I too watch this before going to be. I actually fall asleep to it. My dad and I use to watch this together he passed in 2010 and it is a precious memory.
I think the reason so many of us return to this show again and again is that the cast members always seem to be thoroughly enjoying themselves, and (after all these years) the pleasure they take in the jokes and in each other is still contagious. I sometimes have it playing at home, like happy background music. What a legacy they left!
Well, many of their jokes do not work as well today as they did past them, but the camaraderie of the crew still works perfectly. They are more like family than a film crew....
Where I used to work, there were only 7 of us in the department. As luck would have it, we all watched this show and we all found it to be hilarious. It got to the point where if we needed to speak to each other we would say "Mister...or Mrs ... are you free?" Yes, I'm free". It was a way to keep things light especially if it got busy. People from other departments eventually caught on and later we found out they were doing it as well. It was quite the time at work. Ah, the memories.
one time I was in a department store with a friend and his mother. I was off in another section looking at suits, and he wanted to see me for a moment and called out "Are you free Mr Humphreys" to which I answered "I'm Freeee!" and did the walk as went over to him. much to amusement of store staff who over heard the scene.
It's hard to believe that this show is around 50yrs old. That alot of the cast are now gone. But it still makes me laugh after a rotten day at work. This show is timeless.,and I think alot of people love it.😁😁😁
Melanie Nagy I agree. Wow,50 years. It is still relevant with working retail and so funny even today. Sad that most of the actors are gone,but at least the show lives on on RU-vid and reruns on public tv
Love this show! Back in the 90’s, my father used to call me on Saturday nights and we would watch the show together over the phone. I had never heard my Father laugh that much!
Mrs. Slocombe's hair is a bright rose gold--a color that has become super-popular in the past couple of years--i'm wearing it now 😄--she was ahead of her time!!!
I watched this show with my mother on PBS when I was young. A lot of the jokes I didn't get, but I enjoyed it anyway. Now as an adult, I get all the jokes and find the series absolutely hilarious!
Years ago my husband and I used to watch these gems every night. Once we donated to our local PBS station while they were doing a AYBS begathon and we got one of the shopping bags with their logo on it and a coffee mug. RIP hubby 😢
The Asian actor is Eric Young (now Ric Young) who is British actor (born in Kuala Lumpur but I suppose it was under British rule at the time of his birth, hence his bio stating him as being British) whose acting credits include THE TRANSPORTER (2002), INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984), AMERICAN GANGSTER (2007), SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET (1997)`and several other films. In real life he speaks with a British accent.
I remember watching this show when i was barely a teenager and i still watch it decades later. They just don't make comedies like this. Everything is a sad boring old reality show nowadays. I love this !!
I have to agree. I was born in 1990 but prefer older shows like this to the modern stuff. TV is too serious and boring nowadays. It's either crime dramas, soaps, reality shows or US imports. What little comedy there is is absolute garbage (yes I'm looking at you Mrs Brown's Boys!)
@@stephthestar90 To a young person born in the 1990s from an old man born in 1961, right you are! I watched as American comedy went from cleverly and benignly offending everyone with humor to everyone straining at the bit just to be offended, so sad! It's only going to get worse too.
I watched this growing up in California, on PBS with my mom and dad. I can't believe how much (even) *more* I enjoy this now, as an adult!! I want all the series on dvd!! I can't stop watching!!
I've got them on DVD, it was quite reasonable as I recall. Though you can mostly catch them online somewhere. Except for the Punch N Judy one, for some reason. www.zavvi.com/dvd/are-you-being-served-complete-box-set/10219897.html?affil=thggpsad
"His mother kept polishing his hair with sandpaper ".. that one line had me in a noiseless laugh other than the occasional snort for more than 2 minutes I had to pause it just so I wouldn't lose place. This show was definitely riddled with humor. I can't say ahead of its time cause by 2022 standards unfortunately it probably would have been eighty sixed
I love this show! Seems like no one ever comments on just how funny the maintenance guys are. I really enjoy Mr. Mash and one other worker who gives the regular workers a bad time. ❤️
I work in retail. This is my favourite stress relief. My favourite episode is when the boss comes back from America. 2nd favourite: German Week. What’s yours.?
