This quintessentially British sitcom is about Grace Brothers, a department store in London which is owned and kept traditional, almost pre-war (e.g. precise dress code for ladies frills and gentlemen's hats according to rank), by two brothers who look old enough to have fought in the Boer war but rarely appear, as most scenes play on one floor where Mr. Cuthbert Rumbold is the executive (meaning he enjoys an endless parade of foxy but stupid secretaries) in charge of management while his dignified floor walker, Captain Stephen Peacock, has daily charge over two small sales teams. The fat and bossy, implicitly man-hungry widow Mrs. Betty Slocombe supervises the attractive Miss Shirley Brahms (with a terribly common Cockney accent) -with first choice of customers, on commission- the sale of women's clothes and accessories; the sales star at the gentleman's side is Mr. Wilberforce Clayborne Humpries, an implied closet-gay true gentleman, whose successive superiors are first obviously ... Written by

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adaiello from Kingston, Rhode Island
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Are You Being Served is a fantastic example of British humor at its finest. Granted, with almost 30 years since the telecast of the first episode, some of the humor has become dated. However, the cast and script-writers took the concept of double entendre to a whole new level with the jokes in the show (the best one I think being about Mrs. Slocum's cat, if you get my drift!). The thing that makes the show stand the test of time is that they did not have to resort to outright obscenity and crudity to get the humor across. It requires a little bit of thought to follow some of the jokes, which while base, are veiled in "false propriety". It is something that I would have no problem letting my children watch because they would not get the jokes until they were old enough to understand and deal with the humor. What comedy today can we say the same about? The show also has the ability to pull you in, make you privy to the "secret jokes" and make you feel part of the club. You become bound up in the inside jokes and personalities, and can identify with the characters (within reason: who can understand the concept of Mrs. Slocum's changing hair-colors?!). Overall, it is a great series and well worth watching, even 27 years later!

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Wolf (alphaspace) from Baltimore, Maryland
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I have seen every episode in this show at least 10 or more times for sure. So let me tell you the sets are by today's standards cardboard like the, props sort of dated.

BUT that said you would be a fool to let that stop you from seeing this awesome example of Double Entendre! taken to the highest comedic extremes. No other show is so packed with things that on the surface suggest daily life that one who has an active mind easily finds a more gutter snipe meaning to what was said.

A perfect example follows where Mrs. Slocumbe was talking to a truck driver on the road via CB radio from the Grace Brothers store. Mrs. Slocumbe an avid feline lover and, owner has a cat named tiddles. She is constantly on the hunt for a man like a British Sadie Hawkins this guy was a hot prospect seeing he too sounded keen on her. Mrs. Slocumbe regales the truck driver with all her home spun skills and loves... you hear the truck driver obviously in the midst of driving his big rig as Mrs. Slocumbe begins telling the truck driver of her pussy <cat> and how it wins a prize every time she shows it. You hear the wheels lock and, screech as dude looses control of his rig and, the connection is broken. Not to mention she was dressed as a punk rocker in a rainbow Amazon woman outfit when talking to the man.

Whey was she in the punk rocker garb well. Well this just a hint of the funny things you will find on this show... You just have to get the videos DVD's whatever's available but one thing for sure you will never ever be sorry you did.



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TheFiendsThatPlagueThee from United States
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This is a series about the adventures and misadventures of the staff of Grace Brothers Department Store.

This is a very funny series. It can be watched over and over without getting tired of it. In fact, my wife and I have done just that. Frank Thornton is excellent as the pompous Captain (or is it Corporal?) Peacock, the floor walker of the men's department, overseeing the likes of Wilberforce Humphries (John Inman), the effeminate middle salesman. John Inman and Molly Sugden are definitely the anchors of this series, and provide consistency and humor to the series around other changing staff. Arthur Borough is especially good as the aging Mr. Grainger in the first several episodes.

While the humor is somewhat juvenile, it is clever and remains consistently funny throughout the run of the series. It is, without a doubt, British humor, but for those of us who are entertained by the British, this is a series not to miss.

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bregund from San Francisco
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I remember watching reruns of this show on PBS in the 90s, I must have watched every episode ten times. The only American show that could be compared to AYBS is probably Threes Company, if only for the dirty jokes that pop up on every episode. It was a little weird seeing such proper British people casually tossing off filthy double entendres, but that was part of the charm, the characters were largely oblivious to the fact. My favorite character was Mrs. Slocombe with her sky-high neon-colored hair. She and Mr. Humphries made the show, just like Karen and Jack make Will & Grace, if you get my drift. Mrs. Slocombe had the funniest reactions to every event, no matter how small, and was quick to petulance after her fragile ego was even slightly bruised. I still laugh when I recall scenes from the show, for instance when she walked in one day wearing a brown outfit and Mr. Lucas said "how now brown cow", and she glared at him. I'm laughing as I type this. Or the time when Mr. Rumbold became ill and Mrs. Slocombe took over the whole department and used his office, she started ordering all these fancy things befitting an executive, like a new suit, and Mr. Travis said "She looks like Rocky Marciano". Then she ate the meringue and got a call from Mr. Rumbold not to eat the meringue, and became violently ill. My favorite Mrs. Slocombe episode, if there is one, is when she can't get home so she stays at Grace Brothers upstairs and has a self-contained apartment. One-by-one, all the other characters, who couldn't get home either, drop by to stay at her apartment and she has to accommodate them all. It's hilarious! There's also one episode where Joanne Lumley makes an appearance and she's young and sexy, she's selling perfume or something.

