# "Are You Being Served" pulled from airwaves **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 4, 2013, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015 "2013-09-04T19:13:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015/1 "2013-09-04T19:13:01Z")
“Are You Being Served”, the 70s/80s British sitcom that has long been a staple of American public TV, [has been pulled from the airwaves due to legal action.](http://rhodeislandpbs.blogspot.com/2013/09/are-you-being-served-not-anymore.html) Apparently even distributor BBC was surprised. Anyone know the full story? Do you remember watching it? And is the show available at all on British TV? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015/2 "2013-09-04T19:35:58Z")
I watched it for Mrs. Slocombe’s pussy. It won an award every time she showed it, don’t ya know. ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015/3 "2013-09-04T19:37:51Z")
Glass of water for Mr. installLSC. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015/4 "2013-09-04T19:48:55Z")
Glass of water coming up! ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015/5 "2013-09-04T20:44:36Z")
I dunno, in the UK it’s fairly iconic as an archetypal 70s sitcom, so if the family did suddenly decide to withold the broadcasting right from the BBC you’d expect to see a little bit in the paper, but it’s iconic of a past era and it’s not repeated very often. I think many in the UK find it a bit strange when they hear it’s well-known in the USA, as it’s a very British sitcom and an example of the fairly moribund and peculiarly British"end of the pier"-type of humour. It’s not particularly clever, it’s not even that great either! Tthe radio show _Round the Horn_ did innuendo and outrageously camp characters much better years before _Are You Being Served?_ was first broadcast and was much cleverer. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015/6 "2013-09-04T21:35:48Z")
I can’t find anything about this on the website ([ripbs.org](http://ripbs.org)) of the Rhode Island PBS station that supposedly announced the withdrawal of the show from the airwaves. And an episode is scheduled to be shown tonight; the schedule is shown on the left of this homepage: [http://www.ripbs.org/](http://www.ripbs.org/) Internet rumor? Anyway, the show is popular in the US, I think, because we, too, have a lot of people working (or remembering having worked) low-wage, low-prestige jobs. We identify with the frustrations, and enjoy seeing pompous executives taken down a peg–features of nearly every episode. The performers are skillful with old-fashioned vaudeville shtick and knockabout farce. It’s light entertainment. (And the gay character isn’t mocked–he’s the star.) ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015/7 "2013-09-04T21:46:47Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > I can’t find anything about this on the website ([ripbs.org](http://ripbs.org)) of the Rhode Island PBS station that supposedly announced the withdrawal of the show from the airwaves. The linked article states the show will be taken off effective Sept. 17, giving people a little adjustment time. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015/8 "2013-09-04T21:49:03Z")
Thankfully I have the whole series on DVD. Our local PBS hasn’t aired it in several years. Great show, but of course it went downhill after Mr. Grainger left and then really dropped like a stone when Mr. Lucas left. Loved the cast, they’ve all done very well! ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015/9 "2013-09-04T22:04:09Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > The linked article states the show will be taken off effective Sept. 17, giving people a little adjustment time. Thanks. (I have a longstanding policy of not clicking links, which 90% of the time is overly paranoid, of course. Anyway, I tend to search instead of click, and was surprised to see so few hits about the removal of the show.) I wonder about the reasoning behind Mr. Croft’s apparent decision to keep the show from being seen, beginning at some time after his death. Surely he wasn’t ashamed of it…? (I mean, he was responsible for quite a lot of entertainment in his working life, but not much of it could be described as being _highbrow_, really…) ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015/10 "2013-09-04T22:10:21Z")
Remember watching? I still do! It’s a nice late Sunday night visit from old friends. I will miss it. Didn’t have to watch it too hard, having seen the series multiple times over the years. If only our local PBS would bring back Red Dwarf and Classic Doctor Who! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015/11 "2013-09-04T23:43:38Z")
Still on the Maryland Public Television schedule until at least the 22[sup]nd[/sup]. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015/12 "2013-09-05T05:36:16Z")
I liked Young Mr Grace. I didn’t care for Old Mr Grace. Perhaps because YMG was played by an older actor and OMG was a younger actor in not very good makeup. And I am unanimous in that! ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015/13 "2013-09-05T07:41:32Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Loved the cast, they’ve all done very well! I hate to break it to you, but they’re all dead! (Apart from Mr Rumbold). ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015/14 "2013-09-05T09:57:45Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > I hate to break it to you, but they’re all dead! (Apart from Mr Rumbold). Oh sure, but they did very well in making the show. Funny how old Jug Ears was the last survivor. Agree about Old Mr. Grace- he sucked. Young Mr. Grace was a sweet little man with a bit of innocent lechery, OMG was just a guy in old man makeup playing an unlikeable character. ---
