Are You Being Served

Jay

Member
What's people's view on this?

I've watched a few episodes of the original and some are funny while others to me are not great. It seems to have been big back in the day
 
I found it very funny. Liked the characters and the shenanigans they got up to. Even enjoyed the spin off they did.
 
Liked early series but scripts grew tired and predictable , the loss of Arthur Brough and Trevor Bannister characters were a bitter blow and all the replacements they used never reached the heights of those earlier episodes.
 
I agree with CC, the early episodes were very good, the ones at the end were very poor indeed, a perfect example of not knowing when a series has passed it's sell by date. The spin off Grace & Favour or Are You Being Served Again as it was branded in the US is not too bad, it's quite sweet and gentle and worth a watch. I'm not sure if others agree but the AYBS film I felt was excruciatingly bad.
 
Did not know they had made a film as well. Just looked it up and watched the trailer. The video was not the best quality but it looked like Manuel from Fawlty Towers was in there. Also the guy who ran the apartments from Don't Drink the Water. Seems like the writers tried a bit too hard to make the movie funny.
 
Did not know they had made a film as well. Just looked it up and watched the trailer. The video was not the best quality but it looked like Manuel from Fawlty Towers was in there. Also the guy who ran the apartments from Don't Drink the Water. Seems like the writers tried a bit too hard to make the movie funny.
It was par for the course for most 70's sitcoms to make a spin off film for some reason, On The Buses had a couple, Bless This House, Steptoe & Son.... I'm guessing it was all about making money but I can't think of any which were of any decent quality. Perhaps some of the more enlightened members can explain why there used to be so may spin off films as you rarely see them today.
 
Are You Being Served was so very popular. I liked all the characters. Frank Thornton (Captain Peacock) went on to star in LOTSW, however, I haven't watched the episodes with him in the series. I will get the opportunity, now that I have the box set.
The film Are You Being Served is actually well made with a good story line. Like most spin-off films, the jokes are from the series.
 
As indicated, the first five series were brilliant.

The film is good too, although it seems more like an extended TV episode because 99% of it was shot inside a studio. Good fun though.
 
Nicholas Smith as the Vicar who is kidnapped by Barry in Last of the Summer Wine was great. I found that character had more depth than the Rumbold character he portrayed in AYBS. Would have liked to see Nicholas in more Summer Wine as a regular.
 
Think I will see the movie of AYBS if I ever get the chance. Just to watch the old crew again in something I have not seen. I did enjoy the On the Buses films. Yes, unfortunately like most movie afterthoughts the gags would be rehashed from the series. Par for the course I guess.

@Moonraker, I think Frank Thornton made a great character as Herbert 'Truly of the yard' Truelove in LotSW and hope you enjoy him in the series. If you ever watched the Pink Panther movies with Peter Sellers and his house keeper Cato (Burt Kwouk) also plays a great character in LotSW as 'Electrical' Entwistle. A character I find as very similar to the younger, more mischievous Clegg in the earlier seasons of the show. I mention him because he is in the show roughly in the same time frame as Frank - so you may not have seen him yet.

Speaking of Electrical, I agree Nicholas Smith as the vicar was a really good character. He would have made a nice return character. As Rumbold he did have some nice secretaries helping him about the office. ;)
 
Think I will see the movie of AYBS if I ever get the chance. Just to watch the old crew again in something I have not seen. I did enjoy the On the Buses films. Yes, unfortunately like most movie afterthoughts the gags would be rehashed from the series. Par for the course I guess.

@Moonraker, I think Frank Thornton made a great character as Herbert 'Truly of the yard' Truelove in LotSW and hope you enjoy him in the series. If you ever watched the Pink Panther movies with Peter Sellers and his house keeper Cato (Burt Kwouk) also plays a great character in LotSW as 'Electrical' Entwistle. A character I find as very similar to the younger, more mischievous Clegg in the earlier seasons of the show. I mention him because he is in the show roughly in the same time frame as Frank - so you may not have seen him yet.

