List of Are You Being Served? episodes

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 centre 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. Guest starring Michael Knowles.

Mr. Lucas tries to salvage his bad day at work by sending a note to Miss Brahms, whom he addresses as "Sexy Knickers," asking her to meet him after work. His attempt to deliver the note to Miss Brahms is unsuccessful, and when he tries to retrieve it, he is thwarted by Captain Peacock. Captain Peacock intercepts the note and hands it to Mrs. Slocombe unread, setting off a succession of misunderstandings.

Sales figures for the department are falling, and Mr. Rumbold insists the staff stay behind after the store closes to learn about sales technique. Mr. Rumbold suggests that Mr. Lucas "smile more" in an effort to help boost his sales figures, but the junior's half-hearted implementation seems to have the opposite effect.

Due to a transport strike, the staff are forced to stay in the store overnight. They decide to make the best of the situation by appropriating tents from the sporting department and "camping" in the store. After struggling to erect their tents, and debating sleeping arrangements, the staff talk and sing over an electric "campfire". Guest starring Colin Bean.

The sales staff are upset when Grace Brothers hires an attractive outside saleswoman (Joanna Lumley) to demonstrate a new unisex line of perfume, "His and Hers". Sales of the perfume cut into the staff's commissions, and when they discover that the saleswoman is giving away freebies with every purchase, the staff comes together and successfully sabotage the perfume stand. The saleswoman quits, but the staff learns that they have, in effect, bitten the hand that feeds them and must now sell the perfume themselves.

On the day they get their meager wages, the staff search frantically for a diamond lost in the store by a customer who is offering a £100 reward for its return. Though they initially all agree to split the reward between them should any one of them find the diamond, greed washes over everyone, and when each believes they have found the missing stone, plots to cheat one another out of the reward money are hatched. Guest starring Janet Davies and Elizabeth Larner.

One of the directors is retiring from the Board due to ill health, and Mr. Rumbold is being considered for the position. If he gets the position, Captain Peacock will take over from him, and Mr. Grainger and Mrs. Slocombe both want to replace Peacock. Meanwhile, Mr. Humphries reveals he can read palms and when he reads Captain Peacock's it leads the staff to believe he and Rumbold will both be promoted, while Mrs. Slocombe's palm says she will have a man at her feet.

The staff are called to an early morning meeting to decide on ways to boost Christmas sales figures. However, Young Mr. Grace has already decided that all the floor staff will have to wear novelty costumes, something which none of them are too happy about.

First appearance of Doremy Vernon as Diana Yardswick, The Canteen Manageress

Young Mr. Grace wants the Ladies' and Men's Wear department to form a ballroom dancing team to enter the national Golden Shoes Competition, and when a financial reward is offered all the staff are happy to take part. During rehearsals, Young Mr. Grace watches them to decide whether they are good enough.

Grace Brothers decide to make an advert, set in a cocktail bar, to increase sales. This is filmed in the department using the staff as actors and with Mr. Humphries as the director. Meanwhile, Mr. Humphries and Mrs. Slocombe have been chosen to be made into life-size models to represent the average man and woman in the street. Guest starring Ferdy Mayne.

The staff return from their holidays, and Mr. Tebbs has replaced Mr. Grainger as Head of Men's Wear. The staff are soon told that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are making an official visit to the borough, and they might be coming to Grace Brothers. The staff rehearse what to do if the Royal couple visit and on the day they all dress up in their finery and then watch them in the street below from Mr. Rumbold's office window. Unfortunately, just as it appears the Queen and Prince Philip might be about to enter the store, Mrs. Slocombe accidentally knocks a plant pot off the window ledge which narrowly misses the Royal couple, who get back in their car and speed away from the scene as quickly as possible!

It is Young Mr. Grace's birthday, and the staff sing the traditional birthday song for him and enjoy the traditional free lunch. They later rehearse their cabaret performance for Young Mr. Grace's birthday party, a ballet called The Ballet of the Toys. A professional cabaret troupe will also be performing at the party, and when the troupe arrives, it turns out they themselves will be performing The Ballet of the Toys, which forces the staff to go to Plan B.

When Mr. Tebbs retires, Mr. Humphries and Mr. Lucas are both promoted, so Mr. Rumbold and Young Mr. Grace advertise for candidates for the junior position. Harry Goldberg, a gifted salesman with an endearing personality, immediately makes himself popular with all the staff, except with Captain Peacock, whom Mr. Goldberg says he used to know. First appearance of Mr. Goldberg

The staff gets the opportunity to participate in a lucrative group insurance scheme that will land them all sizable pensions upon retirement. Unfortunately, they must first pass through a physical examination. In an effort to shape up without spending too much money, Mr. Humphries enlists his former ballet instructor (played by Amanda Barrie). After their physicals, they retreat to Young Mr. Grace's office to learn the results, and what they hear shocks them. Guest starring Joy Allen.

Mrs. Slocombe is rendered temporarily homeless after squatters invade her new flat. After her co-workers fail to provide accommodation, Young Mr. Grace allows her to move into the store's Furniture Fitting Department. Mrs. Slocombe turns the floor into a cosy home-from-home, but her space is soon invaded when a transport strike forces her co-workers to move in. Guest starring Jeffrey Holland.

