Are You Being Served? Episode Rating Graph

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.

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.

It's pay day at Grace Brothers and the staff realize that their money just doesn't go very far. An opportunity for a bonus arises when a customer loses a diamond and offers a £100 reward. Greed gets the better of everyone, except Mr. Grainger, and soon they're conspiring behind each others backs. Mr. Mash throws a wrench in the search after he damages a jeweled dress, causing a multitude of "diamonds" within the department.

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.

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.

Illnesses strike the Department, and Mr. Lucas decides to fake his to get the day off. His plan backfires as he is assigned to the Ladies Counter as a sort of "quarantine".

When the mechanical Father Christmas proves that it can't be trusted, Mr. Grace offers a bonus for one of the staff to portray the store Santa. Meanwhile, Mr. Humphries and Mr. Lucas attempt to help Mr. Grainger prepare for a song-and-dance show at an old-folks' home.

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

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.

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.

Naughty sayings on her underwear push Mrs. Slocombe to the brink of giving her notice, but then it's discovered that Old Mr. Grace plans to ask a member of the staff to marry him. When he calls for Mrs. Slocombe, everyone assumes she's the one.

Mrs. Slocombe sells her home-made perfume. After a misunderstanding, Mrs. Peacock finds Captain Peacock without his pants (perfume had spilled on them) and the ill-fated trousers in the hands of Mr. Rumbold's secretary.

Mr. Grainger is 5 minutes late coming back from his coffee break and this sets in motion a management scheme to monitor all breaks. The staff must sign in and sign out when they leave and return to the department. The department staff revolt and union action is taken

Captain Peacock is celebrating his 20th year at Grace Brothers, and while his request for a raise has been turned down, he has been given a key to the Executive Wash Room and the privilige of eating in the Executive Dining Room. He lords this over the department staff and Mr. Grainger decides to make some trouble.

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.

Mr. Humphries begins displaying his ability to read palms and tell the future. He sees that Captain Peacock will soon be "climbing the ladder and wearing a new hat". Everyone takes this to mean a promotion, especially now that there's a vacancy on the Board of Directors and Mr. Rumbold is in line for it. Captain Peacock expects to take Mr. Rumbold's job. The department staff soon all imagine moving up.

When Captain Peacock tries to salvage his marriage, he resorts to radical measures to discourage an admirer.

Mr. Goldberg is hired as a junior after having recently run his own small tailoring business. To Captain Peacock's chagrin, the staff learn that Mr. Goldberg had served under the Captain but recalls those army days differently.

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?

The Ladies Department is temporarily closed due to refurbishing, so Mrs. Slocombe and Miss Brahms are given counter space over in the Gents. However, the men aren't very happy at having to share their area and do their best to make them unwelcome.

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

The staff contract a strange tropical illness, Marine's Disease, from Mr. Humphries. They are quarantined in the basement until the disease is past.

The staff perform a play on CB radio to advertise Grace Brothers. The play results in the store being swamped by truck drivers who are driven off by Mr. Humphries and Mrs. Slocombe.

Old Mr. Grace becomes convinced that Mr. Humphries is his long-lost son. Mrs. Humphries (also played by Mr. Inman) arrives, and shows that she has never had relations with Mr. Grace.

When traveling to and from work becomes difficult, the staff threaten to resign unless they receive a travel allowance. Old Mr. Grace offers them the empty apartments on the top floor as living space, but they soon discover cohabitation isn't what it's cracked up to be.

The staff decide to obtain a coat-of-arms for Old Mr. Grace's 90th birthday, but problems arise when they're unable to figure out exactly from where his ancestors came.

Mr. Humphries' background as a dance instructor is called upon when the Ladies' and Gents' Wear departments form a team to compete in the inter-store ballroom dancing competition.

Mrs. Slocombe has dreams in which she and Mr. Humphries become romantically embroiled. When she attempts to turn fantasy into reality, the situation becomes most difficult to handle.

Grace Brothers has decided to enter the video age and display advertisements on closed circuit television throughout the store. Meanwhile, there is a new face in Menswear.

The staff prepare for a visit by the Queen. The visit is abruptly ended when Mrs. Slocombe accidentally pushes a flower pot out the window, nearly hitting the Royal Couple.

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.

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.

When the staff of the Ladies' and Gents' departments don't participate in a strike, relations between them and the rest of the store's employees become understandibly bitter. In order to improve the mood, the staff presents a life-size Punch and Judy show for the other employees' children.

Captain Peacock's wife works at Grace Brothers, as Mr. Rumbold's secretary. He is intensely jealous and is absolutely convinced that the two of them are having an affair.

When the handsome golf pro from Sports comes to the floor for a demonstration, he accidentally hits Mrs. Slocombe. She then thinks she's a little girl, wrecking havoc on the store as she cavorts around the department.

When Old Mr. Grace decides to allow the staff to use the store for after-hours money-making, they decide to open a nightclub. However, the advertising campaign has some rather unexpected results.

Mrs. Slocombe thinks she's finally got her man, a bouzouki player in a Greek restaurant. The staff plan a reception at the store to help keep costs down, and her American uncle plans on giving the happy couple a house. Before they can leave for the church, however, the best man arrives with bad news, forcing Mr. Tebbs to don the garb of a Greek vicar and Mr. Humphries that of the bridegroom.

The standard of the canteen food of Grace Brothers is rapidly going from bad to worse. After confronting the catering workers with their complaints, the staff are told to get on with the food preparation on their own.

Mr. Humphries is accused of stealing and his distinguished career could end in disgrace. In a trial, he is found guilty and dismissed, but Mr. Harman finds the missing money in the back of the till from which it was supposedly stolen.

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.

The staff go on strike after being threatened with a pay cut or being moved to the bargain basement. They stage a protest on the roof which is interrupted by a fire which destroys the basement.

Bad news. Grace Brothers may be bought by the Japanese. The staff take their problems to Number Ten, where they speak with President Reagan by phone. Mrs. Thatcher gets fashion tips from Mr. Humphries.