Love this show ! I wish there were more episodes, I know them all by heart. When I was young we had a department store in Peekskill, NY just like Grace Brothers. It even had a tiny elevator ! This show calms my mind and brings back the 70's in a happy way.
I totally agree! This old show takes the stress out and it gives you a break from this terrible XXI century reality! Sometimes, I wish we did away with so much unnecessary technology so we can live a happier, simpler, and carefree life!
15:53 Mr. Humphries (John Inman) tells Captain Peacock (Frank Thornton) that he has a long lifeline. In reality, Frank Thornton did indeed live a very long life - he passed away at age 92 in 2013. Were he still alive today, by the time of this posting he would have been exactly 100 years old. Sadly, the entire main cast of AYBS have now all passed on. Only two or three of the actresses who played the nurses and secretaries to Mr. Grace and one other then-future cast member are still around.
Am I the only one who seems to believe these wonderful episodes appear as if they are being filmed today rather than practically 50 years ago? Much is far from modern, but so much appears to be quite modern indeed. Perhaps that is who AYBS is quite timeless and ever so funny. Thank you all for all the laughs.
Kimberly...I discovered this show on PBS in the 90s, and my husband being a big joker, was saying how Mollie looks just like a cousin. She, of course, does look like my cousin, including her facial expressions. It's uncanny!
I live in the U. S. and started watching this great show several years ago and still do often and want to say, once you start watching you can't stop, you're hooked. Captain Peacock to Mr. Lucas are you free? Great Actors.
Such a Wonderful Show & who can ever forget Mrs. Slocombe & her ………..😮That line was a Riot in the USA🎉. It’s lovely to see them making Work look like such good Fun They will be Forever Loved & Missed & May God give them Grace for all the Joy they Gave all of us, RIP🕊
These series bring back so many wonderful childhood memories......and it makes me really happy! And then I realize how long ago this was & I feel awfully sad that the cast had long passed...... Life is indeed precious!
@@murdochmclennan3510 The portrayal of the Japanese character in this episode, for one thing. There's also an episode in which the staff appear in blackface for a "minstrel" performance. P.S.: I'm an American as well. ;-)
I never watched this when I was young. Just started watching on RU-vid and I just can't get enough of it. There is not a split second between the witticisms and funnies. Absolutely fantastic storylines and perfect timing by all the characters put it top of the best.
I still watch this, especially when I need a good laugh. It is nice to watch something without having profanities in it. Wow, where have the years flown?
I love the irony of Mrs/ Slocombe's comment about "This is ladies department, Mr. Mash, not a farmyard." considering she would later play the same character in the sequel series who lives on an estate farm.
Excellent tv comedy. ...most are all dead now. Mr Rumbold was the last to go to the great dept store in the sky. Are you free? Watched these when I was 12
Mrs Slocombe;' I think it is about time we had A CHANGE I=OF SEX on the floor': Capt Peacock. 'Are you suggesting we promote Mr Mumpheies'. CLASSIC writing!
Why can't we get all of these wonderful old shows on BBC anymore thay were the most wonderful, things to watch even all my kids loved them and all of the other english comedys please somebody bring them back.
I used to watch reruns when I was a teen in the early 80s. Hit me hard when I recently found this show again and realized that everysingle cast member has now passed, except for two or three out of the almost twenty that came up as the show progressed. Thank you for the good time and the laughs. Godspeed.
Lots of memories from this show! once in a while I delve into my LP's and play my John Inman "Are you being served Sir?" (1975 album) I recall he used to take such liberties with his facial expressions as he performed different times on "The Good Old Days". Then it's always good to watch Mavis Moulterd and John Inman and their antics on "Grace and Favour" it's just too bad there are so few episodes of it.