This wasn't the best show ever made, but the characters are so well crafted that you feel like Grace Brothers could be a real department store somewhere. Even in the 70s, when this show was made, Grace Brothers seems hopelessly old-fashioned and out of date.

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Malcolm Pearson from Bon Accord, Alberta, Canada
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I left England in 1968 so I missed watching this live as it were but it is still hilarious. Here in Alberta we can watch it 5 times a week on P.B.S. or on Y.T.V. in Canada at 1 a.m. I find it so amusing, the characterizations are faultless the dialogue is matchless the situations are believable even if sometimes outrageous.

But above all it is a very gentle comedy, in the best traditions of English comedy, nobody gets hurt, reputations are never ruined, it is never malicious or small-minded.

I watch it every chance I get because it is funny without forcing the humour.

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drednm from United States
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ARE YOU BEING SERVED had a long run on British TV, from 1972 to 1985. This groundbreaking series paved the way for many other famous Brticoms. But this one was the first to feature a gay character and delighted audiences with its naughty and unending double entendres.

Set in a dismal department store, Grace Brothers, the basic plot revolves around the sales people in the ladies' and gents' departments, forced to share floor space. Of course there are other store employees and many hapless customers. This basic structure saw something like 69 episodes filmed over 13 years as well as many cast changes.

The series was first seen as a starring vehicle for the swinging bachelor, Mr. Lucas, played by Trevor Bannister. As the junior sales clerk in the men's department, Lucas was always short of money and anxious to get out of the store to chase "birds." But after a few episodes two other characters emerged from the pack as audience favorites.

The blowzy Mrs. Slocombe, played by Mollie Sugden, was a middle-aged woman with an ever-changing hair color. She could switch between Cockney and Posh accents in a heartbeat and was often the butt of Lucas' crude jokes. Mrs. Slocombe had an alarming habit of referring to her "pussy" but was always blithely unaware of how these stories were taken by others.

The character of Mr. Humphries, played by John Inman, embraced many gay stereotypes but at heart he was a sweet and non-threatening character. Like Mrs. Slocombe, he had his own set of double entendres, but he winkingly made it known he knew exactly what he was saying.

Other main characters included the pompous floorwalker, Captain Peacock, played by Frank Thornton; the busty sales girl Miss Brahms, played by Wendy Richard, the crusty senior sales clerk, Mr. Grainger, played by Arthur Borough, the dim manager, Mr. Rumbold, played by Nicholas Smith, and the ancient store owner, Young Mr. Grace, played by Harold Bennett.

There were also crude maintenance men, Mr. Mash, played by Larry Martyn, who was succeeded by Mr. Harman, played by Arthur English, and a series of busty-but-dumb secretaries.

After Bannister left the series and Borough passed away, there was a series of replacements for these characters but none were terribly successful. Pop star Mike Berry had a decent run as Mr. Spooner, "the junior," and a series of actors had turns replacing Borough as "the senior." Alfie Bass, James Hayter, Benny Lee, and Milo Sperber all had short runs.

Over all the years, however, the hearts of the series were Mollie Sugden and John Inman. Both were superb comic actors who were game for just about anything. Anything here meant outlandish costumes (Inman often in drag), musical numbers, dances, and knock-about slapstick comedy that was done live and apparently in front of an audience. Sugden was often asked to wear ridiculous costumes, ranging from rompers to lederhosen. Inman even appeared as his own mother.

The bottom line is that this series was silly but sweet. Its crude language and situations were easily forgiven because the actors were so damned good. Like a handful of other TV classics, ARE YOU BEING SERVED has never stopped running. This was a famous import for PBS) along with other Britcoms) and became a staple of that network.

The show was so popular, it spawned a 1977 movie in which the gang all go on holiday together. There was also a sequel series called GRAVE AND FAVOUR or ARE YOU BEING SERVED AGAIN? In which Sugden, Inman, Thornton, Richard, and Smith all retire to the country and run a hotel (owned by Grace Brothers) in exchange for free board.

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Marnix ten Brinke (abba1982@hotmail.com) from Doetinchem, The Netherlands
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Are You Being Served is the best British comedy can give us. I don't understand why some people are offended by this series! It's all in good fun. The follow up Grace & Favour was great too. It's a shame they only made ten series (from 1973/1985). AYBS? will rank as one of the best sit-coms ever.

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BritishFilms1 from Scotland
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"Are You Being Served?" is one of my favourite comedy programmes.

It involves the working life of the staff in Ladies and Menswear departments on the third floor of Grace Bros store.

