"Are You Being Served?" (1972)TV series 1972-1985

Creators:

David Croft
Jeremy Lloyd

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Release Date:

21 March 1973 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

The misadventures of the staff of a retail floor of a major department store.

Plot Keywords:

British TV | Cockney Accent | Innuendo | Farce | Sitcom

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Mollie Sugden	...	Mrs. Betty Slocombe (69 episodes, 1972-1985)
John Inman	...	Mr. Wilberforce Clayborne Humphries / ... (69 episodes, 1972-1985)
Frank Thornton	...	Captain Stephen Peacock (69 episodes, 1972-1985)
Wendy Richard	...	Miss Shirley Brahms (69 episodes, 1972-1985)
Nicholas Smith	...	Mr. Cuthbert Rumbold / ... (69 episodes, 1972-1985)
Trevor Bannister	...	Mr. Dick Lucas / ... (48 episodes, 1972-1979)
Arthur English	...	Mr. Beverley Harman (48 episodes, 1976-1985)
Harold Bennett	...	Young Mr. Grace (46 episodes, 1972-1981)
Arthur Brough	...	Mr. Ernest Grainger (34 episodes, 1972-1977)

Also Known As:

Grace Brothers

Runtime:

28 min (69 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour | Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-PG | Australia:PG | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Elstree Film Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

The department store in the series was based on the real-life store Clements, the first department store in England. Clements was in Watford, just north of London, and closed in 2005.

Goofs:

Continuity: Throughout the series, the scripts constantly change the location of the Ladies' and Gentlemens' departments, sometimes referring to it being on the third floor, sometimes on the fourth. Also, the theme song lyrics indicate the department is on the first floor.

Quotes:

[Mrs. Slocombe has just taken a ride on Miss Brahms' uncle's motorcycle]
Mrs. Slocombe: When you said he was a TT driver, I thought you meant he didn't drink!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Comedy Connections: Are You Being Served? (#1.3)" (2003)

A British Comedy Classic!

This series ran from 1972 to 1985, but as British series typically only do six or seven episodes in a season, there are only sixty-nine episodes in all.

The series focuses on the relationship between the staff of the ladies' department and the gentlemen's department in a mid-priced department store in London. Also involved in the humor and bickering are the floorwalker, the department manager, and the owner of the store. There were several cast changes, but most of the crew stayed on through the entire run.

As Frank Thornton (Captain Peacock, the floorwalker) points out in interviews, this show is appealing because it's about shops. Everybody knows what goes on in a shop. We see the bickering for display space, the outrageous lies told to clinch a sale, and the petty squabbles as management institutes ridiculous rules.

The one flaw to the series is that continuity stank. The departments in question bounced from floor to floor over the years, not because they were moved, but because the writers forgot where they were supposed to be!

A blessing to fans of the series is the new DVD collection which includes 34 episodes from the first five seasons. There were four Christmas episodes that are rarely shown on television, and two are in the time frame of this set. Also included is "Top Hat and Tails," which had been "lost" for twenty-five years. Once you see it, you'll understand why someone "lost" it until just recently (there's a scene that was surely considered inappropriate at the time).

This series has its down moments, but every episode brings laughs and joy. The quick wit and hilarious physical comedy remain timeless, even as the clothes seem more dated and the political references get stale.