Quote: JJlovescomedy @ 15th January 2023, 10:42 AMI think Grace & Favour is available on Apple Tv and to buy on YouTube. I like the AYBS film, its a good reminder of how popular ABYS was at the time.
Thank you - I currently only have NowTV, Virgin TV, Britbox and Prime but we might flirt with other providers in the coming year.
Me - I like the fun and frolics of AYBS, it's so woke now that I cringe at most comedies and I don't consider myself ancient by any means.
In the post today arrived the complete series DVD of Grace & Favour. Tonight with some family and friends I will watch the first two or three episodes. I will put regular updates on this forum thread about the series.
Is on That's TV at the mo, about early evening I think, but with the export title AYBS?A(gain). Soon realised it must have been G&F. Pretty much the same humour as AYBS, ie. predictable, smutty and funny, well worth a watch for fans of the original. Benefited greatly from not having the later men's dept. replacements in this, the main reason I stopped watching AYBS, so I'll try and catch some more.
Yes, having a watched a couple more, I think AYBS fans will love it, it is exactly the same brand of lowish brow humour and smut as the predecessor, so it's also a grace & favour bonus for its loyal fanbase. What I didn't expect though was that there's quite a lot of local country bumpkin type stuff in it making it very similar to the much later Green Green Grass imo.
On the downside, to me the cast look to have aged a lot in the few years since AYBS finished and it was never as good again after Mr Lucas left imo. Bannister was as crucial to the show as Beck was to Dad's Army imo, and his departure led to a similar demise in quality, although DA's quality was so high, it didn't affect it as much. imo. Enough imo's for ya?
Watchable but it is what it always was and you probably have to be a fan of it to like it.
Are You Being Served? was originally created around Trevor Bannister of course, so it's no surprise it takes such a hit after his departure. I wish he'd come back for Grace & Favour!
Catching up with this on thats TV Sunday morning omnibus and pleasantly surprised: forgotten how funny it was - jam-packed with bawdy humour and double entendres! Naturally it gets the now obligatory warning message about our of date attitudes and language! đ
Quote: Aaron @ 13th February 2024, 5:05 PMAre You Being Served? was originally created around Trevor Bannister of course, so it's no surprise it takes such a hit after his departure. I wish he'd come back for Grace & Favour!
But, to be honest it was John Inman's show, wasn't it?
Really?
Apart from the awful Nicholas Smith (who barely knew his lines), I thought Bannister was probably the weakest in it.
All IMHO obvs.
Quote: Lazzard @ 4th March 2024, 5:47 PMBut, to be honest it was John Inman's show, wasn't it?
Really?
Apart from the awful Nicholas Smith (who barely knew his lines), I thought Bannister was probably the weakest in it.
All IMHO obvs.
Inman was the break-out star yes, but Sugden a very, very close popular second.
I will argue the point on Bannister though! Always loved him.
Quote: Lazzard @ 4th March 2024, 5:47 PMBut, to be honest it was John Inman's show, wasn't it?
Really?
Apart from the awful Nicholas Smith (who barely knew his lines), I thought Bannister was probably the weakest in it.
All IMHO obvs.
Spot on about NS but not about TB imo. Alfie Bass was an improvement on the one he replaced and so was Arthur English imo, but Bannister's replacement was a catastrophe, too light weight after we'd been spoilt with Bannister's stage acting oomph. He was the pivot for most of the funny exchanges between himself and the ladies, at times a masterclass in old fashioned sitcom sniping, which was AYBS at its best for me - the camp stuff it became known for rather let it down imo. Sorry this probably belongs on AYBS threads not G&F.
Quote: Aaron @ 4th March 2024, 5:57 PMInman was the break-out star yes, but Sugden a very, very close popular second.
And isn't this usually given as the reason he left early in a huff? The general theory is he never forgave the writers for changing the focus of the sitcom from him to them but my own personal opinion is that he was fed up of Sugden's hogging the limelight with her constant mugging, and stealing scenes that should've been more his than hers.
Sadly That's TV don't appear to be showing Series 2?
Quote: Aaron @ 4th March 2024, 5:57 PMI will argue the point on Bannister though! Always loved him.
He was like a bloody nodding dog!
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Quote: Lazzard @ 8th March 2024, 4:52 PMHe was like a bloody nodding dog!
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Ah, now that description I do recognise!
The title is also a good reference to the nature of TV commissioning back in the day. If you had a popular sitcom, you were unlucky if you didn't get rewarded with a spin off show or feature film, and in some cases both. To be fair to them it still happens, only on a much tinier scale, because they just don't make that many now. âšī¸
Quote: gb901 @ 8th March 2024, 4:28 PMSadly That's TV don't appear to be showing Series 2?
They are in my neck of the woods
Patrick Fyffe just cropped up in an episode on this afternoon
