This reminds me of a question I’ve had about Are You Being Served? I remember an episode where some guy is hitting on the cute girl, and he asks her what her name is. She responds that she’s not allowed to tell him her name, but that she can give him her employee number (16 or something). Is this a common policy in British stores/businesses? I’ve never encountered anything like that in the US, and in fact it’s common for employees to have their first name on a name badge.
Me, too. But that’s what we’re seeing in my metropolitan area–the two public TV stations we get used to run, between them, at least twelve different British comedy shows (as late as last month). Now there are only two being shown (Keeping Up Appearances and The Vicar of Dibley). One of the stations has gone over completely to reruns of old travelogues and old NOVA episodes.
This could be purely an issue in my area–the result of local ratings or such.
But maybe it’s not just here. Maybe it’s happening around the USA. (I’ve heard similar remarks from people who live in other states.) I’m wondering if, above and beyond this specific rights issue with AYBS, there is some recent development in the pricing of the old BBC comedy shows, that might be the explanation of the local changes.
DC’s PBS station has a digital channel devoted to programs from across the pond. I’d forgotten that they have Benny Hill in half-hour slots.
Aces!
More proof that copyrights need to actually expire within a non-ridiculous period of time. Hope your grandkids’ kids like the show when it finally falls into public domain and can be aired again.
Maybe it is just late and the painkillers are kicking in, but I don’t understand from the linked article specifically what the issue is. Are you saying his will states the show may not be sold or broadcast after a certain date? If so, why?
Not as far as I know. I wonder if it’s a play on the trope of captured military personnel refusing to say anything but their name, rank and number.
'Allo 'Allo is (WAS - see note below) included in the show ban, but we were not airing at this time so we did not mention it.
But there’s been a new twist today, and you can knock us over with a feather. Here’s the email we received today from the distributor:
Subject: Are You Being Served? / Are You Being Served? Again! / Allo Allo
Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2013 13:33:54 +0000
I am pleased to announce that effective today the three titles in the header of this email have been returned to our active sales catalog after having been held hostage by an agent for one of the writers. This is certainly good news for all.
Yeah. Great news… To quote one of my favorite funny ladies, Miss Emily Litella, “NEVER MIND!” :smack:
You should show 'Allo 'Allo, its humour is very much like AYBS. Well, as long as your viewers will be OK with comedy Gestapo men and the like.
Also, thanks for introducing me to the INDENT tag. 
When I first saw the subject, I thought somebody had complained about the last scene in “Roots?”.
In fact, when KQED (San Francisco’s PBS station) aired the episode, they aired an edited version - I’ll add a spoiler just in case somebody hasn’t seen it yet:
The whole blackface/minstrel show number is removed (also, a slightly different set of closing credits are used to remove blackface from the actors there as well), and the Somerset song is moved from right after the Scottish dance to take its place
You’re welcome!
We let our Brit Club members have strong say in the shows we buy for our Tuesday Brit com night through ballot voting a couple of times a year. They chose 'Allo 'Allo once in the past 6 years.
YAY! So happy to see this resolved in favor of people being able to continue to watch.
Also, welcome to the Dope, and we (at least I) hope you stick around! We’ve got several movie industry people, but I can’t think of anyone currently in TV, so you’d be a welcome addition to our knowledge base. Try the koolaid? 
YAY!
Thank you so much for the welcome! Public TV is so different from commercial TV, but so long as I can live up to the site’s name and purpose (fighting ignorance where it’s found is a personal vocation) and can contribute a few meaningful ingredients to the Kool-Aid recipe, I will help make it and drink it with you. 
Eastern Connecticut. Can you watch us from your location, aruvqan?
Yes, that’s great to hear. (“Held hostage”…!!! But it would appear that’s accurate.)
I’ve seen all of those shows and enjoy them for the well-done period pieces that they are (with *Grace and Favor *being, perhaps, less able to stand on its own than are the other two).
As was mentioned in other posts, there are elements in the shows that wouldn’t pass muster today–bits that could certainly offend people of certain demographic groups. (Though the Germans in *'Allo 'Allo *fare better than did the Germans in the US show Hogan’s Heroes, possibly.) I wouldn’t try to defend the old humor based on ethnic stereotypes; I think we’re all better off now that it’s important to consider who might be being insulted with clichéd portrayals.
But the shows are fun. They embody some basic comedy tropes that (I suspect) are part of our human wiring.
Young Mt Grace is my favorite too. I wonder if he’s still alive - all the others except for big ears are dead.
ETA - He died in 1981. He was only 73 when the show started - he looked 20 years older. Nicholas Smith who played Mr Rumbold (Big Ears) is still alive.
FATHER TED!
Ok, I don’t live anywhere near your area and couldn’t watch your station, but still …
FATHER TED!
We’re currently watching My Hero on Netflix DVD; it’s always fun to re-watch every so often. Nowhere near the number of episodes of something like AYBS, though.
Mike Berry, who played Mr. Spooner, is still alive and well. His website.