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"Are you Being Served?" is arguably the best known Brit com in the United States. For more than 10 years it followed the misadventures and schemes of the employees of a British Department store with everything from fire drills to foul weather, transit strikes to dissatisfied customers to out maneuvering the plans of management. The main characters became like well loved friends whose behavior you could rely on.
This set covers the early years of the show and what are generally accepted as their best episodes with the original cast. The staff is balance between the ladies' counter, headed by the self important Mrs. Slocum and her assistant the sharpish Miss Brahms. On the gentlemen's' side is the curmudgeonly Mr. Granger, Effete Mr. Humphries and scheming, fast talking Mr. Lucas. Between them is class conscious Captain Peacock. Presiding over all is Mr. Rumbold, who thinks he's a managerial genius but in fact he couldn't manage a chimps tea party.
The show was originally envisaged as a vehicle for Trevor Banister, Mr. Lucas, as the new man starting at a ridiculously stratified London department store, the sort of place where you can get in trouble for wearing the wrong hat to work or not folding your pocket handkerchief correctly. Bannister is supposed to be the normal man with whom the audience could identify as he explores the horrors of his work place but the other characters were so well developed they developed lives of their own beyond being foils for Bannister, transforming the show from a star vehicle for one to a very good ensemble comedy.
Such misadventures here include trying to survive management plans to save money, by turning off the heat during the winter, opening the store extra early, having to flog useless items because management bought way to much of something that no one was ever buying, transit strikes which leave them stranded or starring in store commercials, because it's cheaper to use staff than hire "real" actors. Along the way is a constant stream of customers who seem to almost get in the staff's way.
The packaging for this is very odd. It says volume/season 1-5 but the box is large enough to hold 7 discs and mine came with seasons 1-6 with an extra season 4. If you look at thep icture here on amazon is says 'season 1-5' but shows seasons 1-7 on the spines of the discs included. I suspect this is a re-packaging. AYBS had 12 seasons so an original break around season 7 for marketing would make sense but the show jumped the shark after season 7, too many original characters had left or the actors actually passed away, and I suspect people were less eager to buy the later seasons. But with this set, I got the first 6 seasons with all the original cast and they are gems of British humor, loaded with lovable characters and a mix of slap stick, puns and double entendre. If you like British comedy and you haven't encountered this yet, go for it, you will not be disappointed. If the episodes seem a little long, don't worry, they'll ride up with wear.
"Great gift!"
2009-08-27
- Reviewed By User: A48CIFYBJ6LZK
This was a gift for my parents and they absolutely love it!
This show was shown on PBS back in the 1990's and was a popular weekend treat. The first five seasons are the best.
"Are You Being Served"
2009-03-12
- Reviewed By User: AL1UYZIOPYPRY
Are You Being Served? in my opinion,is typical British humor. The casting is almost perfect. This is a very good series if you just want to sit back,relax and have a laugh. I would recommend this as worth purchasing if you are into British Comedy.
I have always loved quick and witty comedy and this is the epitome of that, not to mention I'm on the immature side and love sexual innuendoes. The best thing about this show is with the more I viewed it, the better it got. The characters are so well written and the cast has such great chemistry that the jokes got funnier, the zany situations got more believable and unexpected, and the whole atmosphere of Grace Brothers was just an environment I accepted.
The thing that I liked best about this show was the hierarchy system with strict guidelines that the management liked to enforce on the staff. There is so much red-tape the whole staff has to deal with from how to wear your handkerchief, how you talk, what you say when selling, how you get lunch breaks, what you can do. Not to mention this, upper management is always coming up with new scheme to save money whether it be cutting off the gas, turning off the lifts for additional hours, and so and on so for. So every episode is almost a rebellion against upper management to weasel something in whether it be a quick smoke or a sandwich from the canteen.
Not to mention the staff that is just insane. Whether it is the flamboyant Mr. Humphries spending the weekend with his mother or Captain Peacock always being accused of an affair, there is always something funny going on between the staff.
I can't recommend this show enough for its wit and originality.
"Very Very Sorry !!!"
2007-06-27
- Reviewed By User: A21C1EKASG2HQN
I would like to recall the message I sent earlier regarding my stuff not arriving on time. I would like to here-by state that my package did arrive on the day I wrote the message to Amazon. The actual problem was with the Postal Service from my end. They failed to inform me that the package arrived the previous week. I want to say that Amazon are really professionals in whatever they do and that I have full trust and confidence in them. I will, very soon, be viewing the DVD's and giving my review on it, even though I know that it is going to be really hilarious. This is one Fantasic BBC's comedy series that you can never get tired of watching over and over again.
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International Available
"Best of British Comedys"
"Very Very Sorry !!!"