Mr. Bean is a pretty good show, but I think the best Britcom is, without a doubt, "Are you Being Served?"

I agree!

I can still see Mr Humphries saying I'm free!. Mr Lucas chasing Miss Brahms around the store and Captain Peacock sticking up his nose and everyone. Mrs. Slocumbe and her different hair color with each show and then Mr Rumbold who had no hair. It was a fabulous show that I have episodes of.

I just heard for the first time ever on the radio the song that they did during a talent show on Are you being served, cant remember the name but it sounds french? Any way part of the funny part of the song is where they all chime in with "Rat tat tat ta tat" does anyone recall the episode, I heard it on the radio in my car, I must be getting old.....

I know that episode. the title of the song was french..but i'm not good with that language. It was he last episode before they did "Are You being served...again?" Mike Berry (I believe that was his name) went on to have a singing career after the show. The "rat ta tat ta tat"s were classic!!!

I have a friend who loves Are you being served. He told me how funny it is and asked me to give it a chance and watch it so I did. Im afraid I wasnt to impressed. Im not knocking it mind you only I personally did not like the show.I guess Im just not cultured enough to enjoy that sort of dry humor.

The song referred to above was 'Chanson D'Amour'. It was a number one hit in the UK in 1977 for Manhattan Transfer.

I'm sooo glad that someone from Britain is on here. I'm 15 from Liverpool UK and I absolutely love Are You Being Served? with all my heart. I have them all on video and even have the film. I wasn't really that pleased with Grace and Favour though!

Yeah, 'Grace & Favour' really should have been strangled at birth! An awful series.
'Are You Being Served' is very much in the Carry-On style...and that's fine by me!

Since my local PBS station stopped showing it two years ago I haven't seen Are You Being Served. http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/smile.gif

Are You Being Served is one of the Best Britcoms of all time. I've seen all the eps, including the movie dozens of times. I still watch it every chance I get.
I agree that "Grace and Favour" was just awful. But that's what happens when a sequel is created from a sitcom. Look at "Three's a Crowd", the spin-off from "Three's Company". Boy, was that a dud! I think it barely lasted a season.

i think that to compare "Mr. Bean"to "Are you being served" is apples and oranges.
They were different types of humor and the approach to a funny situation was as different as Laurel and Hardy was to the Marx brothers, or "Absolutely Fabulous" to Benny Hill(i preferred Benny).

I LOVE "Are You Being Served"- and I actually liked Grace and Favor (re-named "Are You Being Served,Again" here in the States). I have been dying to see the "Are You Being Served" movie but can't find it anywhere. Is it on video?

I love Are you Being Served, First time I saw it, Mrs. Slocumbe had pink hair. I was like "what the..." "She's got pink hair!"
I watched it regular and got my best friend Rob into it. We watch it whenever it's on.

Got to love that show, and the quarrels they all had at one point or another. And how many different secretaries did Young Mr. Grace have anyway? LOL Or Rumbold for that matter!

I always compared my mother to Mrs. Slocombe because my mother always dyed her hair differnt colours, but not so vast as her...one couple of weeks it would be blonde, another brown, and another red, etc. I believe I told her one Halloween to dress as her, but she didn't want to be "extravagent!" http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/lol.gif

Ah well, love the show anyway, and miss it.

**Gracie**

"Are you free?" "No, I'm sorry Mrs. Slocombe, I am NOT free."

Question:I believe in one of the later eppies Mr.Humphries
is shown wearing a Seahawks sweat shirt or t'shirt or jacket,
any way SOMETHING with the Seahawk logo on it.My dad pointed
this out when the eppie was airing and I was wondering if anyone
knows the name of the eppie?
Since we live in the Pacific Northwest....

HELLO..... FRASIER

When was this on and how long did it run?
Is it on PBS (America) and when?
Any info about this other than that it was not as good as AYBS?

Question:I believe in one of the later eppies Mr.Humphries
is shown wearing a Seahawks sweat shirt or t'shirt or jacket,
any way SOMETHING with the Seahawk logo on it.My dad pointed
this out when the eppie was airing and I was wondering if anyone
knows the name of the eppie?
Since we live in the Pacific Northwest....

That would be "Friends an Neighbors".

Marlies

I have a friend who loves Are you being served. He told me how funny it is and asked me to give it a chance and watch it so I did. Im afraid I wasnt to impressed. Im not knocking it mind you only I personally did not like the show.I guess Im just not cultured enough to enjoy that sort of dry humor.

I can see where you're coming from,as often the show dragged and the plots were mediocre. I would ask you to watch an episode entitled "Wedding Bells" and another called "Forward Mr. Grainger". Apart from various cameos which were also funny these complete episodes were in my opinion the two best episodes in a show which ran for over a decade

A very fun and easy show. No thinking is required when watching. I like the original cast the best however.

I LOVE "Are You Being Served"- and I actually liked Grace and Favor (re-named "Are You Being Served,Again" here in the States). I have been dying to see the "Are You Being Served" movie but can't find it anywhere. Is it on video?


Are You Being Served Again, not bad. Again if you are a fan!

