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Are You Being Served?

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Are You Being Served?
File:Are you being served.jpg
From left to right, Mr Humphries, Mr Lucas, Captain Peacock and Mrs Slocombe
Created byJeremy Lloyd & David Croft
StarringMollie Sugden
Frank Thornton
John Inman
Wendy Richard
Nicholas Smith
Trevor Bannister
Harold Bennett
Arthur Brough
Arthur English
Country of originUK
No. of episodes69
Production
Running time30 minutes
Original release
NetworkBBC
Release8 September 1972 –
1 April 1985

Are You Being Served? was a long-running British sitcom broadcast from 1972 to 1985. It was set in the men's and women's department of a large fictional London store called Grace Brothers. It was mainy written by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, and contributions by Michael Knowles and John Chapman. The episodes rarely left the department floor, and even more rarely left the store. To parody the stereotype of the rigid British class system, characters rarely addressed each other by their given names, even after work. In 2004, it came 20th in Britain's Best Sitcom.

Cast

Plot

File:MollySugden.jpg
Mollie Sugden as Mrs. Slocombe

Are You Being Served? featured mostly obvious humour based on sexual innuendo, misunderstandings, and mistaken identity, as well as sight gags generated by outrageous costumes the characters are sometimes required to wear for store promotions, and gaudy store displays frequently featuring malfunctioning robotic mannequins. The show is well remembered for its prolific use of double entendres. Many jokes also confronted the English class system - especially those built into the interaction between maintenance men Mr. Mash or Mr. Harman and the ostensibly higher class store personnel. Characters traded-on such stereotypes as the effeminate Mr. Humphries, who lived with his mother; Captain Peacock, the haughty floorwalker; and the snobbish and boisterous Mrs. Slocombe. The show spawned the catch phrase "Are you free?", usually said by Captain Peacock to the workers; more often than not, the workers are noticeably free; each would look solemnly from side to side before saying "Yes I'm free, Captain Peacock." As John Inman himself said, it was only when he screamed Mr. Humphries "I'm freeeeeee!" that it became his own personal catchphrase.

After some time, it became widely criticized for its reliance on crude sexual stereotypes, e.g. jokes about Mrs. Slocombe's "pussy" (cat), a sexual double entendre, or John Inman's parody of an effeminate gay man, offensive to some gay men and women. Inman points out that it was never explicitly said that his character was gay, and creators Lloyd and Croft have stated in interviews that the character was not a homosexual (as could be seen when Mr. Humphries once threw himself onto Miss Brahms and in Grace & Favour). In fact, Mr. Humphries seemed to be more "on the fence" or bisexual when it came to his sexuality as he showed interest in both men and women, and often took on traditional female and male roles.

