Rating: 
Summary: some details from the BBC America site
Review: Here's the info from the BBC America site. Looking fwd to these:> The staff has been hard-at-work polishing and pressing all 34 classic episodes from the first five series of this beloved BBC comedy series, many available on video for the first time (including the rarely seen, black-and-white Pilot episode). Also included is a bonus disc containing close ups of your favorite Are You Being Served? stars and more! Volume One: Pilot - Dear Sexy Knickers - Our Figures Are Slipping - Camping In - His and Hers - Diamonds are a Man's Best Friend Volume Two: The Clock - Cold Comfort - The Think Tank - Big Brother - Hoorah for the Holidays - The Hand of Fate Volume Three: Coffee Morning - Up, Captain Peacock - Cold Store - Wedding Bells - German Week - Shoulder to Shoulder Volume Four: New Look - Christmas Crackers - No Sale - Top Hat & Tails - Forward Mr. Grainger - Fire Practice Volume Five: Fifty Years On - Oh What a Tangled Web - The Father Christmas Affair - Mrs. Slocombe Expects - A Change is as Good as a Rest Volume Six: Founders Day - The Old Order Changes - Takeover - Goodbye Mr. Grainger - It Pays to Advertise DVD extras include: "Funny Turns - John Inman" - A close-up look at the career of the infamous John Inman "Funny Women - Mollie Sugden" - Up close and personal with Mollie Sugden "A Life on the Box: Wendy Richard" - A peek at the career of Wendy Richard Who's Who Trivia Trailers and more!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent collection!
Review: This has to be one of my favorite television series ever. I'm so glad this DVD set has preserved the earlier episodes so well. The 30 somewhat episodes on the 6 included discs are presented with crystal clear audio and beautiful video. Chapter stops for each episode are included, and some little bits of trivia are included. Disc 7 features special interview sessions with John Inman, Mollie Sugden, and Wendy Richard. The episodes are present chronologically on each disc, which is better than the VHS releases, which seemed to throw 3 random episodes onto a tape. Experience the series from start to 1977, from the black-and-white Pilot to "It Pays to Advertise." All episodes presented include all that had Mr. Grainger (Arthur Brough). This set ends before episodes with different a senior from the men's department. Hopefully, since we were privileged to get these that it's a sign for future releases of the remaining 7 years of episodes. My only complaint is that this set boasts that it has trailers as a bonus. The trailers are for other TV series! I know trailers probably don't exist for this series, but at least they could have been held off to one disc and listed as "Previews of other TV series." While this set may be pricy, believe me you won't regret spending the money if you're a true fan. This show was really given the attention it deserved on these discs, and I highly recommend them to any fan of the show or of British television.
Rating:
Summary: A Must-Have Collection for Fans of this Classic Britcom!
Review: At long last the entire series of this classic Britcom (ten series from 1973 through 1985) is available on two DVD boxed sets. Commencing with the black-and-white pilot, set one covers the entire first five series (thirty-four 30-minute episodes from 1973-1977). Incidentally, these are all the series to feature curmudgeonly Mr. Grainger, head of menswear; sadly, Arthur Brough died (aged 73) before series six got under way. The BBC has done a fantastic job with these DVDs--the quality of the picture is awesome, the sets come complete with the Christmas specials (positioned chronologically in the order originally broadcast), with the icing on the cake being the DVD extras. The series revolves around the staff of Grace Brothers' Department Store--particulary the staff of menswear and ladieswear. The ladies' department is headed by the pompous, air-assuming Mrs. Slocombe (Mollie Sugden). She's a bit of a man eater (or would be could she get her hands on one!) and is forever fretting about Tiddles, her um pussycat! Her junior is sexy Miss Brahms (Wendy Richard), who is constantly fighting off the advances of Mr. Lucas, the menswear junior. In between Mr. Lucas and Mr. Grainger is Mr. Humphreys (John Inman). With his mincing gait, outrageous costumes, and familiar cry of "I'm free," he's my personal favourite--though how can one really choose between this lot as they are ALL superb! Of course one cannot forget the subtly lecherous floorwalker, Captain Peacock, a pompous ex-army officer (or so he claims). One gets a sense that this is probably the only position of authority he's ever had, and he milks it for all its worth, barking orders at his underlings at every opportunity. His favourite target is the rough, bawdy maintenance man, Mr. Mash (replaced by Mr. Harman in the fourth series), a militant trade unionist who loves to goad Cpt. Peacock (and who probably makes more money than he does too!). And who could forget Mr. Rumbold, the bald-pated, jug-eared department head (like Mollie Sugden, Nicholas Smith was very good-natured in allowing his physical appearance to be the basis of so much humour!); or Young Mr. Grace, the elderly and extremely frail but hilariously lustful store owner (Harold Bennett was 74 when the series began!). DVD extras consist of three 30-minute profiles (John Inman (1999), Mollie Sugden (1998), and Wendy Richard (2001)), each of which provides a brief bio, snippets from the various television productions in which the actor has been involved, remembrances from fellow actors (on the Inman and Richard profiles these include writers Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft plus all the surviving members of the original AYBS cast with the exception of Nicholas Smith). John Inman's forte is pantomime, and his profile includes snippets from some of the pantos he's done. Mollie Sugden's profile includes remembrances by actor William Moore (her late husband), and the focus, careerwise, is shared between AYBS and The Liver Birds (her two biggest series). Wendy Richard's profile is the only one that is narrated, and it contains in a nutshell much of what one finds in her delightful autobiography "Wendy Richard...no 's'". Careerwise, it focuses on AYBS and Eastenders (the two main series she's done). It's the most personal of the three, and a special treat is hearing a snippet of Mike Sarne's 1962 song "Come Outside" which featured Richard and was responsible for launching her career. The final feature is "Are You Being Confused?", a text-based dictionary of British slang. With scripts liberally laced with double entendres, innuendos and puns, and a cast of characters made all the more memorable by some of the most capable actors in British comedy, this is character comedy at its best. It's an outstanding collection of a true Britcom classic which I highly recommend. I also highly recommend Richard Webber's excellent tribute book "Are You Being Served? A Celebration of 25 Years" (a 1998 UK publication).
