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The Best Episodes of Are You Being Served?

Every episode of Are You Being Served? ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best 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...
Genre:Comedy
Network:BBC One

Best Episodes Summary

"German Week" is the best rated episode of "Are You Being Served?". It scored 8.6/10 based on 278 votes. Directed by David Croft and written by N/A, it aired on 4/3/1975. This episode scored 0.3 points higher than the second highest rated, "Our Figures Are Slipping".

  • German Week
    8.6/10278 votes
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    #1 - German Week

    Season 3 Episode 6 - Aired 4/3/1975

    Grace Brothers hosts a week long sales event by selling only German goods. The staff, however, find that the German customers they are getting only want British goods. Captain Peacock objects to the "uniform" he's expected to wear and Mrs. Slocombe gets into the German wines.

    Director: David Croft

    Writer: N/A

  • Our Figures Are Slipping
    8.3/10305 votes
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    #2 - 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.

    Director: Bernard Thompson

    Writer: David Croft, Jeremy Lloyd

  • The Apartment
    8.3/10210 votes
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    #3 - 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.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • Are You Being Served? (Pilot)
    8.2/10309 votes
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    #4 - Are You Being Served? (Pilot)

    Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/8/1972

    A reorganization within the store forces the staff of the gentlemen's 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.

    Director: David Croft

    Writer: David Croft, Jeremy Lloyd

  • Camping In
    8.2/10262 votes
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    #5 - Camping In

    Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 4/4/1973

    A transport strike leaves the staff stranded at the store, so Young Mr. Grace offers to let them spend the night on the floor. Tents are set up, but Mr. Lucas has trouble keeping his up. A "campfire" sing along leads to talk of the last World War and the experiences some of them had.

    Director: Bernard Thompson

    Writer: David Croft, Jeremy Lloyd

  • Cold Comfort
    8.2/10255 votes
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    #6 - 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.

    Director: David Croft

    Writer: N/A

  • Oh What a Tangled Web
    8.2/10231 votes
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    #7 - Oh What a Tangled Web

    Season 4 Episode 6 - Aired 5/13/1976

    Rumors fly when Captain Peacock gets too friendly with Mr. Rumbold's secretary at the Christmas party, and things get really out-of-hand when it seems they might have spent the night together.

    Director: Ray Butt

    Writer: N/A

  • A Change Is As Good As a Rest
    8.2/10224 votes
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    #8 - 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.

    Director: Ray Butt

    Writer: N/A

  • Strong Stuff, This Insurance
    8.2/10196 votes
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    #9 - Strong Stuff, This Insurance

    Season 7 Episode 2 - Aired 10/26/1979

    The staff must take physicals to get insurance. Listening through the door of Mr. Grace's office, they hear Mr. Harman describing the state of the furniture, which they misunderstand as being the results of their physicals.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Clock
    8.1/10256 votes
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    #10 - 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.

    Director: David Croft

    Writer: N/A

  • Forward Mr. Grainger
    8.1/10225 votes
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    #11 - 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.

    Director: Ray Butt

    Writer: N/A

  • It Pays to Advertise
    8.1/10218 votes
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    #12 - It Pays to Advertise

    Season 5 Episode 7 - Aired 4/8/1977

    The staff star in a TV commercial for Grace Brothers, produced by Mr. Humphries. Could Mr. Grace's cheapness be the reason for using his staff in such fashion?

    Director: Bob Spiers

    Writer: N/A

  • Big Brother
    8.0/10243 votes
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    #13 - 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.

    Director: David Croft

    Writer: N/A

  • No Sale
    8.0/10216 votes
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    #14 - No Sale

    Season 4 Episode 1 - Aired 4/8/1976

    When Mr. Grace decides to open the store early, the staff set out to sabotage the new policy.

    Director: Ray Butt

    Writer: N/A

  • Fifty Years On
    8.0/10213 votes
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    #15 - Fifty Years On

    Season 4 Episode 5 - Aired 5/6/1976

    After Mrs. Slocombe starts dropping hints that it's her birthday, the staff calculate that she is 50 and plan an appropriate party.

    Director: Ray Butt

    Writer: N/A

  • The Old Order Changes
    8.0/10212 votes
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    #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.

    Director: Ray Butt

    Writer: N/A

  • Mrs. Slocombe, Senior Person
    7.9/10202 votes
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    #17 - 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 . She eats the cream cakes she finds in his office. But she then gets a call from the hospital warning that the ice cream is what made him ill.

    Director: David Croft

    Writer: N/A

  • His and Hers
    7.8/10256 votes
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    #18 - His and Hers

    Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 4/11/1973

    Mr. Grainger's trousers are missing, along with the central display. The staff learns that the space was freed up for the "His & Hers" fragrance display. Mrs. Slocombe is outraged that they went her to take down her underwear and put perfume there in its place. The glamorous salesgirl causes stirrings in the trouser department. When it's discovered that free stockings and ties are given out with every scent purchase, both departments formulate a plan to oust the intruder.

    Director: Bernard Thompson

    Writer: David Croft, Jeremy Lloyd

  • Hoorah for the Holidays
    7.8/10234 votes
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    #19 - Hoorah for the Holidays

    Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 4/11/1974

    The Store's redecoration plans threaten to interfere in the staffs vacations. Everyone is now expected to take the same two weeks off and there's disagreements on how to handle it. Grace Brother's Tour Group Company offers some package deals, but they are far from First Class.

    Director: David Croft

    Writer: N/A

  • Christmas Crackers
    7.8/10237 votes
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    #20 - Christmas Crackers

    Season 3 Episode 9 - Aired 12/22/1975

    Mr. Grace has an idea to improve Christmas sales--all the staff are to wear novelty costumes, much to their annoyance.

    Director: Ray Butt

    Writer: N/A

  • Mrs. Slocombe Expects
    7.8/10211 votes
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    #21 - 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.

    Director: Ray Butt

    Writer: N/A

  • Take-over
    7.8/10206 votes
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    #22 - Take-over

    Season 5 Episode 5 - Aired 3/25/1977

    The staff prevent another firm's hostile takeover of Grace Brothers by impersonating the shareholders. Mr. Harman gives a rousing speech, and Grace Brothers is saved.

    Director: Ray Butt

    Writer: N/A

  • Goodbye Mr. Grainger
    7.8/10192 votes
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    #23 - Goodbye Mr. Grainger

    Season 5 Episode 6 - Aired 4/1/1977

    Mr. Grainger's temper has become extremely short. The staff, in a private meeting with Mr. Rumbold, decide he must go. However, when he wins the lottery, his bad mood vanishes and he makes his peace with the staff and stays on.

    Director: Ray Butt

    Writer: N/A

  • A Bliss Girl
    7.8/10182 votes
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    #24 - A Bliss Girl

    Season 6 Episode 5 - Aired 12/13/1978

    A new display of perfume arrives from Bliss, but there is no Bliss Girl to man the counter. Mrs. Slocombe refuses the position, so Mr. Humphries becomes the Bliss Girl for the day.

    Director: Bob Spiers

    Writer: N/A

  • Dear Sexy Knickers...
    7.7/10259 votes
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    #25 - Dear Sexy Knickers...

    Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 3/21/1973

    Mr. Lucas attempts to send Miss Brahms a love letter suggesting an after-work "get it together". Confusion on who sent the letter and to whom it was intended sets the stage for a lot of misunderstanding. There's also the customers to contend with and Mr. Lucas has a devil of a time fitting them into clothing.

    Director: Bernard Thompson

    Writer: David Croft, Jeremy Lloyd