Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsPride MonthAmerican Black Film FestivalSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
Episode guide
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Take a Letter Mr. Jones.....

  • TV Series
  • 1981
  • 30m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
97
YOUR RATING
John Inman in Take a Letter Mr. Jones..... (1981)
Comedy

Joan Warner, a top executive, deals with sexism at work and incompetent employees while trying to balance being a mom and handling her quirky maid. Her male secretary Graham Jones helps her ... Read allJoan Warner, a top executive, deals with sexism at work and incompetent employees while trying to balance being a mom and handling her quirky maid. Her male secretary Graham Jones helps her handle it all.Joan Warner, a top executive, deals with sexism at work and incompetent employees while trying to balance being a mom and handling her quirky maid. Her male secretary Graham Jones helps her handle it all.

  • Stars
    • John Inman
    • Rula Lenska
    • Gina Maher
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    97
    YOUR RATING
    • Stars
      • John Inman
      • Rula Lenska
      • Gina Maher
    • 7User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Episodes6

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated1 season1981

    Photos8

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 3
    View Poster

    Top cast16

    Edit
    John Inman
    John Inman
    • Graham Jones
    • 1981
    Rula Lenska
    Rula Lenska
    • Ms. Joan Warner
    • 1981
    Gina Maher
    • Brenda
    • 1981
    Joan Blackham
    Joan Blackham
    • Ruth
    • 1981
    Christine Ozanne
    • Daisy
    • 1981
    Miriam Margolyes
    Miriam Margolyes
    • Maria
    • 1981
    Claudine Bowyer
    • Lucy
    • 1981
    Allan Mitchell
    • Mr. Lewis
    • 1981
    Ed Bishop
    Ed Bishop
    • Joe Bradley
    • 1981
    Kristopher Kum
    Kristopher Kum
    • Mr. Kimura
    • 1981
    James Smith
    James Smith
    • Robin Hayes
    • 1981
    James Smillie
    James Smillie
    • Doctor Norton
    • 1981
    Leon Lissek
    Leon Lissek
    • Roberto
    • 1981
    Bruce Barry
    Bruce Barry
    • Rod Newton
    • 1981
    Corinna Marlowe
    • Airline Girl
    • 1981
    Michael Sheard
    Michael Sheard
    • Mr. Bailey
    • 1981
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews7

    6.397
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    6Sleepin_Dragon

    Not horrible, not brilliant, nice easy viewing

    I tend to disagree with both reviewers here, it's definitely not hilarious, nor is it utter rubbish, Agreed it has an abysmal theme tune, but this was made in the 80s, most shows of the time do. It has a few laughs, but it's one of those shows that's pleasant enough to watch and has a few nice ideas, don't panic buy it, but if you see if for a few Pounds get it, it's OK viewing 6/10 John Inman fans will indeed enjoy this show, he does seem a little under used here, but for me the funny moments come from a crazy Myriam Margolyes who adds quite a lot to this show as crazy Italian Housekeeper to Rula Lenska. Maybe a second series would have been good, be interesting to know how it did when it was originally transmitted.
    4trevorwomble

    Awful early 1980s John Inman sitcom

    This is a terrible effort from the writers of On the Buses. John Inman had become famous for his character of Mr Humphreys in the BBC sitcom Are You Being Served?, which was coming towards the end of its run and this feeble effort to give him his own starring sitcom on rival network.

    The simple concept was to take a simple concept of a male boss and female secretary and reverse the roles with the boss being female (played by dramatic actress Rula Lenska) and have Inman as the male secretary. Sound hilarious? Of course it isn't. Despite Inman trying his best, the scripts are truly awful and this should never have got past the pilot stage. But Southern Television thought that there was enough there to commission six episodes. Unsurprisingly it never made it to a second series.

