The WORST episodes of Are You Being Served?
Every episode of Are You Being Served? ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Are You Being Served?!
This comedy series, which follows the exploits of employees at London's fictional "Grace Brothers" department store, is full of sexual innuendo, slapstick, visual gags, and double entendres. Much of the show's humor parodies Britain's class system, and many of the show's characters are based on stereotypes of the period, including the effeminate Mr. Humphries and the rich, but stingy, store owner.
#1 - Big Brother
Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/4/1974
There's trouble afoot at Grace Brothers! Someone's been lifting Mrs. Slocombe's skirts and putting their hands in Mr. Grainger's drawers. Shoplifting has struck the store and Mr. Rumbold installs a store detective and a video surveillance system. It goes off track for awhile, as Mr. Rumbold turns into a voyeur and the staff act like they're on television. Ultimately, the staff decide to do in the scheme and prey on Mr. Rumbolds hypochondria to accomplish it.
#2 - The Hand of Fate
Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 2/27/1975
Mr. Humphries begins displaying his ability to read palms and tell the future. He sees that Captain Peacock will soon be "climbing the ladder and wearing a new hat". Everyone takes this to mean a promotion, especially now that there's a vacancy on the Board of Directors and Mr. Rumbold is in line for it. Captain Peacock expects to take Mr. Rumbold's job. The department staff soon all imagine moving up.
#3 - Pilot
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/8/1972
A reorganization within the store forces the staff of the Gentlemens Ready-To-Wear Department to share their floor space with the Ladies Department. Mrs. Slocombe, head of the Ladies, and Mr. Grainger, head of the Gents, immediately come to loggerheads over control of the center floor display. Mr. Grainger refuses to take down his trousers and put Mrs. Slocombe's underwear in its place. Undaunted, she goes over his head to Captain Peacock, and then to Mr. Rumbold.
#4 - The Hero
Season 7 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/16/1979
Captain Peacock is challenged to a boxing match by a member of another department. He backs out, and Mr. ""Hugger"" Humphries is "" elected"" to take his place in a wrestling match. He loses that match, but Mrs. Slocombe enters the ring and defeats the challenger.
#5 - By Appointment
Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired 11/15/1978
The new head of men's department is introduced and the staff prepare for a possible royal visit.
#6 - Mrs. Slocombe, Senior Person
Season 7 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/9/1979
Mrs. Slocombe temporarily takes the place of Mr. Rumbold, who has taken ill, and she discovers the job isn't what she expected.
#7 - The Apartment
Season 7 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/2/1979
By permission of Mr. Grace, Mrs. Slocombe moves into a display apartment in Grace Brothers, because her new home is occupied by squatters. Due to a transport strike, Mr. Humphries seeks to join her in her new accommodations.
#8 - The Erotic Dreams of Mrs. Slocombe
Season 8 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/28/1981
Mrs. Slocombe has dreams in which she and Mr. Humphries become romantically embroiled. When she attempts to turn fantasy into reality, the situation becomes most difficult to handle.
#9 - Heir Apparent
Season 8 - Episode 5 - Aired 5/7/1981
Old Mr. Grace becomes convinced that Mr. Humphries is his long-lost son.
#10 - The Club
Season 6 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/22/1978
Young Mr. Grace invites his workers to form a social club - in a dismal cellar badly in need of decoration. Undeterred, the staff tackle the paint and paper job with vigor.
#11 - Shedding the Load
Season 6 - Episode 4 - Aired 12/6/1978
Sales figures are down; profits are low. Young Mr. Grace is forced to make some economies. The threat of redundancies is looming. Someone is going to have to go - but who is it to be?
#12 - The Night Club
Season 10 - Episode 5 - Aired 3/18/1985
When Old Mr. Grace decides to allow the staff to use the store for after-hours money-making, they decide to open a nightclub. However, the advertising campaign has some rather unexpected results.
#13 - The Clock
Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 3/14/1974
It's Mr. Grainger's 37th anniversary at Grace Brothers and the Department hosts a celebration dinner for him. It's a time of happiness, and dread, for if he receives a cuckoo clock then it means he's to be retired.
#14 - Cold Comfort
Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/21/1974
A fuel shortage grips the country and Grace Brothers, so the stores furnaces are shut down for the day. The staff are freezing and soon develop unique ways to keep warm.
#15 - A Change Is as Good as a Rest
Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/4/1977
When Mr. Grace announces that he plans on temporarily reorganizing the departments, the staff are indignant, but find that work can be a lot of fun...if you're working in the toy department.
#16 - The Old Order Changes
Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 3/18/1977
Young Mr. Grace returns from a trip to the U.S. with a host of new sales techniques that he is eager to implement.
#17 - The Think Tank
Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/28/1974
Sales are falling once again and so Mr. Rumbold calls together a "think tank", a suggestion he "borrowed" from Captain Peacock. The staff decide that a fashion show would be the answer, but when Young Mr. Grace won't cough up the dough to hire proper models, the staff are forced to put on the show themselves.
#18 - Lost and Found
Season 9 - Episode 6 - Aired 5/27/1983
When Mrs. Slocombe's cat turns up missing, she decides that only Mr. Humphries could take its place.
#19 - Top Hat and Tails
Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/15/1976
Mr. Humphries' background as a dance instructor is called upon when the Ladies' and Gents' Wear departments form a team to compete in the inter-store ballroom dancing competition.
#20 - Forward Mr. Grainger
Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/22/1976
Mr. Grainger is selected to fill in for Mr. Rumbold while he is away; the staff wonder whether they should take advantage of Mr. Grainger's good nature, only to discover to their horror that he doesn't have one when he sacks Mrs. Slocombe.
#21 - Conduct Unbecoming
Season 9 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/29/1983
Captain Peacock continues to flirt with Mr. Rumbold's new secretary while Mr. Humphries leaves his mother's home and is accused of stealing.
#22 - Our Figures Are Slipping
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/28/1973
The Department figures have taken a dive and so Mr. Rumbold decides to convene a sales conference amongst the staff. Since the meeting is taking place after hours and off the clock, no one is very motivated to provide any solutions. If something isn't done, someone might lose their job, and that someone is clearly Mr. Lucas.
#23 - The Hold-Up
Season 10 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/4/1985
When the store is robbed late one night, the staff determine to capture the burglars themselves.
#24 - Mrs. Slocombe Expects
Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 2/25/1977
The staff have kittens when Mrs. Slocombe announces she's expecting a happy event, but it turns out that it's merely her cat that's pregnant; when she refuses to leave Tiddles unattended, she braves the ire of Captain Peacock by smuggling the cat into the ladies' fitting room.
#25 - Gambling Fever
Season 10 - Episode 4 - Aired 3/11/1985
Security cameras are again installed at Grace Brothers, and when the staff bet their bonuses on a horse race, it's up to Mr. Humphries to mime the race to them by closed-circuit.