Looking Back-Are You Being Served?

sanctus

sanctus

The Padre
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[FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans serif][/FONT] [FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans serif]When Are You Being Served? (AYBS? or AYBS for short) first aired in the U.K., it became one of the BBC's most popular shows. Then the show came over to the United States (via PBS) where its success made AYBS an international pheonomen. Now, over 25 years later, it's still enjoying an immense popularity.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans serif]AYBS? is a comedy about the adventures of the very dysfunctional staff of Grace Brothers, a fictional London department store. The series focuses on the adventures of the Ladies' Intimate Apparel and the Gentlemen's Ready-Made departments as they try to co-exist peacefully on the same floor. They try. They do not succeed very often: they are too busy plotting mini-ambushes against each other and leading very colorful lives in the workplace...they just don't sell much of anything.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans serif]AYBS? original cast included John Inman as Mr. Humphries (arguably one of the most popular characters on the show), the young assistant on the Men's counter whose adventures never cease to amaze the rest of the staff. There is Mollie Sugden as Mrs. Slocombe (arguably the other most popular character on the show), head of the Ladies' department and a woman known for her ever-changing hair colors, her tendency to drink a little much, and her pussy. There is Mr. Lucas, (Trevor Bannister), the Junior Salesman on the Men's Counter who can not seem to either sell a thing for his life or date successfully either. Captain Peacock (Frank Thornton) believes that he is both the ladies man and the dictator of the 4th floor of Grace Brothers. Miss Brahms (Wendy Richard) is the Ladies' Junior who is busy fending off everyone's advances and Mr. Grainger (Arthur Brough) is the grouchy Senior Salesman on the Men's counter who would be very happy offering Mrs. Slocombe a couple of cyanide pills. The cast would evolve over the years to introduce a selection of new characters and a new pecking order--the original show focused around the character of Mr. Lucas but started to evolve more around Mr. Humphries and Mrs. Slocombe.[/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans serif]Are You Being Served? aired in the UK for 10 seasons (from 1972-1985, skipping 2 years). A total of 69 episodes produced. The series spun off into an Australian version of Are You Being Served?, which ran for 2 seasons, Are You Being Served? The Movie, a couple of stage productions, songs, a few books about the series and the people behind it and even an attempt at an American version of the show! (But seriously, do you think anyone other than the originals can recreate such magic?). In the 90s, several original cast members reunited for Are You Being Served? Again (AYBS?A or Grace and Favour in the U.K.) which for the first time, took them out of Grace Brothers and put them to work as the staff of a quaint bed and breakfast in the English countryside. AYBS?A ran for 3 seasons. [/FONT]
 
hermanntrude

hermanntrude

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Jun 23, 2006
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I also liked corrie when i watched it. I used to watch all the soaps in england. Now i dont have a TV. I used to come home and switch on neighbours, then switch to hollyoaks, then over to emmerdale, then corrie, then eastenders, and some days back to corrie again.

I saw the woman who plays Gayle on the train once.
 
hermanntrude

hermanntrude

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if you've never seen it, there is an example of the world's best comedy falls ever in it. I bet it's on youtube. Del boy is telling rodney (or someone) to act cool, and promptly tries to lean on the bar in the pub, which has been raised so a staff member can get out, and disappears, remaining perfectly straight all the way. it's one of the funniest things ive ever seen.
 
Daz_Hockey

Daz_Hockey

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hermanntrude said:
if you've never seen it, there is an example of the world's best comedy falls ever in it. I bet it's on youtube. Del boy is telling rodney (or someone) to act cool, and promptly tries to lean on the bar in the pub, which has been raised so a staff member can get out, and disappears, remaining perfectly straight all the way. it's one of the funniest things ive ever seen.
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I'm afraid your wrong dude, I'm a fanatic of the series, I have all the episodes on video. I will explain where your mistaken...you are confusing two very similar scenes, one from the first series and one from a fair bit later.

The one in the first series was indeed with Rodney, him and Del are in a gay bar (not that they realise this), they spot two "girls", Del Approaches them, promptly turns, says to Rodney "drink up we're leaving", to which rodney reply's "why...are they a couple of ravers?"..del says "nope, they're a couple of geezers", they turn round (the 2 in question) and we find they both have big hair beards and are in drag".

