Are you being Served?

Anyone know why BBC Two changed the episode of Are you Being Served today?

The episode shown was 'The Punch and Judy Affair', 1979 Christmas Special (although it wasn't about Christmas). I don't know which episode was meant to be shown. radiotimes.com used to have a page that detailed last minute schedule changes but I don't think that page is there any more.

Has anyone got a printed BBC Two schedule to hand?

In the radio times it was listed as being Roots. Father Christmas Affairs, again according to the RT is tomorrows episode.

Thanks.

Looks like The Father Christmas Affair has been swapped for Happy Returns tomorrow too.

I saw The Father Christmas Affair in America about a week ago. Despite seeing the episode in the UK before, it turns out I had always seen the cut version. In the version shown on the PBS station in America, the ending involves Its odd that I would have to go to a country that is considered over the top when it comes to censorship of television shows to see the complete version of a British show.

I have never seen Roots, the episode that was meant to be shown today but this episode guide claims 'the ending can be considered a bit controversial by some.'

Maybe someone at the BBC got cold feet.

I'm in no way an expert on AYBS and I can't remember how The Father Christmas Affair ends when I have seen it in the UK (can't remember if it was BBC or UKTV either, I've probably seen it on both) but in the version I half saw (I only caught the end) in America all the characters are dressed as and the episode ends.

I really don't remember seeing that scene until last week but as I say, I am not an expert on the show by any means. Do you remember that scene?

I remember seeing the Roots episode years ago - it was one of the later episodes with Old Mr Grace who, despite being "Young" Mr Grace's older brother, was played by an actor in his early fifties who was unconvincingly made up to look around 90.

With the way Are You Being Served ran for 12 years, I can't imagine a British comedy series lasting this long in more recent times. I always thought the series got quite stale in the end, though.

There are a couple giving it a good go - Peep Show has been on the go since 2003 and still has another series commissioned at least. And of course at the more gentle end of the spectum, My Family is 10 this coming September and that recently had two more series get the go ahead, so whilst less less likely nowadays, its not exactly unheard of.

And Dad's Army lasted for nine years, although by its last series in 1977 it had become tired. It could also be argued that some of the sparkle went out of the show after James Beck died.

I think the problem is that many of today's comedy writers think far too highly of themselves and their products, and hence use the Fawlty Towers excuse of finishing after a couple of series and then spending the rest of their career trying to recapture former glories.

I had forgotten about Peep Show - I must have a bad memory! I hadn't thought of My Family - it is a series I can't stand to be honest. I knew Dad's Army ran for nine years and It Ain't Half Hot Mum for nearly eight years, but with the exceptions mentioned, comedy series just don't seem to run for as long now.

It make me wonder though, if many series do become stale after running for too long - I haven't really seen Peep Show so I can't comment if it is still as funny as in its earlier years.

Going back to Dad's Army, I remember seeing in a documentary that after James Beck died, they brought in the Welsh Private Cheeseman who was only in one (I think) series and that some of the actors didn't like him, just because of the way he was seen as a replacement in some ways for Walker.

That was Talfryn Thomas. He'd already featured in one episode of series 6 of Dad's Army (My British Buddy) and was brought in for series 7 with the exception of the first episode of that series, Everybody's Trucking.
I remember seeing that documentary too and I think it was John Laurie who wasn't keen on the Private Cheeseman character being in the show.

Incidentially, Everybody's Trucking and another episode from series 7, A Man of Action, were both recorded on the same date. If you watch Everybody's Trucking, most of the episode consists of location footage, with the exception of the first scene in the church hall yard. This might partly explain why it and A Man of Action shared the same recording date.

How times roll by ... you wouldn't get a Gary Glitter reference now.