Now organized into categories! Know of a question you think should be on this list?
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What is [cast member] up to these days?
The AYBS? books (the inside story and the 25th anniversary book, not Camping Out) have some information. Ellen manages the official Mike Berry Website and stays on top of his activities. Kurt's Wendy Richard's Appreciation Page and Wendy Richard's Official Website will probably keep you posted on Miss Brahms's activities. You can also join one of the many AYBS chats and forums and read through the messages to see if your favorite's been the topic of discussion lately, or you can post your question and see if anyone's got the inside scoop.
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Where can I write the cast?
I don't have any of their home addresses and if I did, I wouldn't give them out ^_~
I can point you to the AYBS Virtual Video Vault: Emily has done a fantastic job compiling the addresses for the cast's agents. Or you can contact them through the BBC, but it might take longer than if you wrote the agents:
Actor/actress's name
c/o Are You Being Served?
BBC Television
Television Centre
Wood Lane
London W12 7RJ
England
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Or could I e-mail them instead?
Possibly. I would check the cast's members official website for accurate e-mail contact information (if any) and use that to contact them--anything found on non-official sites is probably not accurate, especially since so many AYBS fans like to use cast/character names as part of their online aliases.
As of right now, only Mike Berry and Wendy Richard have official and active sites. See if they invite people to e-mail them, and if they do, write away!
Important: keep in mind that they are busy people and to give them time to answer your e-mail. Also, be aware that they may not be the ones who respond, but instead their webmaster or assistant may process your message. Personally, I'll stick with writing them via snail-mail, as that's what most of them seem to prefer :)
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Or could you contact them for me?
I could if you wanted...but to be honest, I'm a regular person just like you. If anything, having me do it could be slower because then you'd be waiting on me as well as them to respond. You'll get a much faster response if you contact them directly. There's nothing to be scared of: they're used to fans writing them--in fact, they love it!
And besides, if you're requesting an autographed picture, wouldn't you rather it be made out and sent directly to you and not me? ;)
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Of course, EVERYONE wants to know about Candy Davis (Miss Belfridge), so...
What happened to Candy Davis?
Last I had heard, Ms. Davis has retired from acting into private life as a teacher...and according to the Internet Movie Database may be writing as well! I don't know if she still has an agent, but you could try contacting her through the BBC. The address is (and many many thanks to Emily for making the addresses and info available):
Candy Davis
c/o Are You Being Served?
BBC Television
Television Centre
Wood Lane
London W12 7RJ
England
Be sure to include some International Reply Coupons if you want a reply. I can't guarantee she will write back but hey, what have you got to lose by trying?
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Was John Inman and/or Mr. Humphries gay?
There are some websites out there that speculate on this topic in great detail, so I will be brief. Mr. Humphries has never been classified outright as straight or gay, and although he appears to have a predilection for the male of the species, Mr. Humphries is drawn towards both men and women. However, the character of Mr. Humphries is assumed by most to be homosexual.
As for John Inman...well, to be honest, Mr. Inman's sexual preference was his business and not ours. Throughout the years there have been articles and arguments leaning towards one side or the other. However, a few years ago, John himself finally made where he stood pretty clear when he and his long-term male lover had a committment ceremony.
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What else have I seen [cast member] in?
Everyone in the cast has an extensive resume, and the Internet Movie Database can do a better job of telling you everything each cast member has been involved in...so I'll just limit myself to some of the most popular other projects of the cast and guest stars:
- Mollie Sugden was the title character in "Come Back, Mrs. Noah" and played Nellie Harvey on "Coronation Street" during the early 1970s.
- John Inman played a Girl Friday to a female boss in "Take a Letter, Mr. Jones".
- Frank Thornton is still going strong as Truly in "Last of the Summer Wine".
- Besides being Miss Brahms, Wendy Richard is probably best known for her role as Pauline Fowler in "EastEnders". She just finished her 22-year run on the show in December 2006.
- Trevor Bannister does a lot of stage work, and is known for his guest appearances in "Keeping Up Appearances" and "Last of the Summer Wine". In March 2006, he appeared in "Coronation Street" playing a solicitor.
- Mike Berry is a pop star in his own right, with his band "Mike Berry and the Outlaws".
- Nicholas Smith lends his voice to Reverend Hedges in "Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" and makes an appearance in "Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother".
- James Hayter was the voice for Kipling's crackers.
