Episode Guide

Thanks to comedy.co.uk

Pilot (1972)

  • The Pilot
    First Broadcast: (08/09/1972)
    After 20-something years of having the entire floor to themselves, the staff of the Men's Readymades find themselves having to share their space with Ladies' Intimate Apparel. While Senior Salespersons Mr. Grainger and Mrs. Slocombe go to war with each other, Mr. Lucas tries to help out (or help himself) to the lovely Miss Brahms.

Series 1 (1973)

  1. Dear Sexy Knickers
    First Broadcast: (21/03/1973)
    Mr. Lucas decides to send a little love-note to Miss Brahms, but it goes awry: Mrs. Slocombe gets it instead...but she thinks that the sender's someone other than Lucas.
  2. Our Figures Are Slipping
    First Broadcast: (28/03/1973)
    Falling sales for Mr. Rumbold means he holds the staff after hours for a training session in the fine art of salesmanship. The problem is no one wants to be there.
  3. Camping In
    First Broadcast: (04/04/1973)
    A transit strike forces the staff to spend the night camped out on the floor. Of course, there are arguments about who gets the big tent, the nice pyjamas and a spot in the double bed.
  4. His and Hers
    First Broadcast: (11/04/1973)
    The staff don’t take too kindly to a perfume saleswoman (Joanna Lumley) operating on the floor and poaching their commissions. They try to run her out...with disastrous results.
  5. Diamonds Are a Man's Best Friend
    First Broadcast: (18/04/1973)
    When word gets out about a lost diamond on the floor (and a nice reward for its return), each staff member plots to find it first and get the lion's share of the bounty.

Series 2 (1974)

  1. The Clock
    First Broadcast: (14/03/1974)
    Mr. Grainger's 37th Anniversary dinner is scheduled, but will he be forced to retire and receive the infamous cuckoo-clock as his gift?
  2. Cold Comfort
    First Broadcast: (21/03/1974)
    Mrs. Slocombe and Mr. Lucas are sick, and rather than giving them the day off, the store decides to pair them up on the Ladies' counter and send Miss Brahms over to the Men's. Too bad that Mr. Lucas is faking it.
  3. The Think Tank
    First Broadcast: (28/03/1974)
    The staff are forced to brainstorm ideas to help with sagging sales, and holding a fashion show comes to mind.
  4. Big Brother
    First Broadcast: (04/04/1974)
    Mr. Rumbold installs CCTV, supposedly to keep an eye on shoplifters...but finds himself peeping on the staff's every action instead.
  5. Hurrah for the Holidays
    First Broadcast: (11/04/1974)
    Grace Bros. has to close for two weeks for renovations and organises group holidays for the staff members. The hard part is deciding on all of the lovely destinations!

Series 1 (1975)

  1. The Hand of Fate
    First Broadcast: (27/02/1975)
    Mr. Humphries has a hidden talent as a palm-reader...but are his predictions going to come true?
  2. Coffee Morning
    First Broadcast: (06/03/1975)
    Grace Bros. decides to crack down on coffee-break abuse, and poor Mr. Grainger becomes the first victim.
  3. Up Captain Peacock
    First Broadcast: (13/03/1975)
    Captain Peacock gets access rights to the executive loo and dining room, sparking jealousy from Mr. Grainger who feels that as he's been there longer, he should have been given those privileges first.
  4. Cold Store
    First Broadcast: (20/03/1975)
    Grace Bros. cuts the heating in store on the coldest day of the year, and the staff struggle to keep warm without Mr. Rumbold noticing.
  5. Wedding Bells
    First Broadcast: (27/03/1975)
    Mrs. Slocombe thinks that Mr. Grace will propose to her. The rest of the staff hope not.
  6. German Week
    First Broadcast: (03/04/1975)
    To boost sales, Grace Bros. decides to have a German Week, complete with German merchandise, staff costumes, and dancing.
  7. Shoulder to Shoulder
    First Broadcast: (10/04/1975)
    Since the Ladies' side of the floor is being renovated, they're forced to share the Men's counter. But the men don't want to share...
  8. New Look
    First Broadcast: (17/04/1975)
    The staff have to brainstorm, yet again, on ideas to perk up the store. Since the ideas in the staff suggestion box turn out to be useless, they think about having a Roaring-20's theme.
  9. 9. Christmas Crackers (Christmas Special)
    First Broadcast: (22/12/1975)
    It's holiday time, and the staff prepare a Christmas Grotto theme for the floor after the sumptuous Christmas banquet that Mr. Lucas forgot to buy a ticket for, and the distribution of gifts by Mr. Grace.

