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I'm a massive fan of this British television series, which ran for ten seasons between 1972 and 1985. The fact that the catch phrases of several characters have entered the public conscience is a testament to the lasting legacy of the show. From the "I'm free!" of Mr. Humphries, to Mrs. Slocombe's constant talk of her pussy (referring to her cat, I hasten to clarify!), the dialogue in each episode is absolutely brilliant.
With that said though, I must admit that at times the series did fall off the rails. The introduction of the character of Old Mr. Grace almost turned me off the series entirely, because not only was he painfully unfunny, but he was basically trying to be the same character as Young Mr. Grace. The difference is that Harold Bennett actually was funny, with his catchphrase of "Carry on everybody, you've all done very well!" (usually followed by him falling over on account of having raised his cane in the air) being another memorable line.
I suppose with any series that is as successful as "Are You Being Served?", any attempt to replicate said success doesn't really work. A few years after "Are You Being Served?" finished, another series, "Grace and Favour", began, featuring the same cast (or at least those who were still alive at that point). Unfortunately, it ended within a couple of years.
Sadly, there are only a small handful of principal "Are You Being Served?" cast members who are still alive. This year alone we lost Mollie Sugden (Mrs. Slocombe) and Wendy Richard (Miss Brahms). However, the fact that the series is preserved on DVD means that the work of all the cast members (those still with us, and those who have passed away) will remain for people to see for a long time to come.
For those of you so inclined, numerous episodes of "Are You Being Served?" are viewable on YouTube. I'm afraid I have too many favourites, so I couldn't possibly post a viable list. Each episode has its own highlights.
So now it's your turn. Am I the only fan of this series, or am I in esteemed company?
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I used to watch it on PBS all the time. GRACE AND FAVOUR was retitled "ARE YOU BEING SERVED, AGAIN? here in the U.S.
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To all fans of ARE YOU BEING SERVED?, please do not take offense at what I'm about to say, because it's just an opinion. I thought it was shite. And I thought GEORGE AND MILDRED was really really shite too. And SOME MOTHERS DO 'AV 'EM (or whatever it was called) was hugely successful. I watched every episode as a kid, but I always had the kind of feeling that it was shite. I don't think British TV comedy has aged at all well. But, perhaps strangely, the one show which I think is funnier now than ever before is one that people now consider a bit shite - THE BENNY HILL SHOW. That's great!
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Graham, I'm not offended at all. You're perfectly entitled to dislike the show.
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Although I've known about Are You Being Served forever, it's only been recently that I started watching it.
"Cold Store" was on this past Saturday and it's the funniest episode I've seen so far. Great chemistry and banter among the ensemble.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0514490/
John Inman is fantastic.
Some time ago we saw a later episode where Trevor Bannister was gone and his replacement was just awful. They also seemed to rely on Inman too much by then.
But so far, the program is quite entertaining.
What do you think about Mrs. Slocumbe's pussy?
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Although I've known about Are You Being Served forever, it's only been recently that I started watching it.
"Cold Store" was on this past Saturday and it's the funniest episode I've seen so far. Great chemistry and banter among the ensemble.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0514490/
John Inman is fantastic.
Some time ago we saw a later episode where Trevor Bannister was gone and his replacement was just awful. They also seemed to rely on Inman too much by then.
But so far, the program is quite entertaining.
What do you think about Mrs. Slocumbe's pussy?
I loved it when Mrs. Slocombe would go on and on about this. On one episode her cat was about to have kittens and she desperately wanted to get home. Of course, a meeting was callled that would keep them all late, so Mrs. Slocombe was given permission to call a neighbor to look in on her cat.
Mrs. Slocombe: "Hello, Mr. Akhbar, is that you? This is Betty Slocombe.
I wonder if you wouldn't mind going to my front door and peeking through the mail slot and telling me if you can see my pussy.
"Hello?"
"Hello"?
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no Mr. Mash? He was high-larious!
Larry Martyn, who played the character in the first three series', was unable to reprise the role in the fourth series (and beyond) due to a scheduling conflict. Consequently, the character of Mr. Harman (played by Arthur English) was introduced as his replacement.
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Posted: |
Nov 3, 2009 - 11:30 AM
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By: |
Jim Phelps
(Member)
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no Mr. Mash? He was high-larious!
Larry Martyn, who played the character in the first three series', was unable to reprise the role in the fourth series (and beyond) due to a scheduling conflict. Consequently, the character of Mr. Harman (played by Arthur English) was introduced as his replacement.
When I first saw him, I thought it was Trevor Peacock, who later played Jim ("No, No, No, No, No.") on The Vicar of Dibley, another program the Mrs. and I watch every Saturday.
I may have to spring for the complete AYBS collection, but will wait until I see how the latter period of this series goes; I'm not sure I'll enjoy it as much without Mr. Grainger and Mr. Lucas.
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I may have to spring for the complete AYBS collection, but will wait until I see how the latter period of this series goes; I'm not sure I'll enjoy it as much without Mr. Grainger and Mr. Lucas.
While the latter series' (seven onwards) don't hold up as well as the earlier ones, they're still well worth watching. As I've said before, the only series that I find disappointing is the eighth, but that's because the character of Old Mr. Grace really annoys me.
And you're right about the series not being the same without Mr. Grainger and Mr. Lucas. The replacement of the former (tragically, the actor Arthur Brough died, the story behind that being truly heartbreaking) by Mr. Tebbs in the sixth series was quite a jarring transition, because Tebbs just wasn't anywhere near as funny as Grainger. In fact, the same could be said for all the subsequent replacements (each seemed to only last for one series), except Mr. Goldberg (played by Alfie Bass), because his character was suitably developed. As for the replacement of Mr. Lucas by Mr. Spooner for the last three series', it wasn't that bad, because Spooner was basically a Lucas clone anyway (particularly in relation to his chauvanistic attitude).
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I didn't dislike the Spooner character, but the actor just didn't seem like he had the "chops" to hang with that seasoned group.
To come into the group after so many years must have been absolutely terrifying for Mike Berry. I think he did quite well under the circumstances. The fact that his character became a pop star was hilarious, because that's exactly what Berry was in real life prior to becoming an actor.
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Thanks for the link. I had no idea he was still at it.
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