The pilot episode was created as part of the Comedy Playhouse series, although the BBC had originally chosen not to broadcast the programme. The pilot was used as a filler during the 1972 Summer Olympics when the coverage of the games was interrupted by the Munich massacre on 8 September 1972, leading to a full series being produced. [5] The pilot episode was repeated before the first series began, on 14 March 1973. Although the first series was aired in the same timeslot as Coronation Street on ITV, consequently receiving relatively little attention, the repeats shown later in the year were much more successful. [6] a b "BBC – Are You Being Served? is returning to BBC One – Media Centre" . Retrieved 8 October 2016.

No sitcoms make me roar with laughter every minute (MST3K came closest, alhough categorizing that as a sitcom, or anything else, is problematic); but, the good ones brighten my mood, especially when the characters come to feel like welcome, comforting, old friends, and I'll always have a warm feeling from seeing the core cast. John Inman as Mr. Humphries is among my fondest characters from any program, anywhere. Collier, Shayne. Again and again and again. The Sydney Morning Herald – The Guide: 2 June 1986, p.1, 6. [1] Series 8 cast of 1981. ( left to right): ( top) Arthur English, Wendy Richard, Benny Lee, Mike Berry; ( bottom) Nicholas Smith, Frank Thornton, Mollie Sugden, Vivienne Johnson, John Inman, Kenneth Waller, Louise Burton Cast of late 1981. ( left to right): ( top) Arthur English, Wendy Richard, Benny Lee, Mike Berry; ( bottom) Nicholas Smith, Frank Thornton, Mollie Sugden, Vivienne Johnson, John Inman, Kenneth Waller, Louise BurtonSet in a dismal department store, Grace Brothers, the basic plot revolves around the sales people in the ladies' and gents' departments, forced to share floor space. Of course there are other store employees and many hapless customers. This basic structure saw something like 69 episodes filmed over 13 years as well as many cast changes. All-star cast of Are You Being Served? remake spotted arriving for filming at Salford Quays". Manchester Evening News. Other events include the staff putting on a traditional harvest festival dance for octogenarian American visitors and putting on a showcase of British arts and culture for a tour group from Mongolia.

If some of the discs or cases are broken we can send you replacements for whatever was damaged during shipment. DEFECTIVE ITEMSIn 1992, most of the original cast reunited for a spin-off show called Grace & Favour. This series was called Are You Being Served? Again! in the United States and Canada. Actress Abigail guest starred in one episode as a perfume company sales woman installed on the shop floor, whose presence disturbs the head of men's wear and the head of ladies' wear. Abigail's character then does a strip tease to reveal a skimpy costume. Abigail said of the guest spot that "I took this role because I very much wanted to work with John Inman and I have a high regard for the series itself. Besides, I thought it would be a fun proposition." [6] Episode list [ edit ]

Benny Lee as Mr Abraham Klein (series 8): A sales assistant assigned to the gents' department to help out with upcoming sales in the store. Like Sperber, Lee lasted only four episodes before writers dropped his character from the sitcom. Jeremy Lloyd's Laugh-In partner, Alan Sues, was cast as Mr Humphries, a decision Lloyd regretted, saying Sues had been miscast. http://colourrecovery.wikispaces.com/Processed+programmes?responseToken=0777a458e3442c35004419b178a4b124e Shop around for the best comedy in town! 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. Christine Amor said of the series that " Are You Being Served? is one of the few TV comedies we are making in Australia and that's sad. In the days of My Name's McGooley, What's Yours? we had real Australian humour. But we have been very much influenced by overseas countries. Are You Being Served? is popular because people identify with a department store. It has no Australian idioms and it is a take off of the English series, but there is this sort of colonial thing where people enjoy English humour. I've always enjoyed it. I like English comedies, I think they're far superior to American comedies." It was Amor's first acting job before a live television audience. "I look at John Inman because he's been doing TV comedy for 10 years and been a comedian for 25 years. He's got it down to a fine art. But it is an accomplished skill which you keep on learning. I've learnt a lot from John. The basic hint he gave me was to enjoy it and to have a rapport with the audience." [4]Buoyed by the huge success of the series in the United States, BBC America commissioned a special straight-to-VHS compilation in 1992. Running at 78 minutes, The Best of Are You Being Served featured newly shot scenes of Mr Humphries reminiscing with his elderly mother, Annie, about his time working at Grace Brothers. Both roles were played by John Inman. The additional sequences were filmed in America, and directed by Don Hopfer.