I LOVE "Are You Being Served"- and I actually liked Grace and Favor (re-named "Are You Being Served,Again" here in the States). I have been dying to see the "Are You Being Served" movie but can't find it anywhere. Is it on video?

Are You Being Served the movie is on YouTube. I just saw it the other day. I liked Are You Being Served Again as well. Had watched Are You Being Served all the time when I was little and thought it was so funny. Still like it.

There are a handful of episodes worth watching only for a series which spanned 13 years. I would recommend Wedding Bells,Forward Mr. Grainger,Fifty Years On,The Hand of Fate and German Week. I thought the film was appalling.

Last night, just prior to airing AYBS, GPB announced it would no longer run the show because of a dispute with the estate of one of the writers.

Anyone heard similar from their PBS affiliate? Personally, can live without the show but, a real bummer for the many that really enjoy it. Not pleasant when you get comfortable with a favorite, then have it pulled from you.

Last night, just prior to airing AYBS, GPB announced it would no longer run the show because of a dispute with the estate of one of the writers.

Anyone heard similar from their PBS affiliate? Personally, can live without the show but, a real bummer for the many that really enjoy it. Not pleasant when you get comfortable with a favorite, then have it pulled from you.
Sorry to hear that. There are some episodes available on the forbidden site for those suffering from withdrawal symptoms.

My local PBS affiliate (Tacoma, WA) stopped airing AYBS and all other Britcoms on Saturday nights; didn't know if this is why they dropped them.
For more info on the pulling of AYBS, read here. (http://rhodeislandpbs.blogspot.com/2013/09/are-you-being-served-not-anymore.html)

My local PBS affiliate (Tacoma, WA) stopped airing AYBS and all other Britcoms on Saturday nights; didn't know if this is why they dropped them.
For more info on the pulling of AYBS, read here. (http://rhodeislandpbs.blogspot.com/2013/09/are-you-being-served-not-anymore.html)

Thank you for that link. Sounds fatal for AYBS.

I love this Britcom!

When my PBS station stopped showing AYBS? a couple of years ago, I treated myself to the complete series on DVD.

Doubly happy that I did now!

Like many sitcoms, AYBS suffered from cast changes. The original cast was terrific. The chemistry was just fantastic, and they had timing out the wazoo. I believe the actor who played Mr. Lucas left because he was originally slated to be somewhat of the lead character, but the producers saw the cast as more of an ensemble. His replacement (I forget his name) was just awful. When Mr. Grainger left (died?), the heart of the show was gone. The string of actors brought in were very poor. Then , the show became too much of the "Mr. Humphries Show". Humphries was a great part of the cast, but not a lead.

Like many sitcoms, AYBS suffered from cast changes. The original cast was terrific. The chemistry was just fantastic, and they had timing out the wazoo. I believe the actor who played Mr. Lucas left because he was originally slated to be somewhat of the lead character, but the producers saw the cast as more of an ensemble. His replacement (I forget his name) was just awful. When Mr. Grainger left (died?), the heart of the show was gone. The string of actors brought in were very poor. Then , the show became too much of the "Mr. Humphries Show". Humphries was a great part of the cast, but not a lead.
Yes you have a keen insight into the show. Of course any production which spans thirteen years is bound to suffer when the actors change and scripts become repetitive. Even Mrs.Slocombe became a caricature of herself towards the end as the scriptwriters ran out of ideas. However I am nostalgic for the show and stuck with it more as a timeline of my on life with the backdrop of stores offering poor service and sometimes shoddy goods in the 1970s which young people would not put up with today.The hierarchy in the store prepared me for my working life and episodes such as the fuel crisis and the adventure of foreign holidays rang a bell with me. The replacement for Mr. Grainger was a well-known actor in Britain Alfred Marks and Mr. Spooner took over from Mr. Lucas but the soul of the show was lost as time moved on and the economic climate changed. However in the handful of episodes where the scriptwriters got it right the show was unsurpassable in its genre.

Like many sitcoms, AYBS suffered from cast changes. The original cast was terrific. The chemistry was just fantastic, and they had timing out the wazoo. I believe the actor who played Mr. Lucas left because he was originally slated to be somewhat of the lead character, but the producers saw the cast as more of an ensemble. His replacement (I forget his name) was just awful. When Mr. Grainger left (died?), the heart of the show was gone. The string of actors brought in were very poor. Then , the show became too much of the "Mr. Humphries Show". Humphries was a great part of the cast, but not a lead.

Trevor Bannister had a very well paying long lasting acting job. AYBS? was only a few weeks a year. The time for the filming of AYBS? was moved and Trevor was not giving up his good job. Then AYBS? moved the fliming, but Trevor was not able to make it. Actors in Britain are constantly looking for work. They are not giving up a good thing for a few weeks work. A far as Trevor bing miffed about the lead or something like that it was Six Seasons in when he had to stay away.Mr Humphries and Mrs Slocombe had taken over way before theSecond or Third season. Brit actors are professionals.