Characters

  • Mr. Wilberforce Clayborne Humphries - The senior menswear assistant, who later became Head of the Gentleman's Department, his ambiguous sexuality is used as a catalyst for many comedic situations and one-liners. Mr. Humphries was particularly noted for his effeminate voice, which he discarded when answering the phone ("Mennnnnnswear," he intoned in a deep voice), and he often arrived at work in outrageous attire (e.g. punk rocker clothing and hair, motorcycle leather jacket and chaps, sailor uniform) with equally outrageous accounting of his previous night's activities and efforts to nonetheless make it to work on time. While it was never said, and later denied by the series writers, Mr. Humphries seemed to be at least functionally bisexual. He was also, arguably, the most pleasant character on the show. In one episode, where the employees were given a chance to vote on which one of them should be fired (although no one was), everyone was nominated (per one vote each) for dismissal except for Mr. Humphries, who himself only voted "don't know," which perhaps somewhat softens the perceived stereotype. He claimed in one episode to have been in the Royal Navy briefly.
  • Mrs. Betty Slocombe - Mrs. Slocombe, born Mary Elizabeth Jennifer Abergavenny Rachel Yiddell in 1926 in Blackpool, is the Head of the Ladies Department who frequently dyes her hair unusual colours such as lime green or orange. Mrs. Slocombe's husband left her, and she lived with her cat, Tiddles, which she always referred to as "my pussy." She also tried to sound refined and "posh", but when exasperated or annoyed, she reveals more than a trace of a northern English accent. Mrs. Slocombe's catch phrase was "...and I am unanimous in that..." She spent much of her free time prowling gin mills, roller rinks and discos with her friend Mrs. Axelby, who is never seen, but due to her middle age, men were less and less attracted to her, which she dismissed as extreme politeness on the part of all men. It is often suggested that when she was younger she had quite a wild life and possibly even worked in a bar.
  • Captain Stephen Peacock - Captain Peacock, the floorwalker, considers himself above the assistants with both his position and his dubious military record, which wouldn't be so shameful except Peacock feels the need to brag about his experiences fighting Rommel in North Africa. Mr. Mash likes to tell the staff that Peacock served in the NAAFI instead, and probably didn't ever leave England, and Mr. Goldberg hints that Peacock's real rank was a Corporal. Allegedly, despite his rank, Peacock began as a sweeper in the stockroom. Although Peacock usually talks as if he were a member of the elite Commando unit, on two occasions he admits he was in the Royal Army Service Corps. By 1978 he has been working at Grace Brothers for 15 years. He also has a penchant for leering at Miss Brahms, Mr. Grace's and Mr. Rumbold's secretaries, and sometimes Mrs. Slocombe. Mrs. Peacock appears in a few episodes, often amidst marital trouble.
  • Miss Shirley Brahms - Miss Brahms was the junior ladieswear assistant, and was often cheeky to Mrs. Slocombe and known for her Estuary accent, sometimes unintelligible to the person with whom she is speaking. Attractive and somewhat voluptuous, she is sometimes (but usually not) receptive to the advances of Mr. Lucas.
  • Mr. Cuthbert Rumbold - Mr Rumbold, the manager of the floor, who was in the NAAFI during the war, was often mocked for his bald head, jug-ears, and lack of intelligence. He frequently took slang phrases literally, leading to his formulating far-fetched explanations of incidents between staff members. He often took credit for others' ideas but subsequently tried to deny all involvement when the idea inevitably proved disastrous. Mr. Rumbold's greatest ambition was to be called to the board of directors at Grace Bros. (he looks up dreamily whenever the word "boardroom" is mentioned), and was usually oblivious to the sex appeal of his attractive secretaries.
  • Mr. James (later Dick) Lucas - Mr. Lucas was the junior menswear assistant, who was nearly always late for work but always had a creative excuse. He wasn't very concerned about the pecking order, and thus made many scarasitc remarks (usually towards Mrs. Slocombe). He directed much of his attention toward Miss Brahms, but only went out with her once. His departure is never explained, although Captain Peacock remarked in an episode after Mr. Lucas left, in which the departments had performed no business for the day, that the last time the departments had no sale, "we fired the junior."
  • Mr. Ernest Grainger - The original head of the menswear department, he had been with Grace Brothers for over four decades. He frequently fell asleep on the job. He resented being forced to share the floor with the Ladies Department. He vaguely resembled Winston Churchill, in both appearance and demeanour, and did impressions of him during the war while in ENSA. His character left as Arthur Brough retired from acting in 1978 following the death of his wife Elizabeth Addyman, to whom he had been married for 50 years. As fate would have it, Arthur Brough himself died several weeks later.
  • Mr. Percival Tebbs - Mr. Grainger's first replacement as head of menswear. Although he shared many traits with Mr. Grainger, he appeared to be obsessed with order and propriety and (in his own mind at least) was an extraordinary salesman. He was also an overachiever, having recieved a number of recognitions from Grace Brothers for his achievements.
  • Mr. Harry Goldberg - Replaced Mr. Tebbs as Head of Menswear. He often tried to make a bit of extra cash to supplement his wages, for example by establishing his own recruitment agency (and recruiting Grace Brothers' employees away to better-paying jobs). Mr. Goldberg was much more relaxed than his predecessors, and was in general a friendly presence.
  • Mr. Grossman - He replaced Mr. Goldberg as Head of Menswear and had a detectable German accent. Not much is known about him as he only appeared in four episodes.
  • Mr. Klein - He replaced Mr. Grossman as Menswear Head. He was formerly from the Cutting Deptartment. Speaks often of his wife, generally in disparaging tones, and doesn't object to quietly making jokes at Captain Peacock's expense. Other than that, his character remained undeveloped over his brief tenure.
  • Mr. Bert Spooner - Mr Lucas' replacement, who was similar to him in many ways, made rude remarks and had a crush on Miss Brahms. In the final episode he became a pop star.
  • Mr. Mash & Mr. Beverley (or Harry) Harman - Mr. Mash and Mr. Harman were the maintenance men, Mr. Harman replacing Mr. Mash in series 4. Neither had a fear of their superiors, and both had a thorough knowledge of store operations and union workers' rights (and took home much larger paycheques than the sales assistants due to overtime). Both were "common" and were frequently reprimanded by Captain Peacock for appearing on the sales floor during business hours.
  • The Grace Brothers - The Grace Brothers, Young Mr. Grace and Henry, Old Mr. Grace, were the old-fashioned owners of the store. Both were old but loved young, curvaceous women. They both treated their employees with respect and encouragement, hence Young Mr. Grace's catch phrase, "You've all done very well!" Young Mr Grace started off as a fish salesman before inheriting the store from an uncle.

Episodes

Pilot (1972)

Series One (1973)

  1. Dear Sexy Knickers (21 Mar 73)
  2. Our Figures Are Slipping (28 Mar 73)
  3. Camping In (4 Apr 73)
  4. His and Hers (11 Apr 73)
  5. Diamonds Are A Man's Best Friend (18 Apr 73)

Series Two (1974)

  1. [[The Clock (Are You Being Served? episode)|The Clock (14 Mar 74)
  2. Cold Comfort (21 Mar 74)
  3. The Think Tank (28 Mar 74)
  4. Big Brother (4 Apr 74)
  5. Horrah for the Holidays (11 Apr 74)

Series Three (1975)