- Arthur English appeared in "In Sickness and in Health", and made an appearance on one episode of Magnum P.I.
- Milo Sperber played Professor Markowitz in the James Bond movie, "The Spy Who Loved Me."
- Debbie Linden made several appearances on "The Benny Hill Show."
- Billy Burden (AYBS?A) appeared in several episodes of "Hi-De-Hi."
- Joanne Heywood (AYBS?A) has made appearances on "Coronation Street" (1997) and "Emmerdale" (2004).
- Robbie Coltraine has appeared in A LOT of projects, but you probably best know him as Hagrid in the Harry Potter series of movies. He's also appeared the Spirit of Christmas in "A Blackadder Christmas Carol", as Valentin Zukovsky in "GoldenEye" and "The World is Not Enough," and the title character in the series "Cracker".
- Joanna Lumley is best known for her role as Patsy in "Absolutely Fabulous", and not quite as well known for her one-time role as Mrs. Jeremy Lloyd.
- Gorden Kaye and Vicki Michelle are Rene and Yvette from "'Allo 'Allo".
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Wasn't John Inman in the "Carry On" movies/La Cage aux Folles?
He wasn't in either. For the Carry Ons, you're thinking of Charles Hawtrey. For La Cage, that's Michel Serrault
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Who's the oldest living regular cast member?
Born on 15 January 1921, Frank Thornton (Captain Peacock) is the oldest living regular cast member. He recently celebrated his 85th birthday.
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When is [cast member]'s birthday?
Below are the birthdays of the surviving regular cast members. You can find more birthdays and dates of death in the AYBS Calendar and on the Internet Movie Database.
- Candy Davis (Miss Belfridge): 2 January 1962
- Frank Thornton (Captain Peacock): 15 January 1921
- Nicholas Smith (Mr. Rumbold): 5 March 1934
- Wendy Richard (Miss Brahms): 20 July 1946
- Mollie Sudgen (Mrs. Slocombe): 21 July 1922
- Trevor Bannister (Mr. Lucas): 14 August 1936
- Mike Berry (Mr. Spooner): 24 September 1942
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Who's deceased?
The following cast members are no longer with us: Alfie Bass (Mr. Goldberg), Arthur Brough (Mr. Grainger), Harold Bennett (Young Mr. Grace), Arthur English (Mr. Harman), James Hayter (Mr. Tebbs), John Inman (Mr. Humphries), Benny Lee (Mr. Klein), Debbie Linden (Old Mr. Grace's Secretary), Larry Martyn (Mr. Mash), Milo Sperber (Mr. Grossman), and Kenneth Waller (Old Mr. Grace).
Despite any rumors that you may have heard, Mollie Sugden, Frank Thornton, and Nicholas Smith ARE still living.
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Whatever happened to Mr. Lucas? He just disappeared!
The series never explained what happened to Mr. Lucas--he literally did just disappear, to be replaced by Mr. Spooner as the new junior. In real life, Trevor Bannister and the BBC couldn't come to good terms on Mr. Bannister's contract and he left the show.
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How many episodes of AYBS are there?
There are 69 episodes over 10 seasons.
How many episodes of AYBS?A are there?
There are 12 episodes over 2 seasons.
Why are there so few episodes each season, and why did they skip years?
Britsh television programs are usually ordered in much smaller numbers than American television programs are. Where we in America might have a show with 20-25 episodes per season, a British program might have 6 to 10 episodes for a season. Also, while most American programs appear year after year while they're still on the air, British programs may skip a year (or more!) before returning.
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Why did they edit some episodes?
Episodes are often edited for two reasons: content and/or time. In terms of content, some stations have chosen to edit out bits of AYBS that they felt would be too objectionable to viewers--most often it's the more risque pussy jokes and the blackface scenes of The Father Christmas Affair and Roots? that get the chop. Personally, I've never seen an edited episode air on my PBS stations...but more than one reputable source has written to tell me they have.
In terms of time, a half-hour time slot on commercial television (i.e., they show advertisements) is actually only 22 minutes (approx.) of program and 8 minutes of advertisements. So in order for the nearly 30 minute episode of AYBS to be shown, they either have to give it a 40 minute time slot, or chop 8 minutes of content.
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Are the DVDs edited?