Trevor Bannister had a very well paying long lasting acting job. AYBS? was only a few weeks a year. The time for the filming of AYBS? was moved and Trevor was not giving up his good job. Then AYBS? moved the fliming, but Trevor was not able to make it. Actors in Britain are constantly looking for work. They are not giving up a good thing for a few weeks work. A far as Trevor bing miffed about the lead or something like that it was Six Seasons in when he had to stay away.Mr Humphries and Mrs Slocombe had taken over way before theSecond or Third season. Brit actors are professionals.
There's a little more in an article here,which backs up what you say.http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/trevor-bannister-actor-who-made-his-name-as-the-cheeky-mr-lucas-in-are-you-being-served-2271176.html

AYBS? is one of my favorite shows and I loved the original cast. It's nice to know why Trevor Bannister left.

I enjoyed the later episodes with Mr. Spooner. He played off of Mr. Humphries perfectly.

I agree that the writers were running out of ideas after so many years.

However, the entire run still makes me LOL -- something very few current shows do.

There's a little more in an article here,which backs up what you say.

I seem to be a bit late. My apologies Steve_uk. Thanks for the link to that article. It is very interesting.
I am not allowed to post URLS that were in your post in my quoting of your post.:)

Was Are You Being Served? the British sitcom that was based in a fictional department store? Because when PBS used to air Are You Being Served? my mother and I would watch it sometimes because it was really wonderful and funny and the theme song was so cute too. It's a shame that you don't see British sitcoms being made in the wonderful style that Are You Being Served? had and they should remake Are You Being Served in a American version that would be just as wonderful as the British version
Bestie

Recently I marathoned the entire series of Are You Being Served? And something I've found a bit interesting is the deevolution of Miss Brahms character. in the Mash years (1-3) Miss Brahms was to put it bluntly a wild thing. A typical working class hottie who did things like not wear bras, go to dances, and sleep in the nude. She was also very quick to insult Mr. Lucas, Captain Peacock, and Mr. Rhumbold when they acted insulting to her or when they were being stupid. However she still had a nice side and actually got on well with her coworkers when the going got tough.

However by the fourth seasons most of Miss Brahms sharper edges were slightly worn down and she became somewhat nicer. While still sharp when she needed to be (like when Lucas would go too far in making fun of Mrs. Slocombe), Brahms got significantly more friendlier and less likely to do the things she had done in the previous seasons. This was her persona for season 4 and 5.

In Season 6 Brahms fell victim to what I call the Grainger curse. It seemed that after Mr. Grainger left Jeremy and David forgot how to write her, Mr. Rumbold, and Mr. Lucas which led to some episodes having her be unreasonably nice and other episodes having her act extremely nasty for no good reason. The worst episode of this is Shedding the Load, an episode that is usually in the second or third place for worst AYBS episode. During episode Brahms is nasty to Mr. Lucas and Captain Peacock despite them not bothering her and doesn't care for the fact that her friend Mrs. Slocombe could be out of a job. While I don't have the evidence, I have a feeling this episode might have resulted in the coming changes of Brahm's behavior.

After the spectacular failure of Season 6, Season 7 brought back a little bit of the Old Brahms. However, what little was there wasn't enough to hide the fact that Miss Brahms had joined Mr. Lucas and Mr. Rumbold in the buttmonkey of Grace Brothers. It didn't help that by this point the show was pretty damn close to being the Humphries and Slocombe show and that Jeremy and David were beginning to treat Brahms's character the same way they treated Lucas back in the first season.

After Lucas left, Brahm's character took a severe nosedive. Not only did she lose what little of her old personality she had left, but she also gained a new one. Now Miss Brahms was a stereotypical worried female who couldn't fight back when people molested her and who got way too nice for her own good. There's also the fact this was the only season where Brahms had an episode starring herself and rather than it be about her running the counter, it's a contrived story about someone falling in love with her because they think she has a husky voice. (Personally I always thought Cockney accents were sexier but hey what do I know)

After Season 8 Are You Being Served? ceased being Are You Being Served and became the Slocombe and Humphries Show. Brahm's character took even more of a nose dive. For the majority of season 9 and 10 she was whiny, clingy, wimpy, and all the other things a forty year old shouldn't be. The only episode where her old personality briefly returns is Season 10's the nightclub and even then it's way to heavy like shedding the load.

If I had to give a reason for why I think Miss Brahm's character changed so much was due to Mr. Mash leaving the show. Mash was even more working class than Brahms was and proudly boasted about. However when he left there seemed to be a desire to make Brahms step up in class. There was also the fact that Mash's replacement was Mr. Harmon who was a lot more well-liked by fans than Mash had ever been due to his friendly demeanor and how he got on well with the cast, which would explain why the writers would try to smooth Brahms's rough corners.

I agree about Ms. Brahms. She had a lot more spunk in the earlier episodes. I felt she was so underutilized in the later seasons. Most of the time she seemed to be in the background. I did think they used her more in AYBS Again?

I agree about Ms. Brahms. She had a lot more spunk in the earlier episodes. I felt she was so underutilized in the later seasons. Most of the time she seemed to be in the background. I did think they used her more in AYBS Again?

So nice to see AYBS still talked about after all these years! :)

Yes, you are correct-they did use her more in AYBS/A? compared to AYBS. The interactions between her and Mr Lucas was the best though I think. :lol:

Elina