More Great Comedy If you're a newcomer to "Are You Being Served," this is an excellent start. If you're already a fan, you should recognize these titles immediately. It has three of the early episodes including one of my favorites, "Big Brother." I bet I've seen some of the AYBS episodes 100 times or more and never tire of them. This is downright silly comedy that never outdates itself. Highly recommended.
More dry, wry humor "Are You Being Served?" is a British situation-comedy, focusing on the staff at an upscale department store, in the clothing department. The humor is quite different from the humor of American comedies, but is plentiful. This tape has three more episodes.
Episode 1: Big Brother - With shoplifting on the increase, a comprehensive surveillance system is installed, and the boss gets to see exactly what does go on, down on the sales floor. Shocking - and funny.
Episode 2: His and Hers - In an attempt to boost sales, an attractive perfume/cologne saleswoman sets up a stand right between the menswear and womenswear departments. When she starts giving away ties and pantyhose, as promotional gifts, the rest of the sales-staff unite to oust her.
Episode 3: Cold Comfort - With a fuel shortage, the furnace is turned off in the middle of Winter. But, the sales staff are too enterprising - and funny - to be defeated by that. Rules? Out the window!
You might not laugh out loud often, although I did a few times, but you are likely to smile and chuckle often.
Volume 2 Is As Funny As Volume 1 "Are You Being Served?" is a great British sitcom that found a new life on PBS here in the U.S. It isn't as easy to find as it used to be, though. Fortunately, some of the shows are now available on video. As with many of our own classic sitcoms, this one brings together a wonderful ensemble of quirky characters. The venue is Grace Bros. Department Store and the characters comprise the staffs of the mens and womens counters and their supervisors.
As with any series, each viewer will choose his/her own favorite episodes. IMO, the episodes on Volume 1 in this series were all excellent and that video is a great one to start with if you're new to the shenanigans that go on at Grace Bros. This collection, Volume 2, is definitely a worthy follow-up. These three episodes are as funny as those on the first tape and give the new viewer a solid grounding in the zany group dynamic that runs through the entire series.
As near as I can determine, the producers of "Are You Being Served?" have released just seven tapes of three episodes each. Why they haven't simply released all of the episodes in order as they were originally shown is beyond me, but so far these 21 are all you can get (along with an eighth video made up of clips loosely strung together). We can only hope that all of the episodes will be made available in the future.
This is really funny stuff, and I highly recommend this video and its predecessor to anybody looking for a good laugh. I love this series and know several other folks who feel the same. Pay a visit to Grace Brothers, you'll enjoy the experience.
More great Britcom! Are You Being Served? is the story of the staff of the Ladies' and Gentlemen's Wear departments in Grace Brother's department store. While customer's come and go, the staff fights each other and their incompetent superiors with laughs all around. The stories are hilarious and are generally clean, though a running gag involves one lady's constant frettings about her pussycat. So, this tape can be watched with younger ones, but some discretion should be exercised.
Tape 2 includes the following three half-hour episodes:
Big Brother - Series II, episode 4, 1974 - To stop shoplifting, Grace Bros. installs security cameras. When the cameras begin to show the staff's foibles, they decide that it is time to correct the situation.
His and Hers - Series I, episode 5, 1973 - When Grace Bros. brings in a scent salesperson, complete with complementary ties and stockings, the staff decide that she must go.
Cold Comfort - Series II, episode 2, 1974 - To conserve fuel, in the dead of winter, Grace Bros. turns off the heat. Now, it's up to the staff to invent ways to stay warm.
Comedy Cult Classic I highly recommend watching the entire series on PBS and buying several videos since they get better with repeat viewings. There is something infectious about this camp show and its colorful characters. END
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