Odd Man Out - John Inman

[akb48fan]

Has anybody seen this short lived Thames comedy sitcom from the late 70's starring John Inman as the co-owner of a seaside rock factory with Carry On regular Peter Butterworth as one of his workers? It only lasted for 7 episodes. Inman did this whilst filming had stopped for the time on Are You Being Served. He is basically Mr Humphries in this sitcom as well except perhaps he's even more camp. Very amusing though and I always thought Inman was a funny man. I found it bizarre that at the end of each episode Inman broke through the 4th wall, addressed the viewers and said thanks to everybody for watching.

[George 1978]

Re: Odd Man Out - John Inman

I believe that Are You Being Served? was taking a break for a few years by 1977 which obviously allowed Inman to appear in this sitcom - I thought that the campness of Mr Humphries was just Inman being a good actor, but when it comes across in other characters he played, you know that he was like that in real life. I wouldn't have been surprised if he yodelled "I'm Free" at least once in this series as well. I have got the Mark Lewisohn book on TV comedy, but it is stored away so I cannot check at the moment for the actual TXs.

It always made me wonder whether Take a Letter Mr Jones would have graduated to a second series if Southern had not been replaced by TVS, or indeed if it had been made a few years earlier, although as One Man Out was also a one series wonder, then perhaps not.

Inman also made the odd appearance on Lionel Blair's team on Give us a Clue in the 1980s - I bet that his gestures when miming got many laughs all round.

[akb48fan]

Re: Odd Man Out - John Inman

Yes you're right that AYBS had a break for a few years but that was between 1979 and 1981 and Odd Man Out came out in 1977. I failed to mention that John Inman's catchphrase in this sitcom was "how's your rock, ****?". Obviously that didn't catch on like "I'm free" did!!

I'd forgotten that he appeared on Give Us A Clue. I wonder if any of the programmes he appeared on are on Youtube. I'll have a look and see.

[George 1978]

Re: Odd Man Out - John Inman

Once when Inman appeared on Give us a Clue, I misheard his name being mentioned on the programme, and I thought that they said that John England was going to be on Lionel's team. My late mother was an agent for the John England catalogue back then, and I thought that he was something to do with that catalogue! I was very young at the time, of course.