Speaking of Electrical, I agree Nicholas Smith as the vicar was a really good character. He would have made a nice return character. As Rumbold he did have some nice secretaries helping him about the office. ;)
If you've ever seen Don't Drink The Water, imagine that for 2 hours and you have the the AYBS film!
 
I've just watched Don't Drink the Water again after a few years as they're on YouTube. I wanted to give it another chance as it has our own Steven Lewis in the starring role.
Sadly my view hasn't changed :frown2: I honestly can't think of a worse sitcom, I think it's even worse than Bottle Boys!
I've watched most UK sitcoms can anyone think of a worse series!?
 
I've just watched Don't Drink the Water again after a few years as they're on YouTube. I wanted to give it another chance as it has our own Steven Lewis in the starring role.
Sadly my view hasn't changed :frown2: I honestly can't think of a worse sitcom, I think it's even worse than Bottle Boys!
I've watched most UK sitcoms can anyone think of a worse series!?
There are quite a few comedy series I haven't seen even though I love comedy. The worst one for me was 'Dinner Ladies'. The one I like the most is 'As time goes by'. There is nothing OTT about it but it is so funny. I particularly liked Alistair Deacon. He was a superb character. Lots of good actors have been cast in poor comedies which hasn't been favourable to their star quality. There are some very good actors in Dinner Ladies, it was a case of bad directing. Victoria Wood was very funny in her stage performances and made me howl with laughter. I watched and enjoyed her many times and miss her comedy. I eagerly awaited the start of the series:37: but sadly Dinner Ladies just didn't work for me.:(
 
About turn for me loved Dinnerladies think Victoria Wood's acerbic script and the sheer comedic talent of the actresses and actors made it really enjoyable, such a strong cast Julie Walters, Anne Reid, Thelma Barlow, Maxine Peake all great actresses but that's what makes the world go around be pretty boring if we all had same opinions . :) I am a big Red Dwarf fan got it from episode one but equally there are people who didnt and think its awful. A lot of modern shows, allegedly comedy sitcoms, just don't appeal BBC plug the Young Offenders at every opportunity 30 second trailer is enough to tell me its tripe and when I read that there were 3 series of Mum and having watched the first episode of Series one it reinforced that whoever the Head of Comedy is has absolutely no idea what they are doing.
 
There are quite a few comedy series I haven't seen even though I love comedy. The worst one for me was 'Dinner Ladies'. The one I like the most is 'As time goes by'. There is nothing OTT about it but it is so funny. I particularly liked Alistair Deacon. He was a superb character. Lots of good actors have been cast in poor comedies which hasn't been favourable to their star quality. There are some very good actors in Dinner Ladies, it was a case of bad directing. Victoria Wood was very funny in her stage performances and made me howl with laughter. I watched and enjoyed her many times and miss her comedy. I eagerly awaited the start of the series:37: but sadly Dinner Ladies just didn't work for me.:(
I have to disagree with you, I think Dinnerladies would certainly be in my all time top ten, I think the directing is sublime. Unlike any other comedy series I've seen, it has such a rich seam that I can watch it over and over again and still discover new jokes/lines I've previously missed. Of course it is a matter of personal opinion, I certainly wouldn't put this in the league of Don't Drink The Water (DDTW)!

@wstol you make come up with some good examples there, I too hate Mrs Browns Boys but it is certainly popular (mind you On The Buses was too!)
I have to say I'd put Yus My Dear only a whisker above DDTW, but it's still rubbish! If anyone has seen Take a Letter Mr Jones, that also is pretty poor!
 
I really liked Ever Decreasing Circles I am sure there is a Martin Bryce in every town and I actually know someone who portrays his traits . My neighbour and his wife have a running battle over something so simple it matches that of Martin and Anne regarding the telephone where Anne puts the receiver one way and Martin turns it the other way , a running gag that appears in pretty much every episode . With my neighbours its the Kitchen roll . Margaret puts it on the holder so you'd pull the roll left to tear off a strip , Ian on finding it turns it around so you'd pull it right to tear a strip , it drives him mad . However, I have friends who absolutely detest EDC and cannot for the life of them think why I enjoy it .
 
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