The Complete Are You Being Served? Collection: Series 6-10

There's plenty of laughter in store when an unbelievably quirky contingent of sales clerks makes shopping at Grace Brothers the comic experience of a lifetime.

The staff has been hard-at-work polishing and pressing every classic episode from the last five series of this beloved BBC comedy series. Also included is a bonus disc containing The Best of Are You Being Served? and episode one of

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.

Series 6
By Appointment - The staff prepare for a visit by the Queen. The visit is abruptly ended when Mrs. Slocombe accidentally pushes a flower pot out the window, nearly hitting the Royal Couple.

The Club - Young Mr. Grace invites his workers to form a social club - in a dismal cellar badly in need of decoration. Undeterred, the staff tackle the paint and paper job with vigor.

Do You Take This Man - Mrs. Slocombe has fallen for a bouzouki player in a Greek restaurant. When he returns home to his wife, Mrs. Slocombe stages a wedding for her wealthy uncle so she can get the house promised her if she marries a Greek.

Shedding the Load - Sales figures are down; profits are low. Young Mr. Grace is forced to make some economies. The threat of redundancies is looming. Someone is going to have to go - but who is it to be?

A Bliss Girl - A new display of perfume arrives from Bliss, but there is no Bliss Girl to man the counter. Mrs. Slocombe refuses the position, so Mr. Humphries becomes the Bliss Girl for the day.

Happy Returns - It is Young Mr. Grace's birthday and there is the traditional free lunch for staff in the canteen. Afterwards, the staff plan a much more festive event for the celebration.

Series 7
The Junior - Mr. Goldberg is hired as a junior after having recently run his own small tailoring business. To Captain Peacock's chagrin, the staff learn that Mr. Goldberg had served under the Captain but recalls those army days differently.

Strong Stuff This Insurance - The staff must take physicals to get insurance. Listening through the door of Mr. Grace's office, they hear Mr. Harman describing the state of the furniture, which they misunderstand as being the results of their physicals.

The Apartment - By permission of Mr. Grace, Mrs. Slocombe moves into a display apartment in Grace Brothers, because her new home is occupied by squatters. Due to a transport strike, Mr. Humphries seeks to join her in her new accommodation.

Mrs. Slocombe, Senior Person - Mrs. Slocombe temporarily takes the place of Mr. Rumbold, who has taken ill . She eats the cream cakes she finds in his office. But she then gets a call from the hospital warning that the ice cream is what made him ill.

The Hero - Captain Peacock is challenged to a boxing match by a member of another department. He backs out, and Mr. "Hugger" Humphries is "elected" to take his place in a wrestling match. He loses that match, but Mrs. Slocombe enters the ring and defeats the challenger.

Anything You Can Do - The standard of the canteen food of Grace Brothers is rapidly going from bad to worse. After confronting the catering workers with their complaints, the staff are told to get on with the food preparation on their on.

The Agent - Mr. Goldberg runs an agency to get the staff better jobs. After Captain Peacock and Mr. Rumbold become aware of this, Mr. Humphries and Mrs. Slocombe are given raises, and decide to stay with the store.

Series 8
Is It Catching - The staff contract a strange tropical illness, Marine's Disease, from Mr. Humphries. They are quarantined in the basement until the disease is past.

A Personal Problem - Captain Peacock's wife works at Grace Brothers, as Mr. Rumbold's secretary. He is intensely jealous and is absolutely convinced that the two of them are having an affair.

Front Page Story - Mr. Humphries is made editor of the new staff magazine. The 1st Floor staff is not pleased with the stories he writes about them causing friction in the relations between floors.

Sit Out - The staff go on strike after being threatened with a pay cut or being moved to the bargain basement. They stage a protest on the roof which is interrupted by a fire which destroys the basement.

Heir Apparent - Old Mr. Grace becomes convinced that Mr. Humphries is his long-lost son. Mrs. Humphries (also played by Mr. Inman) arrives, and shows that she has never had relations with Mr. Grace.

Closed Circuit - Grace Brothers has decided to enter the video age and display advertisements on closed circuit television throughout the store. Meanwhile, there is a new face in Menswear.

The Erotic Dreams of Mrs. Slocombe - Mrs. Slocombe has dreams in which she and Mr. Humphries become romantically embroiled. When she attempts to turn fantasy into reality, the situation becomes most difficult to handle.

Series 9
The Sweet Smell of Success - Mrs. Slocombe sells her home-made perfume. After a misunderstanding, Mrs. Peacock finds Captain Peacock without his pants (perfume had spilled on them) and the ill-fated trousers in the hands of Mr. Rumbold's secretary.

Conduct Unbecoming - Mr. Humphries is accused of stealing and his distinguished career could end in disgrace. In a trial, he is found guilty and dismissed, but Mr. Harman finds the missing money in the back of the till from which it was supposedly stolen.

Memories are Made of This - When the handsome golf pro from Sports comes to the floor for a demonstration, he accidentally hits Mrs. Slocombe. She then thinks she's a little girl, wrecking havoc on the store as she cavorts around the department.

Calling All Customers - The staff perform a play on CB radio to advertise Grace Brothers. The play results in the store being swamped by truck drivers who are driven off by Mr. Humphries and Mrs. Slocombe.

Monkey Business - Bad news. Grace Brothers may be bought by the Japanese. The staff take their problems to Number Ten, where they contact President Reagan by the phone. Mrs. Thatcher gets fashion tips from Mr. Humphries.

Lost and Found - Mrs. Slocombe's cat is missing, and in comforting her, Mr. Humphries finds himself entangled more deeply than he would have expected. It appears that he is to be Tiddles' replacement.

Series 10
Goodbye, Mrs. Slocombe - Mrs. Slocombe is forcibly retired from her position. Mr. Humphries and Captain Peacock get her job back, but they are retired in the same manner. They end the show as the cleaner and the lift operator.

Grounds For Divorce - Captain Peacock's marriage appears to be in trouble. The rest of the staff soon discover that Miss Bagnold is his unwanted paramour.

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 Dr. 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.

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

Produced by David Croft
Written by David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd
Directed by Ray Butt, Bob Spiers