From 1972 through 1985 on BBC1, the goofy hodgepodge sales team at the old-fashioned Grace Brothers department store served up comedy with a distinctly British flair. The sometimes bawdy show followed the work days of employees in the Gentlemen’s Ready To Wear and Ladies’ Separates And Underwear departments and nearly every episode was based solely on the floor they worked on, with occasional trips to the cafeteria or head office, and very rare visits to employees’ homes. It’s remembered for its parody of the stereotyped British class system, sexual innuendo, misunderstandings, and mistaken identities. The show originated when the store was reorganized, forcing the two very different departments to share a floor. It featured Mollie Sugden as the prudish and boisterous Ladies’ department head, the multi-haircolored Mrs. Slocombe, John Inman as the lovably flamboyant and effeminate mama’s boy, Mr. Humphries, Frank Thornton as the uptight and pompous floor manager, Mr. Peacock, Wendy Richard as the pretty but common and ditzy Miss Brahms, and Trevor Bannister as the young, rather dashing, and oversexed Mr. Lucas. Other characters included Nicolas Smith as the balding, big-eared Mr. Rumbold, Arthur English as Mr. Harman, the maintenance man, Harold Bennett as the sweet but decrepit store owner, Young Mr. Grace, and Arthur Brough as Mr. Grainger. Although the script didn’t confirm he was gay, Mr. Humphries cultivated a large gay following thanks to Inman’s camp portrayal and many hints and plays on words written into his dialog. Series writer David Croft once stated that the character was not, in fact, gay. Other characters include Mr. Goldberg (Alfie Bass), Mr. Spooner (Mike Berry), Mr. Grossman (Milo Sperber), Mr. Klein (Benny Lee), and Old Mr. Grace (Kenneth Waller). In addition to Mr. Humphries stereotyped character, there were others in the show, as well as wide use of double entendres and sight gags, many of which were based on ridiculous outfits worn by the cast. It was written by David Croft, Jeremy Lloyd, Michael Knowles, and John Chapman. In 2004, it came 20th on the BBC’s Britain's Best Sitcom poll. Mr. Humphrey’s catchphrase, “I’m free!” is still regarded as one of the most memorable and repeated references to the program. Inman, who died in 2007, was voted Funniest Man On Television by TV Times readers in 1976 and was declared BBC TV's Personality Of The Year.