Series 4 (1976)

  1. No Sale
    First Broadcast: (08/04/1976)
    The staff decide to protest the earlier opening time by not selling anything. Unfortunately, that's when the big spenders want to come in and shop...can the staff resist the temptation of those commissions?
  2. Top Hat and Tails
    First Broadcast: (15/04/1976)
    The staff decide to enter a ballroom dancing competition...the problem is: which pair is talented enough to compete?
  3. Forward Mr. Grainger
    First Broadcast: (22/04/1976)
    Mr. Grainger is appointed temporary manager while Mr. Rumbold attends a conference, and proves to be quite the dictator. However, Mr. Rumbold coming back early puts Mr. Grainger in hot water with his co-workers.
  4. Fire Practice
    First Broadcast: (29/04/1976)
    Poor performance during a fire drill prompts Mr. Rumbold to keep everyone behind for fire practice.
  5. Fifty Years On
    First Broadcast: (05/05/1976)
    Mrs. Slocombe's birthday is coming up and the staff have three dilemmas: how old is she, what to get her, and what exactly is her first name for the Happy Birthday song?
  6. Oh What A Tangled Web
    First Broadcast: (12/05/1976)
    When Captain Peacock and a female staff member don't come home one night, and word gets out that they spent the night together, the staff has a hearing to find out what REALLY happened.
  7. Father Christmas Affair (Christmas special)
    First Broadcast: (24/12/1976)
    Since the automated Father Christmas robot is a disaster, the staff decide to audition for the role (and the accompanying bonus) of Father Christmas.

Series 5 (1977)

  1. Mrs. Slocombe Expects
    First Broadcast: (25/02/1977)
    Someone is expecting a bundle of joy in the Slocombe household...but who?
  2. A Change Is As Good As A Rest
    First Broadcast: (04/03/1977)
    Grace Bros. decides to rotate its staff assignments, sending Ladies' Intimate Apparel and Men’s Readymades down to the Toy Department.
  3. Founders Day
    First Broadcast: (11/03/1977)
    For Mr. Grace's birthday, the staff decide to hold a "This is Your Life" theme party. As everyone recalls how Mr. Grace has impacted their lives. A surprise guest makes a startling revelation.
  4. The Old Order Changes
    First Broadcast: (18/03/1977)
    Mr. Grace comes back from America full of ideas he wants to put into practice in the store, including a good dose of American informality.
  5. Takeover
    First Broadcast: (25/03/1977)
    The staff plot to prevent a takeover by infiltrating a shareholder's meeting to stack the vote.
  6. Goodbye Mr. Grainger
    First Broadcast: (01/04/1977)
    The staff think Mr. Grainger has been unbearable of late and think he should go; however Mr. Grainger learns of their plot and decides to retire first. But then he wins the lottery, the staff have a PR dilemma on their hands.
  7. It Pays To Advertise
    First Broadcast: (08/04/1977)
    The staff decide to shoot a commercial for Grace Bros., featuring some of their best items. Too bad nothing works out the way they hoped.

Series 6 (1978)

  1. By Appointment
    First Broadcast: (15/11/1978)
    The staff find themselves in a twitter upon hearing that the Royal Family may come to Grace Bros.
  2. The Club
    First Broadcast: (22/11/1978)
    Mr. Grace gives the staff permission to set up a social club. The problem is, no one can agree on anything.
  3. Do You Take This Man?
    First Broadcast: (29/11/1978)
    Mrs. Slocombe's getting married, and her rich American uncle's coming in for the ceremony. However, there's a small problem when the groom doesn't show up...
  4. Shedding The Load
    First Broadcast: (06/12/1978)
    Staff must decide which one of them should get sacked. Of course, no one wants it to be themselves.
  5. A Bliss Girl
    First Broadcast: (13/12/1978)
    Mr. Humphries is nominated by everyone to hawk perfume on the Ladies' counter, but finds himself competing with Mrs. Slocombe instead.
  6. Happy Returns (Christmas special)
    First Broadcast: (26/12/1978)
    It's Young Mr. Grace's birthday so the staff stage a ballet in his honour.

Series 7 (1979)

  1. The Junior
    First Broadcast: (19/10/1979)
    The junior spot on the Men's counter opens up, and the staff start interviewing candidates. Not happy with any of them, they settle on Mr. Goldberg, a man older than all of them.
  2. Strong Stuff This Insurance
    First Broadcast: (26/10/1979)
    The staff are forced to undergo physicals for Grace Bros.' insurance scheme.
  3. The Apartment
    First Broadcast: (02/11/1979)
    Since her flat's overrun by squatters and no one else will put her up, Mr. Grace allows Mrs. Slocombe to live on the top floor of the store. But transit problems force the rest of the staff to beg her for a place for the night.
  4. Mrs. Slocombe, Senior Person
    First Broadcast: (09/11/1979)
    Mrs. Slocombe is appointed temporary floor manager while Mr. Rumbold recovers from food poisoning, and no one is happy about it.
  5. The Hero
    First Broadcast: (16/11/1979)
    When a salesperson from another department makes fun of a boil on Captain Peacock's posterior, the rest of the staff push Captain Peacock into fighting to defend his honour.
  6. Anything You Can Do
    First Broadcast: (23/11/1979)
    Fed up with abuse from Captain Peacock and Co., the canteen staff quit. Guess who is forced to take their place...
  7. The Agent
    First Broadcast: (30/11/1979)
    Mr. Goldberg runs an employment agency as a sideline, and several staff members seek out his services to get better paying jobs elsewhere.
  8. The Punch and Judy Affair (Christmas Special)
    First broadcast: (26/12/1979)
    When the staff cross the picket lines, Mr. Grace orders them to put on a show for the strikers' kids to smooth things over.

