David Croft
Director
Are You Being Served? (1972)
Series 8
This comedy series, which follows the exploits of employees at London's fictional "Grace Brothers" department store, is full of sexual innuendo, slapstick, visual gags, and double entendres. Much of the show's humor parodies Britain's class system, and many of the show's characters are based on stereotypes of the period, including the effeminate Mr. Humphries and the rich, but stingy, store owner.
Released Sept. 8, 1972
Episode 30 min
13+
Genres: Comedy
Keywords: tmdb.department-store, tmdb.camp, tmdb.sitcom, tmdb.workplace-comedy, imdb.faux-posh-accent, imdb.malapropism, imdb.cockney-accent + 52 more, imdb.sexual-innuendo, imdb.innuendo, imdb.retail-employee, imdb.retail, imdb.british-sitcom, imdb.traditionalism, imdb.old-fashioned, imdb.customer, imdb.unseen-character, imdb.department-store-salesgirl, imdb.wit, imdb.rich-old-man, imdb.male-chauvinism, imdb.insult, imdb.clothing-store, imdb.class-system, imdb.raunchy-comedy, imdb.store, imdb.department-store, imdb.double-entendre, imdb.workplace, imdb.workplace-comedy, imdb.london-england, imdb.womanizer, imdb.stereotype, imdb.sexism, imdb.satire, imdb.irony, imdb.england, imdb.breaking-the-fourth-wall, imdb.old-man, imdb.satire-comedy, imdb.laugh-track, imdb.1970s, imdb.1980s, imdb.gay-actor-plays-a-gay-character, imdb.sitcom-comedy, imdb.punctuation-in-title, imdb.senility, imdb.catchphrase, imdb.clothing, imdb.are-you-being-served, imdb.gay-stereotype, imdb.employer-employee-relationship, imdb.coworker-coworker-relationship, imdb.gay-interest, imdb.20th-century, imdb.farce, imdb.title-spoken-by-character, imdb.gay-actor-gay-character, tmdb.lgbt, tmdb.gay-theme
Watch Providers: BritBox, BritBox Amazon Channel, Britbox Apple TV Channel
Production Companies: BBC
Network: BBC One
Country: United Kingdom
Languages:
English
S8E1 - Is It Catching?
The staff contract a strange tropical illness, Marine's Disease, from Mr. Humphries. They are quarantined in the basement until the disease is past.
April 9, 1981, midnight
S8E2 - A Personal Problem
Captain Peacock's wife works at Grace Brothers, as Mr. Rumbold's secretary. He is intensely jealous and is absolutely convinced that the two of them are having an affair.
April 16, 1981, midnight
S8E3 - Front Page Story
Mr. Humphries is made editor of the new staff magazine. The 1st Floor staff is not pleased with the stories he writes about them causing friction in the relations between floors.
April 23, 1981, midnight
S8E4 - Sit Out
The staff go on strike after being threatened with a pay cut or being moved to the bargain basement. They stage a protest on the roof which is interrupted by a fire which destroys the basement.
April 30, 1981, midnight
S8E5 - Heir Apparent
Old Mr. Grace becomes convinced that Mr. Humphries is his long-lost son. Mrs. Humphries (also played by Mr. Inman) arrives, and shows that she has never had relations with Mr. Grace.
May 7, 1981, midnight
S8E6 - Closed Circuit
Grace Brothers has decided to enter the video age and display advertisements on closed circuit television throughout the store. Meanwhile, there is a new face in Menswear.
May 21, 1981, midnight
S8E7 - The Erotic Dreams of Mrs. Slocombe
Mrs. Slocombe has dreams in which she and Mr. Humphries become romantically embroiled. When she attempts to turn fantasy into reality, the situation becomes most difficult to handle.
May 28, 1981, midnight
S8E8 - Roots?
The staff decide to obtain a coat-of-arms for Old Mr. Grace's 90th birthday, but problems arise when they're unable to figure out exactly from where his ancestors came.
Dec. 24, 1981, midnight
Network: BBC One
Episode Runtime: 30 min.
Season Runtime: 2070 min.
Released: Sept. 8, 1972
Last Air Date: April 1, 1985, midnight
Status: Ended
Certification: TV-PG
Common sense age: 13+
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