Take a Letter, Mr. Jones
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Take a Letter, Mr. Jones.jpg
| caption =
| genre = Sitcom
| creator = Chesney and Wolfe
| starring = John Inman
Rula Lenska
Miriam Margolyes
Gina Maher
Joan Blackham
Christine Ozanne
Claudine Bowyer
Allan Mitchell
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| num_series = 1
| num_episodes = 6
| executive_producer =
| producer =
| runtime = 30 minutes
| company = Southern Television
| network = ITV
| first_aired = {{Start date|1981|09|05|df=yes}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1981|10|10|df=yes}}
}}
Take a Letter, Mr. Jones is a British sitcom starring John Inman and Rula Lenska that aired for a single series of six episodes produced by Southern Television for the ITV network from 5 September to 10 October 1981. It was created by Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe.
Plot
Graham Jones (John Inman) works as a personal secretary to female executive Joan Warner (Rula Lenska), within a London-based multinational corporation called 8-Star. Although he ably assists her in their busy office, Graham often helps Joan with her equally hectic domestic arrangements as she is a single mother to seven-year-old daughter, Lucy. Miriam Margolyes plays Joan's excitable Italian housekeeper, Maria. The programme featured the Barclays House in Poole.
Context and afterlife
John Inman starred in Take a Letter, Mr. Jones between seasons of the BBC sitcom Are You Being Served? Take a Letter, Mr. Jones was never a ratings success (only running for six episodes), but in recent years it has been resurrected by many American PBS stations, where Are You Being Served? is also a hit. A UK repeat of the series was shown on Film24{{cite web|url=http://www.film24.com|title=Sony Crime Channel|website=film24.com|accessdate=27 May 2018}} in 2010, and on Talking Pictures TV{{cite web|url= http://talkingpicturestv.co.uk/ |title=Talking Pictures TV|website=talkingpicturestv.co.uk|accessdate=1 February 2024}} in 2024.
A US VHS set of the series was released by Questar in 1995. A UK DVD of the series was released in 2009 by Simply Home Entertainment. UK channel Talking Pictures TV reshowed the series in 2015, 2018 and January 2024.
Episode list
{{Episode table |total_width=75 |background=#cccccc |overall= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=1
| Title=The Interview
| WrittenBy=Chesney and Wolfe
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1981|09|05|df=yes}}
| LineColor=cccccc
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=2
| Title=The Protector
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1981|09|12|df=yes}}
| LineColor=cccccc
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=3
| Title=The Holiday
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1981|09|19|df=yes}}
| LineColor=cccccc
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=4
| Title=The Japanese Contract
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1981|09|26|df=yes}}
| LineColor=cccccc
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=5
| Title=The Trade Fair
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1981|10|03|df=yes}}
| LineColor=cccccc
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber=6
| Title=Business Before Pleasure
| OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1981|10|10|df=yes}}
| LineColor=cccccc
}}
}}
References
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
{{cite web |url=http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/take_a_letter_mr_jones/episodes/1/1/ |title=The Interview |publisher=British Comedy Guide |accessdate=28 August 2010}}
{{cite web |url=http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/take_a_letter_mr_jones/episodes/1/2/ |title=The Protector |publisher=British Comedy Guide |accessdate=28 August 2010}}
{{cite web |url=http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/take_a_letter_mr_jones/episodes/1/3/ |title=The Holiday |publisher=British Comedy Guide |accessdate=28 August 2010}}
{{cite web |url=http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/take_a_letter_mr_jones/episodes/1/4/ |title=The Japanese Contract |publisher=British Comedy Guide |accessdate=28 August 2010}}
{{cite web |url=http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/take_a_letter_mr_jones/episodes/1/5/ |title=The Trade Fair |publisher=British Comedy Guide |accessdate=28 August 2010}}
{{cite web |url=http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/take_a_letter_mr_jones/episodes/1/6/ |title=Business Before Pleasure |publisher=British Comedy Guide |accessdate=28 August 2010}}
}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0161200}}
- {{British Comedy Guide|tv|take_a_letter_mr_jones}}
{{Chesney Wolfe}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Take A Letter, Mr Jones}}
Category:1981 British television series debuts
Category:1981 British television series endings
Category:1980s British sitcoms
Category:1980s British workplace comedy television series
Category:Television shows produced by Southern Television
Category:British English-language television shows