Are You Being Served? [DVD]

Product Information

The series never ran outside of Australia, so it is unknown in the UK or other countries where Are You Being Served? was popular, such as the United States, Canada, or New Zealand. Grace & Favour is different from Are You Being Served? in that it involves a continuous story arc, with certain plot elements, such as the relationship between Mr Humphries and Mavis Moulterd, unfolding throughout each episode. This in turn allowed the series to involve more complex storylines and subplots, making it possible to include returning guest stars and location shooting, neither of which was ever done on Are You Being Served? Harold Bennett as "Young" Mr Grace (series 1–8): the elderly but stingy owner of Grace Bros, often portrayed with attractive young women and a running joke of him being respected despite being slightly too old for his position. Bennett passed away following the eighth series, prior to the broadcast of the 1981 Christmas special; his character was referenced in the first episode of the spinoff series Grace & Favour.

I discovered AYBS on a PBS station during law school. It was a pleasant, homey program that greatly helped me unwind at bedtime (no mean feat, at the time) so I could eventually fall asleep. I don't want to imply that it's like a sleeping pill-- it's more like a massage. The series gained much of its popularity with TV viewers by " pushing the envelope" through its deliberate-yet-subtle use of risqué visual gags, innuendo-infused dialogue and cleverly-disguised sophomoric humour. These comical devices also attracted some mild criticism, in part for relying on sexual stereotypes and double entendres– e.g., Mrs Slocombe discussing her cat (always referred to as her pussy): "Animals are very psychic; the least sign of danger and my pussy's hair stands on end". Set in London, the show follows the misadventures and mishaps of the staff and their regular rotating series of customers at the retail ladies' and gentlemen's clothing departments in the flagship department store of a fictional chain called Grace Brothers. Collier, Shayne. Again and again and again. The Sydney Morning Herald – The Guide: 2 June 1986, p.1, 6. [1]

DEFECTIVE ITEMS

The series never ran outside of Australia and thus was not seen in the UK or other countries where Are You Being Served? was popular, such as Ireland, the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. Mr. Cuthbert Rumbold, the autocratic, obsequious (to Young Mr. Grace), easily confused department manager. A remix of the theme was released in 1996 by a dance act calling itself "Grace Brothers", [6] and featured samples of John Inman and Frank Thornton. Are You Being Served? is a British television sitcom that was broadcast from 1972–1985. It was created and written by David Croft, who also served as executive producer and director, and Jeremy Lloyd. Michael Knowles and John Chapman also wrote certain episodes. Produced by the BBC, [1] the series starred Mollie Sugden, Trevor Bannister, Frank Thornton, John Inman, Wendy Richard, Arthur Brough, Nicholas Smith, Larry Martyn, Harold Bennett and Arthur English. Slide, Anthony (January 1996). Some Joe You Don't Know: An American Biographical Guide to 100 British Television Personalities. Greenwood Publishing Group. p.233. ISBN 978-0-313-29550-8.

All ten series, as well as both series of Grace & Favour and the film have been released in Australia (Region 4). In 1979, Garry Marshall, in the midst of success producing and directing Happy Days and its spin-offs, produced a pilot for an American version of Are You Being Served?, Beane's of Boston, remaking the episode, "German Week" for the television pilot.Young Mr Grace has died and the store has closed down. On behalf of the pension fund, Mr Grace acquired a Tudor manor house with farm which at the moment is being run as a country house hotel. Being the only source of pension money for the retired staff, they all decide to visit for the weekend to investigate its possibilities. The pilot episode was created as part of the Comedy Playhouse series, although the BBC had originally chosen not to broadcast the programme. The pilot was used as a filler during the 1972 Summer Olympics when the coverage of the games was interrupted by the Munich massacre on 8 September 1972, leading to a full series being produced. [5] The pilot episode was repeated before the first series began, on 14 March 1973. Although the first series was aired in the same timeslot as Coronation Street on ITV, consequently receiving relatively little attention, the repeats shown later in the year were much more successful. [6]

Mollie Sugden as Mrs Betty Slocombe: a senior sales assistant and head of the ladies' department, often portrayed with a different hair colour in each episode. The sitcom frequently saw Sugden's character telling double entendre stories about her pet cat, often referring to it as "my pussy". [11] The theme song, written by the show's co-writer David Croft and composer Ronnie Hazlehurst, consists of a lift girl (whose voice was provided by Stephanie Gathercole) announcing each floor over the musique concrète sounds of a cash register (which basically serves as the only percussion instrument) and a simple musical accompaniment.Slide, Anthony (1996). Some Joe You Don't Know: An American Biographical Guide to 100 British Television Personalities (illustrateded.). Westport, Fairfield County, Connecticut ( United States): Greenwood Publishing Group. p.122. ISBN 9780313295508. Except for "Undesirable Alien", the plot of each episode is based on the corresponding episode of the original series. Christine Amor said of the series that " Are You Being Served? is one of the few TV comedies we are making in Australia and that's sad. In the days of My Name's McGooley, What's Yours? we had real Australian humour. But we have been very much influenced by overseas countries. Are You Being Served? is popular because people identify with a department store. It has no Australian idioms and it is a take off of the English series, but there is this sort of colonial thing where people enjoy English humour. I've always enjoyed it. I like English comedies, I think they're far superior to American comedies." It was Amor's first acting job before a live television audience. "I look at John Inman because he's been doing TV comedy for 10 years and been a comedian for 25 years. He's got it down to a fine art. But it is an accomplished skill which you keep on learning. I've learned a lot from John. The basic hint he gave me was to enjoy it and to have a rapport with the audience." [5] Mrs. Betty Slocombe, head of the ladies' department. She is known for her changing hair colour and conversations about her cat, which she always refers to as her pussy. 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.