Are You Being Served? (BBC-1 28 Aug 2016, Jason Watkins)

Part of the BBC’s Sitcom Season celebrating 60 years of classic BBC comedies this reboot of 1970’s department store sitcom Are You Being Served is in safe hands being written by Benidorm’s Derren Litten.

Picking up where Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft’s classic comedy left off, the show brings Grace Brothers and it’s staff including Mrs Slocombe, Captain Peacock and Mr Humphries, back to life with an all-star cast.

When the episode begins it’s 1988 and Young Mr Grace is determined to drag Grace Brothers into, well 1988, but he has a problem on his hands. Mr Humphries, Captain Peacock, Mr Rumbold and Mrs Slocombe all seem to be stuck in another era. A new member of staff, Mr Conway, joins the team – but will he help shake things up or will he just put a pussy among the pigeons?

In the end it was quite a surreal experience, the settings and playing were incredibly spot on and Litten’s script completely captured the original scripts to perfection in fact so much so it felt at times like a composite of all the best bits from the series. It did make us laugh though.

production details
UK / BBC One – JamThis / 1×30 minute episode / Broadcast Sunday 28 August 2016 at 9.00pm

Writer: Derren Litten / Executive Producer: Stephen McCrum / Director: Dewi Humphrey

cast
Jason Watkins as Mr Humphries
Sherrie Hewson as Mrs Slocombe
John Challis as Captain Peacock
Roy Barraclough as Mr Grainger
Arthur Smith as Mr Harmon
Justin Edwards as Mr Rumbold
Niky Wardley as Miss Brahms
Mathew Horne as Young Mr Grace, the original Young Mr Grace’s grandson
Jorgie Porter as Miss Croft
Kayode Ewumi as Mr Conway