Sad news indeed.
My all-time favorite episode of Are You Being Served was the German Week episode. Having lived in Berlin, it aired when I was living there and I happened to see it with a bunch of Brits and Germans together…I don’t think I had ever heard a room full of people laugh that loudly watching a television show.
I doubt if I have ever seen that one. The odd thing is, that while the programme was actually on, most of us thought it was a bit trashy and horrible. But, in retrospect… 
Right, off now to see if the “German Week Episode” is anywhere online.
good heavens, this is quite the summer of loss.
i did enjoy “are you being served” and mrs slocum. may her memory be eternal.
I admired her. She would do anything for a laugh. I love that in a comedian.
(following links) Cato is on Last of the Summer Wine? Burt Kwouk as a Yorkshireman? THAT IS SO COOL!
(missed the edit window) James Hong is from Minneapolis, across the River from me, but while Hollywood might cast me as a hanyak from St Paul, he has always played Asian guys. Kwouk is from Manchester. I would like to see those eps.
I have been able to catch the “German Week” episode a few times while living here on the local PBS station and it still is one of the funniest. The employees are forced to sell German goods at the store for “German Week” and you can imagine how thrilled they are. The men have to wear lederhosen (the Gay guy - don’t know his name - comes out in tight lederhosen that leaves nothing to the imagination!) and the women dress in dirndl’s. They do the “slap dance” and…well, you have to see it to believe it.
Let’s just say all does not go well.
John Inman – who was gay in real life but in the show was always left slightly enigmatic – was definitely the funniest of the bunch.
Not to say that his humor was subtle, per se, but when he was given straight lines that today most likely would be answered with a ribald riposte, a mere raise of the eyebrows would let you know that he noticed the innuendo but felt like he didn’t need to comment on it.
The two youngest players were the worst actors. They even seemed to slip their lines occasionally (as did everyone, actually, Mollie included, but even when it was egregious the older ones covered it up better.)