**Author:** ![elemare\_wsbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e274bd/32.png) [@elemare\_wsbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elemare_wsbe)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015/15 "2013-09-10T13:49:29Z")
Greetings! I found this thread searching online for other confirmation (besides us) about AYBS being cancelled. I am the public information manager at WSBE Rhode Island PBS and I write our blog. Our program director and I, too, are pretty amazed there is so little talk about this, even the other stations are quiet in public. I can tell you that the information is true and firm. We’re ending the show on September 17 (Tuesdays are our usual British comedy night), but the official kill date for all stations is September 22. Sure, series come and go all the time, and explanations or justification from the brass are not always forthcoming. But in our case, our fans are fiercely devoted to the show. We HAD to let them know it was going away, and that the decision was not ours. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015/16 "2013-09-10T18:01:40Z")
> [@elemare\_wsbe](#): > > Greetings! I found this thread searching online for other confirmation (besides us) about AYBS being cancelled. I am the public information manager at WSBE Rhode Island PBS and I write our blog. I didn’t want to post in the blog comments because I’m not in Rhode Island, but I thought _'Allo 'Allo_ might work as a replacement for _Are You Being Served_. They were both created and written by the same team, Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft. Then I wondered if it was going out of circulation as well. If Croft’s estate is ending the broadcast rights for _Are You Being Served_, have they done the same for _'Allo 'Allo_ too? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015/17 "2013-09-10T19:39:00Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I didn’t want to post in the blog comments because I’m not in Rhode Island, but I thought _'Allo 'Allo_ might work as a replacement for _Are You Being Served_. They were both created and written by the same team, Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft. There’s even a Young Mr. Grace look-alike at the funeral. One can only assume that the appearance was a tribute to the late Mr. Bennett. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015/18 "2013-09-10T20:01:00Z")
> [@Asympotically\_fat](#): > > It’s not particularly clever, it’s not even that great either! Tthe radio show _Round the Horn_ did innuendo and outrageously camp characters much better years before _Are You Being Served?_ was first broadcast and was much cleverer. Which may be why PBS stations could get it cheap…? ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015/19 "2013-09-10T20:30:02Z")
> [@elemare\_wsbe](#): > > Greetings! I found this thread searching online for other confirmation (besides us) about AYBS being cancelled. I am the public information manager at WSBE Rhode Island PBS and I write our blog. > > Our program director and I, too, are pretty amazed there is so little talk about this, even the other stations are quiet in public. I can tell you that the information is true and firm. We’re ending the show on September 17 (Tuesdays are our usual British comedy night), but the official kill date for all stations is September 22. > > Sure, series come and go all the time, and explanations or justification from the brass are not always forthcoming. But in our case, our fans are fiercely devoted to the show. We HAD to let them know it was going away, and that the decision was not ours. :eek: Very interesting–thanks for posting. I suppose there may be little talk about this online because a large proportion of AYBS fans may not be online (and I say that as someone who hates to stereotype. I have an 83-year-old relative who’s online everyday; the fact is, though that many of her cohorts avoid computers). And I suppose other public television station decision-makers aren’t mentioning this because they know they will be the target for anger (and can’t do anything about the cause). I hope it’s not the case that Croft believed his heirs would earn more if the show were to be taken off the air (presumably through sales of DVDs). While that might drive a few sales in the first months, in the long run it’s probably not a wise strategy. The show will drop out of the public consciousness and fewer and fewer people will be interested in the DVDs. Of course there may be some other reason for the decision. It’s a shame. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015/20 "2013-09-11T09:51:23Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I didn’t want to post in the blog comments because I’m not in Rhode Island, but I thought _'Allo 'Allo_ might work as a replacement for _Are You Being Served_. They were both created and written by the same team, Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft. > > Then I wondered if it was going out of circulation as well. If Croft’s estate is ending the broadcast rights for _Are You Being Served_, have they done the same for _'Allo 'Allo_ too? Now that is an interesting suggestion - I am currently in mid season 2 of 'Allo 'Allo [Netflix] and think it is absolutely hysterical. I an remember my introduction to Brit TV was back in the early 70s and forward until the internet and netflix - The Goodies, Monty Python, Keeping Up Appearances, Red Dwarf, To The Manner Born, Black Books, Vicar of Dibley, Blackadder [in no particular order] and would hate to see British comedy lacking on TV. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-being-served-pulled-from-airwaves/668015.md?page=2)