The Region 1 DVDs are unedited. As far as I know, the Region 2 DVDs and the VHS tapes are also unedited. I don't know if any other commercial release has been edited--if they have, please drop me a note with the details!
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Why is Top Hat and Tails considered to be "the lost episode?
I had originally thought it was a ploy by WLIW to get our attention during Pledge Drive season. I found out today that the answer has been under my nose for all these years :) Short story: it was the last to get offered to PBS for airing. For the details, since it's in James' FAQ, I shall point you there for the answer.
I have to admit that I am embarassed because Lord knows how many times I've visited James' site including that FAQ over the years and I still completely missed it! :)
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What are the words to the theme song?
Ground floor: perfumery
stationery and leather goods
wigs and haberdashery
kitchenware and food. Going up!
First floor: telephones
gents ready-made suits
shirts, socks, ties, hats
underwear and shoes. Going up!
Second floor: carpets
travel goods and bedding
material, soft furnishings,
restaurant and teas. Going down!
First floor: telephones
gents ready-made suits
shirts, socks, ties, hats
underwear and shoes. Going down!
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Who sings the theme song?
That lovely voice belongs to Stephanie Gathercole, who also appears as one of the secretaries in the show.
Where can I hear the theme song?
Again, head back to Emily's AYBS VVV because she has the song in several different formats for you to pick from.
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What's the big deal with the episodes "Roots?" and "The Father Christmas Affair?
Both episodes have characters wearing blackface. Some PBS stations will not show either or both episodes, and rumor has it (I've never seen it so I can't personally vouch for this) that a few stations have aired edited versions of the episodes with the blackface scenes removed.
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Where can I buy AYBS/Are You Being Served? Again (Grace and Favor)/Are You Being Served - The Movie?
Head over to the Shrine Shop for all the AYBS video you can shake a stick at!
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Where can I get other AYBS merchandise?
There is lots of AYBS? merchandise out there for you to get, and you need not go through a pledge drive to get it (although you should always support your public television station so they bring you more AYBS). We have a lovely AYBS Shop (in conjunction with Amazon.com) right here at the Shrine for your convenience--there you will find a wide range of AYBS items available. Design House International (search Google for the latest URL) has clothing, books, mugs and other stuff for you to browse through. Brits also has merchandise for sale, AYBS? and otherwise. For collectables and harder-to-find items, you could try eBay and Yahoo Auctions to see if anyone's selling.
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Where can I get the Australian version of AYBS? / the American remake of AYBS?
To my knowledge, neither of these series are commercially available. Your best bet for obtaining them is to find a fellow fan that's taped them off of the television and ask if they would make you a copy, but be warned--both are incredibly rare to find...and if you do get lucky enough to find them, drop me a note to tell me where!
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Where can I download episodes of AYBS?
Legally, you can't download AYBS episodes at this time. AYBS, AYBS?A and AYBS the Movie are all available commercially--therefore, downloading them would be piracy and that would make the BBC mad. Remember, we always want to keep the BBC as happy as possible because they own the copyrights to AYBS as well as a lot of other fantastic Britcoms.
The BBC is planning to open up its archives to the public, but there's no time-frame yet, nor is it clear if it will be globally available or just for those in the UK. Should the BBC decide to offer AYBS episodes online or through podcasting, I will let you know.
However, you are not entirely deprived. There are a number of clips, both from shows and homemade, that can be viewed on YouTube--do a search for the show and see what you find.
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When is AYBS on?
That's a hard question to answer...because I don't know where you live! Check out the Schedules page and see if I have your local PBS station listed...but as I rely of visitor submissions to keep the Schedules page filled, listings there may be out of date. The best way for you to find out when AYBS is on near you is to go to the PBS website and look up your local station schedules. They have website links and schedules for most (if not all) PBS stations.
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My PBS station stopped showing AYBS! Help me!
To be honest, there's nothing that I can do personally to help you bring AYBS back to your PBS lineup. However, there's a TON that you could do! Call or e-mail your PBS station and tell them that you want them to put AYBS back on the air. Get your friends to call and write too. You could also try organizing a petition of signatures of fellow AYBS fans to send to the station. If you are going to call and write, please show the station courtesy and do not harass them nor have one person flood them repeatedly with calls and e-mails. Also be sure to donate to your PBS station when pledge drive season comes. It does cost your PBS station money to show AYBS: they have to acquire the rights to air the show, and if they don't have the money, they can't get them!
