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Are You Being Served?

Called rude, crude and offensive when it first aired, the show had the perfect response to such high brow jibes: ratings. The UK public loved and watched it in huge numbers, culminating in more than 22 million viewers for a 1979 episode. The lovefest continued when it crossed the pond to America, where it is one of BBC's most successful Britcoms ever.

Grace Brothers is a large, old-fashioned department store in London,Grace Bros is still run on strictly hierarchical lines.Each member of staff knows their place – in theory. In practice, they are all engaged in their own private wars, with management and with each other.

Management

On the top floor is Young Mr. Grace (Harold Bennett), a frail octagenarian with a dollybird on each arm. Take the lift down and you’ll find Mr. "Jug Ears" Rumbold (Nicholas Smith), manager of the clothing department. In reality he leaves the day-to-day running of his floor to his snooty shopwalker, Captain Peacock (Frank Thornton). Peacock ’s ambition is a seat in the executive restaurant. In the meantime, he has to mediate between Menswear and Ladies Fashions.

Gentlemen’s Ready-To-Wear

Senior Salesman Mr. Grainger (Arthur Brough) is an obstinate old man prone to falling asleep. Beginning with Series Six, he is replaced by Mr. Tebbs (James Hayter), then by Mr. Goldberg (Alfie Bass), who served in the army with Captain Peacock. Under him is Mr. "I’m free!" Humphries, played by John Inman, a very popular character with his camp mannerisms and jaunty readiness to measure an inside leg. Bottom of the pecking order comes randy Mr. Lucas (Trevor Bannister), who is later replaced by Mr. Spooner (Mike Berry).

Ladies' Separates and Underwear

Senior Saleslady, Mrs. Slocombe (Mollie Sugden), is a rapacious widow with an astonishing range of fluorescent hair colours and malapropisms. Her main topic of conversation is her pussy. Junior Saleslady, Miss Brahms (Wendy Richard),is a sharp-tongued, buxom Cockney.

Maintenance

Down in the basement, but usually up in the department,is the caretaker, Mr. Harman (Arthur English), who delights in making a nuisance of himself with his trade unionism and ridiculous display models.

Are You Being Served? ran for 12 years on British television and in that time gained a massive following and a Variety Club award for John Inman in 1981. A feature film version was released in 1977. Finally in 1992 and 1993, key cast members returned for two seasons of Grace and Favour which found key characters trying to make the best of life in the country. The series were released as Are You Being Served Again?in America.

Wendy Richards (Miss Brahms) was cast in the Beatles film Help!. In her scene she and Paul McCartney were rehearsing a Shakespeare scene under the direction of Frankie Howerd (of Up Pompei fame). The scene, unfortunately, was cut and the negatives destroyed. Photos from the session are available on the special edition DVD of Help!

A US adaptation was attempted, Beane's Of Boston, with a script adapted by Lloyd and Croft. It aired on CBS on May 5, 1979 but wasn't picked up. A more successful transfer was made to Australia, where a local version of Are You Being Served? ran for 16 episodes in 1980-81 during a break in the British run. John Inman joined on as Mr Humphries, and Lloyd and Croft wrote the scripts (recycling some previous ideas but adding local references).

John Inman had a minor hit with the novelty spin-off record in 1975.
Are You Being Served? was the brainchild of Jeremy Lloyd, who upon his return to the UK after a stint working in the USA on Rowan And Martin's Laugh-In was having difficulty finding work. He dreamed up this department ­store idea and sent it off to both the BBC and ITV. BBC producer David Croft, previously best known for Dad's Army, took an interest, suggested himself as co-writer and producer and made a pilot.

This was quietly awaiting a broadcast slot, when tragedy struck at the Munich Olympics with the murder of Israeli athletes by Palestinian terrorists. The BBC suddenly found itself with slots to fill and no sports taking place. Thus they reached for the shelf and rushed out a couple of comedy pilots, Are You Being Served? being one of them. Despite being unadvertised, the pilot was well received and the powers that be ordered a series.