Search - Are You Being Served?, Vol. 5 on DVD

"Happy Birthday Dear Er Er"

mwreview | Northern California, USA | 01/07/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As relatively weak volume 4 in the AYBS? set is, volume 5 makes up for it big time! Fifty Years On is hilarious. It is Mrs. Slocombe's birthday, and the staff must find out her age and first name. The scene where Mr. Rumbold gets the staff together to rehearse their rendition of "Happy Birthday" is one of the funniest of this long-running series. Some of my favorite episodes of AYBS? are the ones that feature Capt. Peacock's womanizing reputation, and Oh What a Tangled Web has tales of Peacock's "blow tickler" and Mr. Rumbold's secretary flying around. The ending of this episode is rather weak, but, as a whole, it is still one of the best.In Mrs. Slocombe Expects, the staff try a new sales technique suggested by Young Mr. Grace where they pretend to be customers to attract sales. And then there is the "expectant mother." Mrs. Slocombe can find homes for 6 but "anymore than that will have to be drowned in a bucket." The staff find themselves in the toy department in A Change is as Good as a Rest. It is refreshing to see the gang on a new "sales floor." The one episode of this set that is a little dicey is The Father Christmas Affair. Here, Mr. Grainger, Mr. Humphries, and Mr. Lucas rehearse an Al Jolson "Mammy" minstrel. There is also a surprise at the end which may offend some people. Still, this episode has one of my favorite AYBS? lines. Mrs. Slocombe tries out for the Father Christmas job by stating: "I will ask you to remember that Parliament has passed the sexual relations act which states that women are just as good at it as men and, what's more, they should be paid the same for doing it."This excellent volume, as well as the other volumes in this series, are also available in two boxed sets, both of which I highly recommend."