The one your talking about is involving what Del get's upto while Roddersis at night school...no doubt meeting Casandra, but nope, he wasnt there and Del was in a trendy wine bar...It was Trigger, and Trigger's turn as he looks for where he's gone makes that scene.

Classic Del/Rodney/Trigger line "(Rodney)Del...why do they call him Trigger?, is it cus he carry's a gun?...(Del) Nope, it's cus he looks like a horse!!".

I hope that's cleared that up...classic show
 
hermanntrude

hermanntrude

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neither of those scenes involve a comedy fall. i'm just saying that the scene i remember involves del boy falling through the gap in the bar.
 
Daz_Hockey

Daz_Hockey

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Nov 21, 2005
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hermanntrude said:
neither of those scenes involve a comedy fall. i'm just saying that the scene i remember involves del boy falling through the gap in the bar.
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Yes they do, the comedy fall your on about occurs because Del has had too many spritzers at the said wine bar, he's wearing the "poltis" of a overcoat, he, according th Mikey Pearce "look's like the incredible Hulk's little boy" and Trigger is there, the mere fact he couldnt find Del added to the moment.

and the reason he falls is because *Juan (although the waiter is always called juan by Del and he's probably Dave or something) has just left the bar opening hatch open and Del, in the state he was in, forgot this and fell strait thru....but the way he fell was the funniest, his face continued to look strait forward and didnt look down.

Trust me, that's the one ur talking about.

*I found it....check out this link:
 
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hermanntrude

hermanntrude

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Daz_Hockey said:
Yes they do, the comedy fall your on about occurs because Del has had too many spritzers at the said wine bar, he's wearing the "poltis" of a overcoat, he, according th Mikey Pearce "look's like the incredible Hulk's little boy" and Trigger is there, the mere fact he couldnt find Del added to the moment.

and the reason he falls is because *Juan (although the waiter is always called juan by Del and he's probably Dave or something) has just left the bar opening hatch open and Del, in the state he was in, forgot this and fell strait thru....but the way he fell was the funniest, his face continued to look strait forward and didnt look down.

Trust me, that's the one ur talking about.
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that's the one. I wasn't confusing two scenes then. I just hadnt described the one i was tlaking about clearly enough.
 
Daz_Hockey

Daz_Hockey

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ah I see, but the two are very similar, well in that Del says "drink up...we're leaving" in both
 
Daz_Hockey

Daz_Hockey

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I'm just shocked no-one I've met in north America has heard of Only Fool's, no other comedy show from old blighty touches it.


not even monty python or fawlty towers
 
selfactivated

selfactivated

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hermanntrude said:
I think it must be a british humour. Those canadians ive tried to introduce it to have hated it.
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Its wayyyyy beyond me why it IS funny. Im not a fan of monty python either. Or any "slapstick" humour. It makes me cringe to watch it. I dont get how Larel and Hardy or the Three Stoodges became popular either. If I want to watch violence I just have to look back in my memories . *shrug*
 
selfactivated

selfactivated

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hermanntrude said:
laurel and hardy almost invented tv comedy. I admit it was simple comedy but that doesnt make it any less funny
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No in fact it makes it more funny for men who have had a hard day and just wanna slap the ****e outta someone ;) Its just not my cuppa tea. M*A*S*H was humour. It mingled slap stick with a higher form of cerebral comidy with drama. A perfect mix.
 
L Gilbert

L Gilbert

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MASH? Oh, you mean the Hawkeye Pierce show. I appreciated its satire of war, but I got tired of seeing episode after episode of things concerning Hawkeye Pierce.

Wasn't terribly crazy about "Are You Being Served" either. Liked "Yes, Minister", "Yes, Prime Minister", "Fawlty Towers", "Black Adder", "Keeping Up Appearances", "Mr. Bean", "Dad's Army", all those "Doctor at Large" and "Doctor in the House" shows, "Sykes", etc. a lot more.

About the only American sitcom I like now is "Dead Like Me". But I might like more if I watched more tv.
 
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