Are You Being Served? is a classic British sitcom that follows the lives of the employees of a struggling department store in London. At times farcical and at other times deeply touching, it has become one of the most beloved shows in the history of British comedy.
The show ran for eleven seasons from 1972 to 1985, with 69 episodes divided across them all. Each episode follows various goings-on at Grace Brothers - from lighthearted romantic entanglements between some of its staff to problematic customers causing chaos - and how they must deal with it all while managing their own personal lives.
The show was so successful during its run that it spawned several spin-offs such as Grace & Favour, Mr. Sloane and Are You Being Served? Again!, each further exploring different characters depicted on the original series.
All in all, if you’re looking for witty wordplay, hilarious physical humor, and some workplace shenanigans - Are You Being Served? is definitely worth checking out!
How many episodes are in the Are You Being Served? TV series?
Are You Being Served? is a classic British sitcom that still has a devoted fan base today. It ran for an impressive 69 episodes across 10 series, first airing in 1972 and finally ending in 1985. The show follows the lives of the staff at Grace Brothers department store and their hilarious interactions as they try to get through the working day without too much bother.
The TV series consists of five season-long story arcs, consisting of a total of 69 episodes plus two Christmas specials. Series one aired only seven episodes, but this number would slowly increase- with 17 in Series two, 21 by Series 7 and 25 by its final season, 10.
The show quickly gained popularity with viewers, who were fascinated by the antics of main characters Mister Humphries (John Inman), Mrs Slocombe (Mollie Sugden) Captain Peacock (Frank Thornton) and Mr Grainger (Arthur Brough). The popularity was so great that it even got millions of fans when it was syndicated in North America back in 1979!
So from start to finish there are a grand total of 69 episodes across ten seasons - making Are You Being Served? one comedy classic not be missed!
What year did the Are You Being Served? sitcom air?
Are You Being Served? was a British sitcom that ran from 1972 to 1985. It depicted the day-to-day outrageous antics of the staff of Grace Brothers, a fictional London department store, in an exaggerated comedic style.
The series was created by writer and producerDavid Croft and Jeremy Lloyd, starring actor and comedian Mollie Sugden as Mrs Slocombe. Many memorable characters filled out this iconic show’s cast; Mr Humphries (John Inman), Captain Peacock (Frank Thornton), Miss Brahms (Wendy Richard), Mister Grainger (Arthur Brough), Mr Lucas (Trevor Bannister).
The first episode aired on BBC One on September 8th 1972, running for ten series before its final episode on April 1st 1985. The show's popularity led to several specials being commissioned despite its cancellation after ten seasons. The reunion specials Are You Being Served: Again! aired in August 1981 and Are You Being Served?: Grace & Favour aired over two episodes in 1992/93 to wrap up their stories neatly with a bow on top!
Who were the main characters in the Are You Being Served? TV series?
Are You Being Served? is a classic British comedy series that ran from 1972 to 1985, and it has been celebrated for its iconic cast of characters. The show centered on the lives and shenanigans of the staff in Grace Brothers (a department store), who prided themselves on offering customers “a pleasant shopping experience.”
At the heart of this wacky retail establishment were 9 main characters, including Captain Peacock (Frank Thornton) – the store's Manager; Mrs Slocombe (Mollie Sugden) – Head of Ladies' Ready-to-Wear; Mr Humphreys (John Inman) - Assistant Manager in Chief Buyer's Department; Mr Grainger (Harold Bennett) - head of Gentlemen's Wear; Miss Brahms (Wendy Richard) – Junior Assistant in Ladies' Fashions; Mr Lucas (Trevor Bannister) – Garment Section Managers Sales Counter Clerk; Young Mr Grace (Arthur Brough)- Head Store Owner and a bit eccentric at times ; and Mrs Betty Hopwell played by Gorden Kaye.
The core cast was complimented by other featured regulars like young Cptn Pecok, played by Mike Berry as well as various guest stars throughout its 13 season run. The series was so immensely popular during its original broadcast that it spawned several spinoffs such as Are You Being Served? Again! And Grace & Favour starring many of the original cast reprising their roles. While all these characters offered unique quirks to the show, their undeniable chemistry is what truly made generations love Are You Being Served?
