NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Patience Watson One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

g-pala Awful, truly awful. As a little boy in the 1970's there was very little on TV, but we had to endure this. Even before the concept of political correctness had emerged I found the relentless smutty innuendo and gay suggestion dull, repetitive and predictable.What a waste- and all this from a time when Fawlty Towers was being produced. There was other stuff on TV to keep an eight-year old entertained. How this ran for a decade is beyond comprehension. I guess it's Americans giving this show great reviews- just what must they think of us Brits?

joliefille411 I was pondering which review would be worthy of being my 50th IMDb review and AYBS won by a landslide. Not only is it the definitive field guide to the world of double entendres, it's my personal favourite TV show- British or otherwise. If you are looking for your first foray into British comedy, you'll find no better, and if you only see one, this had better be it.Despite its long run and casting changes, not always for the better mind you, AYBS was one show I can never say outran it's welcome. It remains as fresh and hilarious as the first day of taping, capturing perfectly the working atmosphere (in no small ways can I pick out similarities to my own stint in retail) while seamlessly introducing the absurdly hilarious. Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft were BRILLIANT writers for the show.The original lineup will always remain the favorite. In that time, I felt the characters were more equally favored, and I loved the caustic Mr. Mash. As changes ensued, there were highlights and detriments, including Miss Brahms coming more into her own, and the most obvious unwanted replacements of Mr. Grainger and Mr. Lucas. I never was a fan of Mr. Spooner, but I don't think he killed the show as more rabid purists may attest. Either way, I was never presented with an episode that couldn't make me laugh and forget the oppressions of real life.One last note, the musique concrete theme song was really outstanding as a hallmark of the show: very iconic.So this is my poor tribute to a fantastic show. If anything, I hope the very least I can do is inspire someone to look it up and become a new fan of this brilliant classic

keepthemagic "Are You Being Served?" is one of the best British comedies to hit American television screens! The show is about workers in a department store and their everyday lives. Every show the workers have adventures from being stuck in the store due to bad weather to one of them becoming a Pop Star for a day. "Are You Being Served" does not have any hidden messages like the average comedy it just tells about life in a plain old department store. What makes the show unique is the personalities of the workers; where in this store the customer is not always right. While the show ended in 1982 the show remains an icon due to the simple story lines which lead to hilarious side-splitting misunderstandings. "Are You Being Served?" is a must see for people who enjoy comedy. If you are looking for laughter, the search is over with "Are You Being Served."

ShadeGrenade I recently came across a comment on another forum which made my teeth itch. It went as follows: "The '70's were a time when 'Are You Being Served: The Movie' was considered the ultimate in side-splitting hilarity.'. I wanted to throttle the twit who made it. Nobody thought it the ultimate in anything, most people of my generation were more interested in seeing the latest Mel Brooks or Monty Python picture. I have to say that I was not a big fan of 'Are You Being Served?' when it first aired. I did not dislike it, it was just that there were far better shows around then, such as 'Monty Python's Flying Circus', 'Dad's Army', 'The Goodies' and 'Porridge'. It is only in recent years that I have come to fully appreciate its charms ( compared to Miranda Hart's appalling show, its 'Porridge'! ) Set in the clothing department of the London department store of Grace Brothers, the staff are a right bunch of eccentrics such as bewigged harridan Mrs.Slocombe ( Mollie Sugden ), her sexy assistant Miss Brahms ( Wendy Richard ), effeminate Mr.Humphries ( John Inman ), grumpy Mr.Grainger ( Arthur Borough ), and ladies' man Mr.Lucas ( Trevor Bannister ). Presiding over this crack team was floorwalker Captain Peacock ( Frank Thornton ), and jug-eared Mr.Rumbold ( Nicholas Smith ). One of the store's owners was Young Mr.Grace ( Harold Bennett ), who despite being older than Methuselah was a randy old goat ( I hope I'm like that when I reach his age ). The plots were basically an excuse to get the cast into silly costumes. Mrs.Slocombe's frequent references to her 'pussy' made the studio audience hysterical with laughter, as did Mr.Humphries' oblique references to his homosexuality. Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft's scripts trod a careful line between family entertainment and 'Carry On' style smut. It was only rude if you wanted it to be. Among the numerous catchphrases spawned were: "Men's Wear!" ( spoken by Mr.Humphries in a butch voice ), "And I am unanimous in this!", "You've all done very well!" ( delivered by Young Mr.Grace ), and, of course, the classic "I'm free!". The show was a massive hit, leading to the aforementioned infamous film in 1977, and running well into the alternative comedy '80's.It was good-natured fun, but not for everyone. The L.W.T. sketch show 'End Of Part One' did an excellent spoof called 'Are You Being Stereotyped?' which subverted the show's theme tune, turning it into a critique. Yes, the characters were stereotypes, no-one will deny that, but they were strong stereotypes, instantly recognisable from one another. And performed by a more than competent cast.When John Inman passed away a few years ago, Stuart Jefferies wrote a article in 'The Guardian', the thrust of which was that 'A.Y.B.S.' was representative of a style of humour that was ( in his view ) thankfully gone. Well, gone it certainly has, but I do not find that something to be cheer about. We have now reached the stage where bullying can pass for comedy. Pushing the boundaries of comedy? As Sid James used to say: "Knickers!". The comedy boundaries have been pushed far enough as it is. When John Cleese and Connie Booth created 'Fawlty Towers', they could not give two hoots about redefining comedy, they just wanted to make a funny show. And did. I'm sure Lloyd and Croft felt the same way when they wrote 'A.Y.B.S'. The real comedy geniuses are not the people who push boundaries, but those who work well within them.Like Benny Hill, 'A.Y.B.S.' was a hit in America. I suppose the Americans liked the very Britishness of the thing. It was McGill seaside postcard stuff really. John Inman was spot on when he said: "Don't say rude words, let the audience think them!".