Series 8 (1981)

  1. Is It Catching?
    First broadcast: (09/04/1981)
    Mr. Humphries comes down with Marines' Disease, and the entire staff are forced into quarantine with him.
  2. A Personal Problem
    First broadcast: (16/04/1981)
    The staff suspect that Mrs. Peacock started an affair with Mr. Rumbold because Mrs. Peacock thinks Captain Peacock had an affair of his own.
  3. Front Page Story
    First broadcast: (23/04/1981)
    Mr. Humphries is made editor of the staff newspaper, and his co-workers pressure him to investigate why they didn't get the £600 bonus promised to them.
  4. Sit Out
    First broadcast: (30/04/1981)
    Grace Bros. comes down on the staff for its low sales, and the staff decide to take to the roof in protest.
  5. Heir Apparent
    First broadcast: (07/05/1981)
    Mr. Grace thinks that Mr. Humphries may be his long-lost son.
  6. Closed Circuit
    First broadcast: (21/05/1981)
    The staff decide to use CCTV to advertise their special offers. Miss Brahms finds that her "sexy" voice (really dubbed by Mr. Grace's nurse) in the commercial has attracted the affections of a Lord.
  7. Erotic Dreams of Mrs. Slocombe
    First broadcast: (28/05/1981)
    Mrs. Slocombe can't help but dream about Mr. Humphries, and her flirting is starting to make for uncomfortable working arrangements.
  8. Roots? (Christmas Special)
    First broadcast: (24/12/1981)
    The staff hire a genealogist to trace Mr. Grace's ancestry, so that they can put on a special birthday pageant for him honouring it.

Series 9 (1983)

  1. The Sweet Smell of Success
    First broadcast: (22/04/1983)
    Mrs. Slocombe wants to sell her homemade perfume during store hours; she just needs to convince Management that her perfume will be a success.
  2. Conduct Unbecoming
    First broadcast: (29/04/1983)
    A fallout between Mr. Humphries and his mother causes him to behave most erratically at work...to the point that he's put on trial for theft.
  3. Memories Are Made of This
    First broadcast: (06/05/1983)
    An accident with a stray golf ball causes Mrs. Slocombe to lose her memory, making her regress into her childhood.
  4. Calling All Customers
    First broadcast: (13/05/1983)
    The staff decide to use a play staged over CB airways to attract business.
  5. Monkey Business
    First broadcast: (20/05/1983)
    The staff are first upset about not getting a pay raise, and then they get word of a possible Japanese takeover. They decide to take their case to the Prime Minister at No. 10.
  6. Lost and Found
    First broadcast: (27/05/1983)
    Tiddles goes missing and the staff try to comfort a distraught Mrs. Slocombe. Too bad she misinterprets Mr. Humphries' gestures for something a bit more romantic...

Series 10 (1985)

  1. Goodbye Mrs. Slocombe
    First broadcast: (18/02/1985)
    Mrs. Slocombe is forced to retire from sales because of her age. She plots to stay at Grace Bros. in any capacity possible, while the rest of the staff plots to “do in” her successor.
  2. Grounds for Divorce
    First broadcast: (25/02/1985)
    A brief fling with Miss Bagnold prompts Mrs. Peacock to give Captain Peacock an ultimatum. Who will Captain Peacock choose?
  3. The Hold-Up
    First broadcast: (04/03/1985)
    It's tradition for the staff to play jokes on stock-taking night. However, the robbery that occurs isn't a joke...but when the staff contact Mr. Rumbold, he doesn't believe them.
  4. Gambling Fever
    First broadcast: (11/03/1985)
    Lured by the chance of hitting it big on a "dead cert", the staff bet heavily on the horses. However, how are they going to watch the second race to see if they win?
  5. The Night Club
    First broadcast: (18/03/1985)
    The staff decide to run an after-hours nightclub in the store, and film a commercial to be shown in the local cinema.
  6. Friends and Neighbours
    First broadcast: (25/03/1985)
    Mr. Grace offers the staff use of the apartments on the top floor of the store. However, the staff find that they do far better as co-workers than as flatmates.
  7. The Pop Star
    First broadcast: (01/04/1985)
    In the very final AYBS episode Mr. Spooner's singing talents attract the eye of a record producer, who decides to give Mr. Spooner his big break. To Mr. Spooner's annoyance, the rest of the staff want in on the action too.
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