Are You Being Served?

[RetailActress]

This was just mentioned in the "Sorry are you next in line" thread ---- the inquiry "Are You Being Served?" from the British TV program of the 1970s, still being broadcast (hurray!) on US PBS stations.

Do you ever actually say to your customers: "Are you being served?" (instead of "Is anyone helping you?" or, the all-American "Are you all set?")

And if you do specifically ask, "Are you being served?" do any of your customers "get" the reference to the British TV program?

Resolved to ask it more often just for fun,

R.A.

[rerant]

I've never personally asked it, but I get the feeling if I did and anyone got it they would assume that I didn't get the reference (since I'm young) and was just asking it as a general question, not one relating to the program, in spite of the fact that I grew up watching it.
Though I do often ask coworkers, "Are you free?" in relation to the show.
No one gets it.

[bigjimaz]

I know I got it from looking at your thread title, though I've never used it or any of the catch phrases on that show. I read recently that Wendy Richard (Miss Brahms) just turned 64. John Inman (Mr. Humphries) passed away in 2007.

[powerboy]

Mr. Humpries, has passed away. Dammit all too hell. I love that show and I am only 26. I have asked that before. And I didn't do it, just to see if they would get the reference. I have asked it because, I wanted to know if they were being helped. I wish they had more shows like that one. Or at least, try to do a remake of that show

[cinema guy]

I use it, but then I'm English. It is in no way in reference to the show, which I find excrutiating to watch these days.

You can get the whole series on DVD http://www.amazon.com/Being-Served-C.../dp/B0002F6BTM

[Ree]

I love that show.

Yeah, it's a little dated now, but at the time, it was pretty racy material.
I see Wendy Richards on EastEnders as Pauline, and she has not aged well at all.

I found this little .gif and laughed so hard that I had to save it.

[Kirachan]

I LOVED that show, when i was little we didn't have cable, so the highlight of my week was sitting down and watching British comedies like Are you being served? and Keeping up appearances, and Red Dwarf.

[aurelemsrealm]

You should also start sporting some of the wild hair colors like Mrs. Slocumb. I'm not sure if I spelled her name correctly.

I used to watch that show along with several other British sitcoms on PBS. Later, I bought a Dish Network system, and susbscribed to the package which included BBC America. I love Keeping Up Apperances! Hyacinth just cracks me up with her prim and proper attitude! It's not Bucket! It's Bouquet!

By the way, does anyone know where you can watch The League of Gentlemen? I used to watch it all the time on Comedy Central, but I haven't seen it in several years.

Now, I'll be thinking about British comedy at work all night. LOL!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Darn. I never see that show on the local PBS station anymore.

[powerboy]

Darn. I never see that show on the local PBS station anymore.

That is how it is with my local PBS station.