  1. The Hand of Fate (27 Feb 75)
  2. Coffee Morning (6 Mar 75)
  3. Up Captain Peacock (13 Mar 75)
  4. Cold Store (20 Mar 75)
  5. Wedding Bells (27 Mar 75)
  6. German Week (3 Apr 75)
  7. Shoulder to Shoulder (10 Apr 75)
  8. New Look (17 Apr 75)

Christmas Special (1975)

  • Christmas Crackers (22 Dec 75)

Series Four (1976)

  1. No Sale (8 Apr 76)
  2. Top Hat and Tails (15 Apr 76)
  3. Forward, Mr. Grainger (22 Apr 76)
  4. Fire Practice (29 Apr 76)
  5. Fifty Years On (5 May 76)
  6. Oh, What a Tangled Web (12 May 76)

Christmas Special (1976)

  • The Father Christmas Affair (24 Dec 76)

Series Five (1977)

  1. Mrs. Slocombe Expects (25 Feb 77)
  2. A Change is as Good as a Rest (4 Mar 77)
  3. Founder's Day (11 Mar 77)
  4. The Old Order Changes (18 Mar 77)
  5. Take-Over (25 Mar 77)
  6. Goodbye Mr. Grainger (1 Apr 77)
  7. It Pays to Advertise (8 Apr 77)

Series Six (1978)

  1. By Appointment (15 Nov 78)
  2. The Club (22 Nov 78)
  3. Do You Take This Man? (2 Nov 78)
  4. Shedding the Load (6 Dec 78)
  5. A Bliss Girl (13 Dec 78)

Christmas Special (1978)

  • Happy Returns (26 Dec 78)

Series Seven (1979)

  1. The Junior (19 Oct 79)
  2. Strong Stuff This Insurance (26 Oct 79)
  3. The Apartment (2 Nov 79)
  4. Mrs. Slocombe, Senior Person (9 Nov 79)
  5. The Hero (16 Nov 79)
  6. Anything You Can Do (23 Nov 79)
  7. The Agent (30 Nov 79)

Christmas Special (1979)

  • The Punch and Judy Affair (26 Dec 79)

Series Eight (1981)

  1. Is it Catching? (9 Apr 81)
  2. A Personal Problem (16 Apr 81)
  3. Front Page Story (23 Apr 81)
  4. Sit Out (30 Apr 81)
  5. Heir Apparent (7 May 81)
  6. Closed Circuit (21 May 81)
  7. The Erotic Dreams of Mrs. Slocombe (28 May 81)

Christmas Special (1981)

  • Roots? (24 Dec 81)

Series Nine (1983)

  1. The Sweet Smell Of Success (22 Apr 83)
  2. Conduct Unbecoming (29 Apr 83)
  3. Memories Are Made Of This (6 May 83)
  4. Calling All Customers (13 May 83)
  5. Monkey Business (20 May 83)
  6. Lost And Found (27 May 83)

Series Ten (1985)

  1. Goodbye Mrs. Slocombe (18 Feb 85)
  2. Grounds For Divorce (25 Feb 85)
  3. The Hold Up (4 Mar 85)
  4. Gambling Fever (11 Mar 85)
  5. The Night Club (18 Mar 85)
  6. Friends And Neighbours (25 Mar 85)
  7. The Pop Star (1 Apr 85)
  • Note - While all episodes were originally in colour, only the black-and-white version of the pilot episode remains. The pilot was aired when it was because of free airspace that the Munich massacre during the 1972 Summer Olympics had created, and was reshown at the beginning of the first series on 14 March 1973.

Theme song

The theme song, written by show co-creator David Croft and composer Ronnie Hazlehurst, consists of a female lift operator (whose voice was provided by Stephanie Gathercole) announcing each floor over the sounds of a cash register (which basically serves as the only percussion instrument) and a simple musical accompaniment. A version of the theme song is featured on the album The Ape Of Naples by the experimental music group Coil. The theme's distinctive bass guitar sound likely comes from a Rickenbacker 4001, a prevalent instrument in the early 1970s, popularized by such British bands as Yes.

Film

In 1977, an Are You Being Served? film was released using the same characters and cast. It was set in the fictional resort of Costa Plonka, in Spain.

Other countries

The series has become very popular in the United States on PBS stations and on BBC America, as well as in many Commonwealth nations around the world. A US adaptation pilot episode called Beane's of Boston aired on 5 May 1979 on CBS, but it did't make it to a full series. An Australian version, called Are You Being Served?, ran for sixteen episodes from 1980 to 1981 and starred John Inman as Mr Humphries.

Grace & Favour

In 1992, most of the original cast reunited for a spin-off show called Grace & Favour. This was called Are You Being Served? Again in the United States.

DVD releases

Series One to Six, including the pilot episode and Christmas specials from those years, are available on DVD in the UK (Region 2) from Cinema Club. Are You Being Served: the Movie was released in 2002 . Series Seven is to be released on 9 October 2006.

All ten series, as well as both series of Grace & Favour (in packaging titled Are You Being Served? Again!), are available on DVD in Region 1 (North America).

Currently, Series One, Two and the film have been released in Australia (Region 4), and the third series will be released on 5 October 2006. A DVD titled Are You Being Served? - Best of The Early Years and Are You Being Served? Christmas have also been released.

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