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I heard a rumor that...[whatever], can you verify it for me?
The Internet is a place that rumors tend to run rampant, and the AYBS community has had more than its share. I can't personally verify any rumors as I'm no more an official source than you are. I can only share whatever knowledge I have and point you to the best places where you can find info...and remember that anything I do tell you is strictly AFAIK (as far as I know).
The best way to get accurate information is to get it from a REPUTABLE news source such as the BBC or other recognized British news service, from the actors' official websites, and/or from writing the cast members' agents. Info obtained from any other sources should be taken with a grain of salt: it might be accurate...or it might not.
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Which episode was Robbie Coltraine (Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies) in?
"Calling All Customers" features Mr. Coltraine's voice: he was the lorry driver that Mrs. Slocombe talked to on Mr. Humprhies' CB radio.
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Did Mollie Sugden really dye her hair all of those exotic colors?
Yes...at first. Later on, she switched to wearing wigs. In an interview on PBS, she explained that all of the dyeing left her with damaged hair with multicolored ends.
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What is the name of the song that Mr. Spooner sings in "The Pop Star?"
The song that Mr. Spooner (Mike Berry) sings for his television appearance is called "Chanson d'Amor".
In fact, Mike just released his version of the song! Go to Mike's official website to order the CD, or download it www.tunetribe.com. You can hear a sample clip on the Sounds page.
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Is there an official AYBS fanclub?
There was--in fact, it was written up in the first Are You Being Served book. However, over the last several years people have written to tell me that they tried to sign up for the official club but had had their mail returned to them; others have told me that they were members and paid their dues but just stopped hearing from the club. So it appears the club has been abandoned. If/when the official AYBS fanclub revives, I'll be sure to post the info here so we can all join.
Actually, in 1998, it was the lack of response from the official fanclub when R.W. and I applied that led us to create the unofficial fanclub, which leads me into...
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What happened to the unofficial AYBS fanclub that you ran?
My life reached the point where I realized I wasn't able to give myself to the fanclub as it deserved. Instead of seeing history repeat itself, I closed it so as not to leave you all in uncertainty limbo. I have found a heir apparent who is interested in taking over the club when he/she is ready...however, I don't know when that will be. Or perhaps I may retake the reigns...or maybe we both will. We shall see.
If you do want to keep tabs on my unofficial fanclub, the fanclub's homepage is here or drop me a note. Any updates on fanclub status will be posted only on a minki.net site: information found elsewhere on the web may not be accurate.
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How old is this website?
Though bits and pieces of this site appeared on my personal webspace in 1995, Are You Being Served? Forever wasn't an stand-alone site until 5 May 1996. Up until 2002, it was formerly known as Minki's Are You Being Served Shrine. If you're REALLY a hardcore fan of this site, you'll remember some pretty bad layouts, including the days of the Union Jack background :)
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Is this an official BBC website?
No, this website is not an official website for the BBC, nor am I affiliated with the BBC in any way. In fact, half the time the BBC writes ME to ask questions about AYBS :)
As far as endorsements go, the BBC does link to AYBS? Forever in many AYBS-related articles, so if that's not a stamp of "hey, this site is OK", I don't know what is. But by no means does that make me an official BBC site.
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Who is Minki?
That's me. Hello.
I live somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere. Any connection to Pink Panther jokes is strictly coincidental.
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Did Minki ever appear on the show?
It'd be pretty amazing if I did, especially since I was born after the show started :) Seriously, I never have.
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How does Shop AYBS work?
All shopping transactions are conducted directly between you and the Amazon of your choice, either Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.ca. My role in all of this is only to point you to the AYBS merchandise: I do not stock the merchandise nor collect payment, I can't tell you when your order will arrive, and I can't ask Amazon a question for you regarding a specific item. If you have any questions regarding merchandise or your order, you should contact Amazon's customer service department directly.
You can order from your domestic Amazon, or you can order from an international Amazon (i.e., you're in the US and want to order from Amazon Canada). However, remember that between exchange rates, export taxes/duties and increased shipping fees, you will probably pay more for your item if you order it internationally than if you ordered it at your domestic Amazon.
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How can I help support this site?
Thank you for your generosity! However, I do not accept financial donations for this site.
The best way to support this site is to come back to visit again...and bring a few friends with you :) Your referring others to my site is the best thanks I can ask for!
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