Rating:
Summary: "You've All Done Very Well"
Review: After years of trying to see every episode of this hilarious sitcom on PBS only to have endless time changes, schedule reshufflings, and telethons get in the way, I am so glad that the BBC has put all 69 episodes out on DVD so quickly. This first set represents the best AYBS? material with original cast members Arthur Brough (Mr. Grainger), Harold Bennett (Young Mr. Grace), Larry Martyn (Mr. Mash), and Trevor Bannister (Mr. Lucas). From the black & white pilot through "It Pays to Advertise" from season 5, this set also includes my all-time favorite AYBS? episode "Big Brother," when Mr. Rumbold installs a closed circuit television in the store to uncover a burglar but instead uses it to spy on the Grace Brother's staff. The artistic details of both AYBS? sets are very nice. After choosing an episode, the elevator conductor announces the title and the lift doors open to reveal the plot. What I also enjoy about both DVD sets for this series are the extras in volume 7. In this set, you get half hour bios on John Inman, Molly Sugden, and Wendy Richard. Each bio includes pre-AYBS? clips (Sugden in "The Liver Birds," "Coronation Street;" Richard in "The Newcomers," "Hugh and I," "Up Pompeii!," "Dad's Army," etc.). In Richard's bio, there are many clips from the long-running soap opera EastEnders. They also include interview clips with Inman, Bannister, Frank Thornton, Richard, and Sugden as well as others that look like they were recorded fairly recently. Why was this series so successful?: Because the characters were wonderful, the acting superb, and the writing irreverent and just plain funny! This set (as well as series 6-10) has a very 1970s design and looks great on display. Any fan will cherish both sets and, as Mrs. Slocombe says, "I am unanimous in this."
Rating: 
Summary: 2 Joke Show
Review: I have never understood why people find this to be the pinnacle of British Comedy. Once you get past the numerous jokes about Mrs. Slocum's.... cat and a flaming Mr. Humphreys you have very little left to justify it's long run except that it was probably the right show in the right place at the right time. In retrospect it is lacking. Many will disagree with me but that's life.
Rating:
Summary: Maximum entertainment
Review: If you want hours of laughs this is the dvd set for you. Two Thumbs up!!!! Bravo!!!
Rating:
Summary: Late September release will complete AYBS on DVD
Review: Are You Being Served is a classic unselfconscious British
comedy, spending much of its time delivering double
entendres with an almost innocent exuberance.
While the scripts may not have a high IQ, their political
incorrectness can sometimes give AbFab a run for the money.
As PBS began running these episodes about 15 years ago they're
not likely to be scheduled for much longer on most stations.
The solution of course is to purchase your own. And with
the BBC scheduling the remaining episodes (from Series 6-10)
for release in late September it will actually be possible
to own every episode (of which there are nearly 70).
When life gets me down, I often turn to the nutty, grumpy,
and sometimes lusty, denizens of Grace Brothers Department
Store. Its cheaper than therapy.
Rating:
Summary: AYBS Fan Alert: Series 6-10 Coming Soon!
Review: The BBC America site lists a release date of 9/30/2003 for the second DVD box set, with the final 35 episodes of the funniest show ever on television. Most fans agree that there are fewer highlights in the later episodes, but there are some gems nonetheless. "Goodbye Mrs. Slocombe," for instance, one of the very best, was one of the last. One wonderful bonus to be included on the "extras" disc is the first episode of "Grace and Favour," the sequel series, which was called "Are You Being Served? Again" in America. Hopefully this will lead to the release of that entire (brief) series as well, which was an affectionate continuation of these truly lovable characters.
Rating:
Summary: A great collection
Review: This is some of the best episodes of Are you being served?. They never get tiresome to watch. I just love this show and have been very pleased with this product.
Rating:
Summary: Series 6-10 coming!
Review: BBC America's website says that Are You Being Served series 6-10 will be released in the Summer of 2003. I hope it's as good a release as Series 1-5 was. Does anyone have any more details? We watch these, one episode a night, alternating with the MASH DVD set...quite an entertaining hour!
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