Mr. Rumbold is taken ill with a nasty bout of food poisoning and Young Mr. Grace appoints Mrs. Slocombe to take his place. Clearly relishing her new role, Mrs. Slocombe holes up in Mr. Rumbold's office, descending to the commoners only to flaunt her executive status. However, when sales in the Ladies' Department begin to skyrocket in her absence, Mrs. Slocombe fears that she'll be given the boot once Mr. Rumbold gets back. A poisoned meringue in Mr. Rumbold's desk, however, changes everything. Guest starring Avril Angers and Gorden Kaye.

Favourite episode of Mollie Sugden, repeated on 18 July 2009 as part of a tribute two weeks after her death on 1 July.

Mr. Franco (played by Jackie Pallo) of the Sports Department uncovers an embarrassing secret about Captain Peacock and spreads gossip among the entire department store. To save face, Captain Peacock's colleagues urge him to challenge Franco to a boxing match. At the last minute, however, Captain Peacock withdraws and Mr. Humphries steps in to defend Captain Peacock's honour — in a hastily improvised wrestling match.

When the staff complains once too often about the food and service in the canteen, the caterers issue an ultimatum: present them with a written apology or staff the canteen themselves. To preserve their dignity, they choose the latter option, but very quickly find the subtle art of cookery quite challenging. Guest starring Ronnie Brody.

Mr. Goldberg is running a lucrative side business recruiting his colleagues for higher-paid sales positions in competing department stores. When Mr. Humphries and Mrs. Slocombe receive offers for the job of their dreams, Mr. Rumbold and Captain Peacock struggle to find a way to make them stay, without actually giving them rises. Guest starring Jeffrey Segal.

The Gentlemen's and Ladies' departments become pariahs when they choose not to take part in a company-wide strike. In an attempt to regain favour, the departments stage a life-sized Punch and Judy show to entertain the children of the store's staff. Mr. Humphries directs, Mr. Lucas and Miss Brahms play the title roles, and Mrs. Slocombe brings convincing masculinity to the role of policewoman.

Mr. Goldberg and Mr. Lucas are replaced by Mr. Grossman and Mr. Spooner, and Young Mr. Grace steps down, handing over the reins to his brother, Old Mr. Grace. Meanwhile, Mr. Humphries contracts a rare malady known as "Marine's Disease" and the entire staff is quarantined in the basement to prevent the infection from spreading. Guest starring John D. Collins.

Sales dip so low that Old Mr. Grace is forced to cut everyone's salary by 10%. Insulted, the staff take to the roof to protest, but their attempts to rally the rest of the world to their cause hits a snag when a fire breaks out.

Mr Klein takes over from Mr Grossman as head of the menswear department. After seeing a photo of Mr. Humphries's mother, Old Mr. Grace thinks that Mr. Humphries may just be his long lost son and heir, and Mr. Humphries' mother (played by John Inman) is called in to settle the matter.

It is Old Mr. Grace's birthday, and the department want to bring a musical tribute to the Grace family. Mr. Rumbold's brother Mycroft (played by Nicholas Smith in a double role) then sets out to trace the Grace family tree, which leads to Wales, Scotland, Somerset and, ultimately (apparently), deepest Africa. The title of the episode is a nod to the 1977 American TV mini-series Roots, based on Alex Haley's book of the same title, which aired in Britain shortly afterward.

Mrs. Slocombe decides to sell her home-made perfume in the shop. It has to happen under the counter since Mr. Rumbold would never approve of this, and what is more, the perfume seems to have some quite extraordinary qualities. Unfortunately, one of them involves threatening the Peacocks' already fragile marriage. First appearance of Miss. Belfridge

Mr. Humphries is becoming frequently late for work, and it is soon revealed that an argument with his mother has forced him to move out. When money then goes missing from the till, Mr. Humphries is accused of theft and Grace Brothers put him on trial. With Captain Peacock acting as the prosecutor, Mrs. Slocombe as Mr. Humphries' defender, and Miss Belfridge being removed from the jury for being "biased", it's a trial to remember. Mr. Humphries is found guilty and forced to resign, much to everyone's dismay. However, the missing money turns up at the back of the till, exonerating Mr. Humphries. To add to his sudden fortune, he makes up with his mother.

Mrs. Slocombe loses her memory after being hit on the head with a golf ball. She thinks that she is a little girl and it is indeed hard for the rest of staff, who want to hide her behaviour from Mr. Rumbold at all costs. By day's end, Mrs. Slocombe regains her memory and gets one of the in-stock fur coats as a peace offering. It turns out that she only lost her memory for a moment, but had faked the rest so that she could get her coat. Guest starring Ballard Berkeley.

For Grace Brothers, there may be a market in advertising on CB radio. The staff are asked to perform a CB radio play but they cannot agree on the plot. Mr. Harmon's country tale is chosen instead, and the staff get to work on rehearsals. To their horror, the rehearsals get broadcast across London, prompting censorship threats and the wrong type of people coming to Grace Brothers. Guest starring Nosher Powell and Ron Tarr, with voices of Vicki Michelle and Robbie Coltrane.

The staff had been promised a pay-rise, but when they hear that they are not going to get it, they decide to go to 10 Downing Street to protest to the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (voiced by Jan Ravens). Meanwhile, a monkey has escaped from the Pet Department. Guest starring John D. Collins.

Mrs. Slocombe's pet cat, Tiddles, has gone missing. Knowing how much she cared for the cat and fearing the worst, the staff decide to buy Mrs. Slocombe a kitten. Mr. Humphries is set to make the presentation, but Mrs. Slocombe misinterprets it as a marriage proposal and accepts, to the shock of everyone. Guest starring Norman Mitchell.