    So what is wrong with it? Where do I begin. How about the horrible theme music for one. It's supposed to be futuristic sounding synth sounding but it just grates and dates it horribly. Then there's the cheesy introduction. John Inman walks into the office halfway through someone's conversation and the audience clap his appearance like it's some awful American sitcom from the 1970s. Then there's the dreadful film set of '8 Star', the company where he works. It makes the set of Grace Brothers look positively epic in comparison. And then the show limps along until the commercial break with some feeble plot point.

    That this show has been forgotten about for 40 years until TPTV started reshowing it speaks volumes. Remember that this was showing in the same year as Only Fools and Horses made it's TV debut, a show superior to it in every way possible. And the following year we would have the Young Ones, a sitcom that was designed to rebel against shows like this. But even in 1981 this show must have looked pretty awful as much better sitcoms like The Good Life had already come and gone.

    John Inman was a one trick pony in some ways but he deserved a better star vehicle than this load of rubbish. Worth watching just to see how NOT to make a comedy show.
    8Sylviastel

    Take a note, this show's hysterical!

    The show only lasted a few episodes but John Inman (a man deserving of his own British honor where it is an M.B.E.,O.B.E, C.B.E, or even Knighthood) is worth it playing the role of Mr. Jones, a secretary to an professional executive woman played by Rula Lenska. One of the joys is Miriam Margolyes O.B.E. in the role as Maria, the Italian housekeeper. She is wonderful in this role. The theme song is quite catchy. John Inman has been out long before Ian McKellen and he is quite well known for the obvious reasons. He is a comedic genius. After watching for years on Are You Being Served?, he chews the scenery easily. It is time for John Inman to get something for his contributions to entertainment over the decades. People who have done less have gotten something so please award John Inman. One queen surely deserves to meet Queen Elizabeth II. John Inman M.B.E. sounds great doesn't it?
    10anniec-22752

    OPENING AND CLOSING CREDIT DANCER/SINGER

    I loved working on this series which was filmed in Poole . I live in Bournemouth. We spent a fabulous day filming the opening and closing sequences in the Barclays Building cast as a secretary. Jon Inman was a delight to work with. We also spent time recording at the Studio for the first episode which I appeared in. No credit there just an extra. The auditions for this were done at Southampton in the TVS studios. Being a professional singer/dancer was useful and my claim to fame is as Sara of Sinnermen and Sara MGM recording artist in the 1960''s Our recordings from that time have just been digitally remastered by us and we are advertising through Sinnermen and Sara Page. Lots of good memories of this time.
    2plan99

    Terrible.

    No surprise that this poor effort only lasted for six episodes and that was six too many. I've only managed to watch the first two as I can't bear to watch the other four.

    Zero redeeming features. Very bad script, acting and the characters just don't interact at all and it's all a bit mechanical and the laughter track is very overused, mainly due to there being very little that's actually funny.

    I don't remember this first time around, which is probably a good thing,

    Only worth watching by those curious to know how bad the worst ever Sitcom actually was, as this is without a doubt the worst ever.

    More like this

    The Mumbo Jumbo
    4.7
    The Mumbo Jumbo
    Odd Man Out
    7.5
    Odd Man Out
    Astronauts
    5.8
    Astronauts
    The Tall Guy
    6.2
    The Tall Guy
    Are You Being Served?
    8.0
    Are You Being Served?
    That Beryl Marston...!
    5.5
    That Beryl Marston...!
    Solo
    6.9
    Solo

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The octet of component company branches making up Eight Star International: Eight Star Leisure, Eight Star Hotels, Dress Eight Star, Eight Star Video, Eight Star Associates (Credit), Eat Eight Star, Drink Eight Star and Travel Eight Star..
    • Connections
      Featured in Funny Turns: John Inman (1999)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 5, 1981 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Take a Letter Mr. Jones
    • Filming locations
      • Barclays Building - Wimborne Road, Poole, Dorset, England, UK(Eight Star House)
    • Production company
      • Southern Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      30 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    John Inman in Take a Letter Mr. Jones..... (1981)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Take a Letter Mr. Jones..... (1981) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit pageAdd episode

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.