Are You Being Served? Vol 13

Attention shoppers! Your favorite dysfunctional sales staff is back with more mischief, more hilarity and more hair colors! Join Mr. Humphries, Mrs. Slocombe, Miss Brahms, Captain Peacock, Mr. Lucas and the rest of the gang as they make shopping at Grace Brothers the comic experience of a lifetime. This ready-to-wear collection of classic episodes has been lovingly pressed and polished for DVD.

Includes the following episodes: The Hold Up, Gambling Fever, The Night Club, Friends and Neighbors, The Pop Star

Camp Mr. Humphries, Mrs. Slocombe's pussy and the ridiculous goings-on at Grace Bros. have kept audiences laughing since 1973. This tongue-in-cheek farce, by top writers Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, is one of BBC's best-selling classic comedies, especially in America, where its success is phenomenal.

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:

On the top floor is young Mr. Grace (Harold Bennett), a frail octogenarian with a dollybird on each arm.

Take the lift down and you'll find Mr. Rumbold (Nicholas Smith), manager of the clothing department. In reality he leaves the day-to-day running of his floor to his snooty shop-walker, Captain Peacock (Frank Thornton). Peacock's ambition is a seat in the executive restaurant, but meantime he has to mediate between Menswear and Ladies' Fashions.

In Gentlemen's Ready-To-Wear, Senior Salesman, Mr. Grainger (Arthur Brough), is an obstinate old man prone to falling asleep. He is later replaced by Mr.Tebbs (James Hayter), then by Mr. Goldberg (Alfie Bass), who served in the army with Captain Peacock. Under him is Mr. 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 is staffed by Senior Saleslady, Mrs Slocombe (Mollie Sugden), a rapacious widow with an astonishing range of fluorescent hair colors and malapropisms. Her main topic of conversation is her pussy. Junior Saleslady, Miss Brahms (Wendy Richard), is a sharp-tongued, buxom Cockney.

And finally, 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.

The Hold Up - It is closing time when two ruthless criminals enter the scene. What can be done to save the assets of the store? The staff hatch an incredible plan, and it almost works.

Gambling Fever - The staff like to bet on horse races. After being caught watching the race in Mr. Rumbold's office, Mr. Humphries goes to the sports department and mimes the race to the rest of the staff over the security camera.

The Night Club - The staff film a commercial for a nightclub to the run in the store. The picture is lost when the ad is shown, leaving only the sound, making the nightclub sound like a harem.

Friends and Neighbors - The staff are offered accommodation on the premises to save time and money on traveling. But they soon find that flat-sharing is not altogether a bed of roses.

The Pop Star - Mr. Spooner's vocal talents are discovered during the staff show. He is signed by a record company, and the staff appears on TV performing the song when Mr. Spooner loses his voice.

Cast

Miss Brahms	---	Wendy Richard
Mr. Humphries	---	John Inman
Mrs. Slocombe	---	Mollie Sugden
Mr. Grace	---	Harold Bennett
Mr. Lucas	---	Trevor Bannister
Captain Peacock	---	Frank Thornton
Mr. Harman	---	Arthur English
Mr. Rumbold	---	Nicholas Smith
Young Mr. Grace	---	(series 1-8)Harold Bennett
Mr. Grainger	---	(series 1-5)Arthur Brough
Mr. Tebbs	---	(series 6)James Hayter
Mr. Goldberg	---	(series 7)Alfie Bass
Mr. Mash	---	(series 1-3)Larry Martyn
Mr Spooner	---	(series 8 onwards)Mike Berry
Mr. Grossman	---	(series 8)Milo Sperber
Mr. Klein	---	(series 8)Benny Lee
Old Mr. Grace	---	(series 8)Kenneth Waller
Secretary	---	(series 1)Stephanie Gathercole
Miss Bakewell	---	(series 4-7)Penny Irving
Secretary	---	(series 8)Debbie Linden
Miss Thorpe	---	(series 3)Moira Foot
Nurse	---	(series 6-8)Vivienne Johnson
Miss Belfridge	---	(series 9 onwards)Candy Davis
Mrs. Peacock	---	(occasional)Diane Lambert

Production Credits

Produced by David Croft, Martin Shardlow
Written by David Croft, Jeremy Lloyd
Directed by Bob Spiers, Martin Shardlow