Magnum Mania!

I found out recently that in 1979 there was a pilot made for an American version of the British show "Are You Being Served?" called Beane's of Boston; while it wasn't picked up, John Hillerman played the American version of Captain Peacock. Did Mr. Hillerman ever mention whether this experience or Frank Thornton's portrayal of the British Captain Peacock was an influence on how he decided to play Higgins?

Algernon Farnsworth wrote:I found out recently that in 1979 there was a pilot made for an American version of the British show "Are You Being Served?" called Beane's of Boston; while it wasn't picked up, John Hillerman played the American version of Captain Peacock. Did Mr. Hillerman ever mention whether this experience or Frank Thornton's portrayal of the British Captain Peacock was an influence on how he decided to play Higgins?

Hi Algernon,
You might be on to something.
On the other hand Captain Peacock was a "crawler" when it came to superiors, cheated on his wife as opposed to Higgins with his
strict moral compass, served in the army catering corp during WW 2 while Higgins was a hero who had earned the Victoria Cross.
Peacock's character was a poke at the British class system, he took on the pretensions of his 'betters' just because he lorded it over 6 other
employees in the clothing department of Grace Brothers Department store.

This is news to me. Was the pilot ever released? Would be fun to see it. Might have at least been the thing that led Bellisario to think of a Texan in the role of a Brit!

Styles Bitchley wrote:This is news to me. Was the pilot ever released? Would be fun to see it. Might have at least been the thing that led Bellisario to think of a Texan in the role of a Brit!

Here it is:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7rry-zw1buo

I can’t imagine there’s a connection. If you watch the video, Hillerman played that kind of character often; in fact Eileen Brennan warned him he was risking getting typecast!

Bellisario originally based the Higgins concept on Richard Attenborough’s character RSM Lauderdale in “Guns at Batasi,” although JH and the writers later greatly refined this.

Styles Bitchley wrote:This is news to me. Was the pilot ever released? Would be fun to see it. Might have at least been the thing that led Bellisario to think of a Texan in the role of a Brit!

Nobody thought of Hillerman until Selleck’s agent suggested him after several British guys had tried and failed to get the part. He came in to read for it and Bellisario said he knew he had found Higgins after Hillerman had said two words. They called him an hour later to tell him the part was his. It was the last main character to be cast.

K Hale wrote:

Styles Bitchley wrote:This is news to me. Was the pilot ever released? Would be fun to see it. Might have at least been the thing that led Bellisario to think of a Texan in the role of a Brit!

Nobody thought of Hillerman until Selleck’s agent suggested him after several British guys had tried and failed to get the part. He came in to read for it and Bellisario said he knew he had found Higgins after Hillerman had said two words. They called him an hour later to tell him the part was his. It was the last main character to be cast.

Thanks for this info. I know there have been several real life people held up as models for JQH. Whatever the real story is, Hillerman made this character iconic.

K Hale wrote:

Styles Bitchley wrote:This is news to me. Was the pilot ever released? Would be fun to see it. Might have at least been the thing that led Bellisario to think of a Texan in the role of a Brit!

Nobody thought of Hillerman until Selleck’s agent suggested him after several British guys had tried and failed to get the part. He came in to read for it and Bellisario said he knew he had found Higgins after Hillerman had said two words. They called him an hour later to tell him the part was his. It was the last main character to be cast.

I had no idea, great indo!