What is the name of the store featured in the Are You Being Served? sitcom?
Are You Being Served? was a British sitcom that aired on BBC One from 1972 to 1985, focusing on the lives and loves of the employees at Grace Bros department store. For all eight series, the main setting for the show was the flagship store of Grace Brothers.
Grace Brothers is a fictional department store located in London, England. The mall itself carries different sections such as (in chronological order): menswear, ladies'wear, perfumery and haberdashery. Inside these departments are smaller subsections focused on selling garments, accessories and beauty products respectively.
The original location for filming was inside of BBC's Ealing studios in West London for several episodes; however, many exterior shots of Grace Brothers were filmed outside of Billingsgate Fish Market which is close to Tower Bridge in East London starting with season five; this indicates that Grace Brother moved locations during their television run but continues to remain an iconic shopping spot within Britain’s culture.
Because Are You Being Served? aired decades ago before digital marketing took off it can be said that well-known brands such as Amazon didn’t exist yet so there wasn’t much competition against traditional over-the-counter stores like Grace Bros to make it stand out any more than how people already knew it as a staple of British comedy entertainment at its time. Nowadays though discerningly enough savvy viewers could argue that no other shop has popped up since then with quite a historical presence like Grace Bros had made within British culture when packing up its bags until 1986 when production ended officially for the show after holiday specials followed after season eight due to declining viewership at the time.
Overall one may conclude why Aren't You Being Served? had grown into an endearing TV program even thirty years since its series finale due to memorable characters among viewers appreciating yet another depiction towards what it means being employed in Retail therapy as exemplified by an iconic brand home called...Grace Brothers!
What network originally aired the Are You Being Served? TV series?
Are You Being Served? is one of the most beloved British sitcoms, and has a long and storied history. In fact, it has been airing on television for more than 40 years! But many people don't know which network was responsible for airing this classic comedy series for the first time.
The answer is BBC One! The world-famous broadcaster aired Are You Being Served? on British TV screens from March of 1972 all the way through until 1985. During its 13-year run, BBC One never failed to make fans of the sitcom laugh uproariously with each episode. The show also gained attention outside of Britain when BBC America distributed some episodes to U.S. audiences in 1980s and 90s as well as in syndication during that same period.
Fans continue to enjoy Are You Being Served? even today—BBC One reran some episodes towards the end of 2019 with a number of records marking milestones such as being 40 years since it's original premiere in 1972 (coincidentally leading into 2020). In recent years, streaming services have made it easy for everyone around the world to watch their favorite comedies whenever they feel like having a good chuckle!
Are there any Are You Being Served? specials or movies?
Are You Being Served? is a beloved British comedy series which ran from 1972 to 1985, and its popularity has never waned. Over the decades, fans have continued to enjoy the show's unique brand of tongue-in-cheek humour and memorable characters. It's no surprise then that since the show ended its run in 1985, several special projects and movies inspired by Are You Being Served? have been released.
The first such project was a one-off "reunion" episode called "Are You Being Served Again?" which aired in August of 1992 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Are You Being Served? This irreverent special saw original members of staff from Grace Brothers department store return to their old jobs on a single day to help raise money for charity.
More recently, in 2016 BBC1 released an official full length film adaptation of Are You Being Served? titled “Are You Being Served?: The Movie”. Not only did this film feature many original cast members reprising their roles but it also saw some younger actors – playing family members - join them as well! Made on location in Spain and Portugal according John Inman (who played Mr Humphries), this modern day adaption brought these fondly remembered characters together again for one last adventure filled with misadventures, laughter delights and surprises at every turn!
Then since 2019 ITV has begun airing annual Christmas specials based on Are You Being Served?, each featuring two episodes written specifically for television. Sandwiched between these two classic episodes are new exclusive sketches performed by some familiar celebrities - often playing outtakes or altered versions of popular scenes featured in earlier seasons! So if you’re feeling nostalgic then perhaps it's time you revisit your favourite sitcom once more through these lovingly produced tributes!