The main characters are the hilarious senior saleslady Mrs Slocombe, always worried about her pussy!, played by Mollie Sugden, John Inman as homosexual-type salesman Mr Humphries, pompous floorwalker Capt. Peacock played by Frank Thornton, wisecracking junior salesman Mr Lucas [Trevor Bannister], who was always leering at young saleslady Miss Brahms [Wendy Richard, now Pauline in EastEnders], senior salesman Mr Grainger [Arthur Brough] and tactless manager Mr Rumbold [Nicholas Smith].

The boss was 80 year old Mr Grace, telling everyone "You've all done very well!", played by Harold Bennett. People of all ages will love this series, even thirty years after it's entry to TV, you can still laugh at it over and over again!

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Darryl from Seoul, South Korea
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I love this show so very much! Ever since I first had the honour of viewing this show for the first time, I have loved it. I have seen each episode more times then I can remember, and yet still every night I watch them again. I have grown to know ALL the characters personally, and feel like I am a part of what feels very much like real life at Grace Brother's Department Store. What the characters said, and everything that happened, I know as a very pleasant dream. Dive into the joy of the working staff of this wonderful series, and you will not want to leave. Listen, and you can almost hear the wonderful Mr. Humpries's saying "I'm Free!"

On another note, I must just give a huge thank you to everybody was ever involved in Are You Being Served?, and Are You Being Served, Again?. Because of this show, I grew to love many other wonderful BritComs (British comedies). Thank you to all cast members, crew, the very men who brought the show to TV, extras, etc. To those who have passed on, rest in peace brothers and sisters. You may have departed this world, but I for one will never forget you, and the wonderful contributions you made. To the fictional staff of Grace Bros., thank you for allowing us a just a peek into you lives. I just wish I did not have to leave. Thanks all, your work is remembered certainly by me, and millions of fans past, present and definately future. Grace Bros. will continue to be open, as long as someone keeps watching and remembers.

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Ken (Baldach) from Mesa, AZ
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In Arizona, where I live this T.V. series was a major audience to the local P.B.S. station. The comedy was quick, sometimes crude, but always funny. The characters were portrayed as the different types of British workers, from the rigid Captain Peacock, the proud Ms. Slacombe with her blue hair, and the effeminate male clothing sales person Mr. Humphrey.The fights between the two clothing departments (men's and women's) were hilarious. Although it was sterotypical, I still get a laugh at seeing Mr. Humphrey answered the telephone with a deep voice, "Men's wear", then back to his normal squeaky voice when he realizes it is someone he knows.

With the death of Frank Thornton (Captain Stephen Peacock) on March 16, 2013 at age 92, the only member of the original cast still living is Nicholas Smith (Mr. Cuthbert Rumbold).
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The name of Mrs. Slocombe's pussy was Tiddles.
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The "lift voice" heard during the theme song played in each episode is that of Stephanie Gathercole who plays Mr. Rumbold's secretary in the earliest episodes.
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Frank Thornton, Mollie Sugden, John Inman, Wendy Richard and Nicholas Smith are the only actors to appear in all 10 seasons.
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Mr. Tebbs (James Hayter) was the only character to ever be given a departure storyline (he retired). Everyone else who left the show simply disappeared and was never mentioned again.
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Mrs Slocombe's best friend Mrs Axelby is the only person regularly mentioned by a main character who does not eventually appear in the show (and to a lesser extent, Mr Lucas's mother). Throughout the series, numerous characters are mentioned repeatedly who finally show up onscreen several seasons later. This includes Old Mr Grace, Mrs Peacock, Mrs Rumbold, Mrs Grainger, Miss Hurst of Novelty Candles, Mr Patel of Accounts, Seymour of Maintenance, and Mr Humphries' mother.
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Producer Garry Marshall created a 1979 pilot for an American version of Are You Being Served? (1972). It was titled "Beanes of Boston", and was screened but never found a network buyer.
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In 1972, the broadcasting of the live reports from the Munich Olympics had to be cancelled due to the Black September incident. Amongst the programmes hurriedly brought forward to fill the sudden gaps in BBC1's programming schedules was the as-yet untransmitted Comedy Playhouse (1961) edition "Are You Being Served?". It proved popular enough for a full series to be commissioned.
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Every time Mr Rumbold addresses the decisions made in the 'boardroom' he looks upwards.
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The store in the series was based on Simpson's Department Store.
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All scenes in all the episodes were filmed entirely in television studios.
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The show was initially conceived as a starring vehicle for Trevor Bannister (Mr. Lucas), following his popularity on the ITV sitcom The Dustbinmen.
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Mr. Lucas's first name is given in early series as James but he's referred to as Dick Lucas, later on.
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Toys is the only other department at Grace Brothers to be seen in the entire series. Part of the Radio Department (and Packing) was seen through CCTV in the final season, while other parts of the store shown on screen were the boardroom, management offices, basement, nurse's station, roof, the fifth floor (vacant at the time), three "apartments" on the top floor, and, of course, the canteen. At various points in the series, Sporting, Cosmetics and Shoes were temporarily moved onto the Mens and Ladies floor, while many other departments were mentioned but never seen (although their staff were).
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In one of the installments(Fifty Years On), Mrs. Slocombe celebrates her 46th birthday.
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Certifications:
Australia:PG / Singapore:PG / UK:PG / USA:TV-PG