

Inman's portrayal of the sharp-tongued and camp sales assistant Mr Humphries in the original series made him a household name. The show, which ran from 1972 to 1985, attracted huge audiences and Inman's character in particular proved incredibly popular.

Inman's distinctive limp-wristed, mincing walk and high-pitched catchphrase, "I'm free!", soon entered popular culture. Inman himself said that he did not think he was over-exaggerating the gay character, and that there were "people far more camp than Mr Humphries walking around this country". He also stated that he felt his portrayal may have done "some good" for the gay community.

Inman's participation in the Australian series demonstrates the enduring popularity of his character, and the show itself, which also spawned a film and a spin-off series, 'Grace and Favour'.

Inman was the only cast member from the original series to appear in the Australian version

John Inman was the only cast member from the original series of Are You Being Served? to appear in the Australian version. Inman played the sharp-tongued sales assistant Mr. Wilberforce Claybourne Humphries, a role that made him a household name in the UK.

Inman's appearance in the Australian version is perhaps unsurprising, given his previous career in the clothes retail business, which likely helped him prepare for his role in the menswear department. Inman's character was known for his characteristic limp-wristed mincing walk and his high-pitched catchphrase, "I'm free!", which soon entered popular culture.

Inman's portrayal of Mr. Humphries won him the BBC TV Personality of the Year award in 1976, and he was voted the funniest man on television by TV Times readers. The series also became popular in the United States, where Inman became a gay cultural icon.

In addition to the original series and the Australian version, Inman also appeared in the 1977 film adaptation of Are You Being Served? and the spin-off series Grace and Favour.

Inman's portrayal of Mr Humphries made him a household name

John Inman's portrayal of Mr Humphries in Are You Being Served? made him a household name. Inman played the sharp-tongued sales assistant Mr Wilberforce Claybourne Humphries, a role that drew on his own experience working in the clothes retail business. Inman developed a characteristic limp-wristed, mincing walk for the character, along with the high-pitched catchphrase, "I'm free!", which soon entered popular culture.

Are You Being Served? ran for 10 seasons from 1972 to 1985, attracting British audiences of up to 22 million viewers at its peak in the late 1970s. Inman's portrayal of Mr Humphries won him several awards, including BBC TV Personality of the Year in 1976 and TV Times readers' Funniest Man on Television.

The series also became popular in the United States, where Inman became a gay cultural icon. Inman's portrayal of Mr Humphries was so beloved that he was the only cast member of the original British series to reprise his role in the Australian version of Are You Being Served? from 1980 to 1981.

Inman's success as Mr Humphries led to other opportunities, including his own radio show, John Inman and Friends, and the release of several records in character as Mr Humphries. Inman's portrayal of the camp and effeminate Mr Humphries also made him a controversial figure, with some members of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality picketing one of his shows in protest, believing that his portrayal did not help their cause. However, Inman defended his portrayal, arguing that there were people far more camp than Mr Humphries in real life and that many viewers liked the character regardless of their sexual orientation.

Inman's character in Are You Being Served? was based on his own experience working in retail

John Inman's character in Are You Being Served? was based on his own experience working in retail. After leaving school, Inman worked for two years at Fox's, a gentlemen's outfitters in Blackpool, specialising in window dressing. At the age of 17, he moved to London to work at Austin Reed in Regent Street.

Inman's time in retail proved to be excellent preparation for his role as the sharp-tongued sales assistant Mr Wilberforce Claybourne Humphries in the menswear department of Grace Brothers' department store. Inman's character became famous for his characteristic limp-wristed mincing walk and his high-pitched catchphrase, "I'm free!".

Inman's portrayal of Mr Humphries made him a household name and won him awards, including BBC TV Personality of the Year in 1976 and TV Times' Funniest Man on Television. Are You Being Served? ran for 10 seasons until 1985, attracting British audiences of up to 22 million viewers at its peak.

Inman's experience in the clothes retail business helped him develop Mr Humphries' mannerisms and catchphrases, making the character a beloved part of British popular culture.

Inman's catchphrase I'm free! entered popular culture

John Inman's catchphrase "I'm free!" from the BBC sitcom Are You Being Served? soon entered popular culture. Inman, who played the sharp-tongued sales assistant Mr. Wilberforce Claybourne Humphries, would pipe up with the phrase whenever his name was called. The phrase helped the show to become a hit around the world and made it Inman's most famous role.

Inman's camp cry "I'm free!" was named the greatest comedy catchphrase of all time by author and comedy historian Robert Ross, regarded as a leading authority. Inman himself released an LP titled I'm Free in 1977, and a single called "Are You Being Served, Sir?", which played on his catchphrase. The song's lyrics include: "Are you being served, Sir? I'm Humphries and I'm free. Are you being served, Sir? What would you like to see?"

Inman's portrayal of Mr. Humphries made him a household name. The series also became popular in the United States, where Inman became a gay cultural icon. Inman himself commented on the character:

> They thought I was over-exaggerating the gay character. But I don't think I do. In fact, there are people far more camp than Mr. Humphries walking around this country. Anyway, I know for a fact that an enormous number of viewers like Mr. Humphries and don't really care whether he's camp or not. So far from doing harm to the homosexual image, I feel I might be doing some good.

Inman's catchphrase has been immortalised, not only in his own song but also in the memories of fans, with one commenting on a blog: God bless John Inman. My nan loved him, which has got to be an endorsement.

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