I've always enjoyed a number of guilty pleasures, as evidenced by my interest in offbeat Christmas music, as well as this blog. One of my newer time-wasting enthusiasms is the classic British TV show Are You Being Served?, which ran on the BBC from 1972 to 1985 and was later syndicated in this country on many PBS stations. The program is set in a London department store and it focuses on the different backgrounds and outlooks of the men and women who serve the store's customers. Strictly speaking, it's not especially innovative or groundbreaking – in fact, it's terribly formulaic. It also reflects a significant degree of classism, prejudice and misogyny, as that was the state of some corners of British society during that period (as it is in too many areas of our world today). But it's a funny show that features several hilarious characters and a good bit of the humor is aimed directly at those ugly prejudices, not unlike the American show All in the Family, which, after all, was based on another British comedy. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
Are You Being Served? featured five Christmas episodes during its lengthy run, including this one called "Christmas Crackers," which aired in 1975. Enjoy!
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