Are You Being Served?

Are You Being Served? (1972)

7 mistakes in show generally

(5 votes)

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Other mistake: The gender of Mrs Slocombe's cat is always different in each episode. Sometimes her cat is a female and other times it is a male. (eg. In 'Mrs Slocombe Expects', her cat is female. In 'No Sale', when Mrs. Slocombe complains about her having to get up to have a bath at 6:00 in the morning, she says, "The gurgling of the tank woke him up.").

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Other mistake: There is another counter on the floor, to the right of the stairs, that is usually staffed by two women besides Ms. Brahms and Mrs. Slocombe. But throughout the show when there is a on-floor meeting for the entire floor staff, these two are never included in the discussions.

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Continuity mistake: Sometimes Mrs. Slocombe has discretion over both inventory and displays and what they will and will not sell in the ladies department, other times its Captain Peacock, Mr. Rumboldt or others that have the final say.

luke f

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Factual error: 2016 special - You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks: Mr Harmon comments on a perfume called Belle, which he thinks is called "Belly", "I wonder what the next one will be called. Bingo Wings?" The episode is set in 1988 and the term "bingo wings" didn't exist before the 1990s. (00:10:40)

Paul Giaccone

Mr. Humphries: I'm free!

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Roots? - S8-E8

Question: Does anyone know why Wendy Richard (Ms. Brahms) is the only one not wearing blackface for the musical number at the end of the episode?

Answer: In minstrel shows there was also a stereotype of black men preying on white women, so that's probably why she was not in black face. Also, Mrs. Slocombe is in blackface because she is an older, stout woman and she fits the "mammy" stereotype.

Answer: In Britain, there was the show Black and White Minstrels which was very popular until the late 70s. The men were all blacked up, but the women weren't - hence Black and White Minstrels. It's been a while since I saw the episode to know if Mrs Slocombe was blacked up as well, but technically she shouldn't have been.

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