Are You Being Served?

1 9 7 3 - 1 9 8 4 (UK)
60 x 30 minute episodes

This was English seaside humor at its most traditional. Once nicknamed "Are You being Stereotyped?" the series was a cross between mucky postcards and music hall cheekiness, with some 1970s "poof" and "pussy" jokes thrown in a la Benny Hill for good measure. The doors of Grace Brothers department store first opened in 1973 as part of the BBC's Comedy Playhouse launching the staff of Ladies and Gentleman's Ready to Wear on the British public. The atmosphere was quaint and old-fashioned.

John Inman camped it up as tape measure-brandishing men's sales assistant Mr Humphries - always ready to mice over and take an inside leg measurement.  Although Mr Humphries was never explicitly called a homosexual in the show, the innuendo was loud and clear. Gay rights groups initially reacted with outrage to Inman's character but his "I'm free!" catchphrase was being repeated across the country within weeks of the first shows - and the character is now a gay icon.

Also appearing were Wendy Richard - bursting her blouse buttons as flighty Miss Brahms (who went on to lofty heights as Pauline Fowler in EastEnders); Mollie Sugden as Mrs Slocombe, Frank Thornton as floorwalker Captain Peacock and Trevor Bannister as Mr Lucas. The blowsy, overbearing Mrs Slocombe was an all-year-round pantomime dame with piled up mauve (or pink or blue or green) hair and an unseen, much-fussed-about cat. Her pussy (nudge, nudge) had originally existed, but suffered stage-fright and was sacked.

A film version of Are You Being Served? was released in 1977 with more of the same old formula. In 1992 the main cast of the show was reunited in a spin-off, Grace and Favour, set in a country mansion hotel which they inherited from young Mr Grace. Unfortunately he had bought the house with their pension fund!

In 1979, CBS attempted an American version of the show called Beanes Of Boston. Despite being written by AYBS? writers Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, the attempt was unsuccessful and only one 30 minute episode aired.