To Aaron: Yes, it is interesting. And it bugs me that I can't find any hard info on it! :-)

Quote: Dice @ August 20 2013, 4:17 AM BST

Not nationwide. In the NorthEast US, AYBS hasn't been on any of our public broadcast stations in about 3 years.

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Three years! Wow! I wonder if for the same reason.

Here in the South East, it was announced during the latest fund drive, that it would stop airing once the current run was complete. It was also treated as a temporary thing. But you never know. I would hate to think one person could hold up a show after airing all these years. I'm not that crazy about the show but, I know many are. I would guess the DVD sales would jump and the on air demand would eventually dwindle.

There are just too many Britcoms that America has not yet seen. PBS listens ONLY to those that contribute money, and I would think most of those would rather see new (to them) material than watching the same old re-runs year after year. Especially if they have to pay a higher price!

Do kids these days think this show was about epic rap battles?

Quote: sootyj @ August 24 2013, 8:35 PM BST

Do kids these days think this show was about epic rap battles?

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Imagine Mr. Humphries in a rap battle.

I loved AYBS and the sequel, and still after all this time it still makes me smile. I wonder what the problem with it might be re: PBS? My local one WNED stopped showing it more than 3 years ago but a local private Canadian station has it on it's current schedule so I find it strange. When a station purchases the rights to air I suppose there would be a huge difference between publicly funded and privately funded in their contracts? Because after all publicly funded tend not to butcher the episode up to create space for commercial blocks, whereas private ones do. Could that have something to do with it?

Yo mr Humphries you say you're free?
Bro you're a c-u-n-t
With public toilet availability
In Rumbelows you're a no show.
You freaky deaky man hoe!

Yo Captain peacock you say I'm a fag
But dude the truth is youze the slag
When Mrs Slocombe says her pussy needs feeding
You offer her interspecies breeding.

Quote: sootyj @ August 24 2013, 9:49 PM BST

Yo mr Humphries you say you're free?
Bro you're a c-u-n-t
With public toilet availability
In Rumbelows you're a no show.
You freaky deaky man hoe!

Yo Captain peacock you say I'm a fag
But dude the truth is youze the slag
When Mrs Slocombe says her pussy needs feeding
You offer her interspecies breeding.

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word

Quote: sootyj @ August 24 2013, 9:49 PM BST

Yo mr Humphries you say you're free?
Bro you're a c-u-n-t
With public toilet availability
In Rumbelows you're a no show.
You freaky deaky man hoe!

Yo Captain peacock you say I'm a fag
But dude the truth is youze the slag
When Mrs Slocombe says her pussy needs feeding
You offer her interspecies breeding.

View original

Can't remember this scene. Must be one of the later series.

Quote: BenS @ August 24 2013, 9:38 PM BST

Imagine Mr. Humphries in a rap battle.

I loved AYBS and the sequel, and still after all this time it still makes me smile. I wonder what the problem with it might be re: PBS? My local one WNED stopped showing it more than 3 years ago but a local private Canadian station has it on it's current schedule so I find it strange. When a station purchases the rights to air I suppose there would be a huge difference between publicly funded and privately funded in their contracts? Because after all publicly funded tend not to butcher the episode up to create space for commercial blocks, whereas private ones do. Could that have something to do with it?

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Seems a bit of a stretch. Far more likely is there's a relatively simple disagreement between BBC Worldwide and someone, over the payment of rights fees.

Quote: Gordon Bennett @ August 24 2013, 10:30 PM BST

Can't remember this scene. Must be one of the later series.

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Are You being Served: The Next Generation

Quote: Aaron @ August 12 2013, 1:22 PM BST

It needn't be one of the few surviving cast members either, but the estate of any of those who have died.

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That pretty much nailed it. Last night, prior to airing AYBS, the local PBS station announced that this would be the last showing because of a conflict with the ESTATE of one of the writers.

I didn't catch all of the announcement but, I "think" it included all PBS stations. But not totally sure of that.

Thanks for confirming that, Mike. That might actually tally with something else I've heard privately. Hopefully the issue is resolved soon.

AYBS is being removed from my local PBS station also. The last showing will be on 9/20. It will seem really strange for it not to be there; they've been airing it practically every day since the 80s. Watching AYBS and 'Allo 'Allo! on PBS as a kid was what got me into British comedy in the first place.

I've learned that the dispute affects the whole of the US, as of Sunday 22nd. Hopefully the issue can be sorted before long.

The same dispute is forcing the removal of 'Allo 'Allo from any PBS stations airing it as well.

Suspected as much. Thanks for the information. Such a pity.

There is a posting about this on the Maryland Public Television website at http://ww2.mpt.org/tea/heather/heather.shtml . Not my local station, but a online post directed me to it. It's currently the second story down the page:

Week of August 26, 2013:
Changes coming to the program schedule

As summer winds down, so too does one of Afternoon Tea's longest running comedies; the much loved and highly entertaining, Are You Being Served?

Unfortunately the BBC was unable to secure additional rights to sell the series to PBS and - along with other stations around the country - MPT is no longer able to air the show.

We're really hoping that the BBC will be able to come to terms with the agents for the show and Are You Being Served? will be back on the air one day. For now though we have to say goodbye to Grace Brothers Department store and just be thankful for the many, many hours of laughter we've had in the company of Mr. Grace's salespeople.

Another show MPT, and other PBS stations, won't be able to air come September, for the exact same reason, is 'Allo 'Allo, which was also created by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft. Replacing 'Allo 'Allo in the 1pm Afternoon Tea slot on Fridays is Mr. Bean, written by and starring Rowan Atkinson as the title character.