Are You Being Served?

Mr Rumbold's department seems to have moved again in the store. Whereas in the previous season it was mentioned several times that Ladies and Gentlemen's Apparel could be found on the first floor (second floor in American terms), it is now on the fourth floor (fifth in America). Of course, this lapse in consistency may be the result of a plot line. If they were on the first floor, a broken lift wouldn't be much of a problem.

In this episode we learn that Mrs Slocombe is sales assistant 193 and Mr Humphries sales assistant 4711. (The latter is an obvious reference to the famous Eau de Cologne brand.)

Goof: Halfway through the first scene the alarm clock Mr Humphries is holding unexpectedly starts to ring. John Inman, speaking at that moment, can barely control his laughter. Mollie Sugden, who is to say the next line, finds it difficult to keep a straight face as well.

Final appearances of Mr Lucas, Mr Goldberg and Penny Irving as Young Mr Grace's secretary. Their departures are never explained.

Mr. Goldberg says that the staff was down £8.45, but if you add up all the costs for takeaways, the sum is actually £8.75.

Jackie Pallo is the only guest star in the entire series who gets a round of applause by the studio audience as he walks onto the stage. Pallo (1926-2006) was, after all, a star of British televised wrestling.

This is the second time someone replaces Mr Rumbold. The first time was in the episode "Forwards, Mr Grainger"

Where's that tattoo on Captain Peacock's arm, the one Mr. Goldberg had a picture of in the previous episode? Perhaps Captain Peacock spent a great deal of effort in a short amount of time to get that tattoo off.

Alfie Bass (who had a bit part as the doorman at the Indian restaurant in the Beatles movie Help!) pretty clearly flubs a line in his first episode. While showing Captain Peacock the photo of the two of them together in the Army, he says "...on his arm is a motto...". Realising he has just blown the line he hesitates a few seconds (an eternity on TV). Recovering himself, he then speaks what was probably the line he should have said in the first place "...a tattoo..."

A stagehand can be seen straightening Mrs. Slocombe's bridal train as she leaves the fitting room.

When the air blew up Shirley's dress, it was an allusion to the classic pose of Marilyn Monroe when she stood on a subway vent.

The long hiatus between series five and six was the result of John Inman's decision to work for ITV in a sitcom of his own, 'Odd Man Out'. Though David Croft was prepared to write Mr Humphries out of the show, the BBC wouldn't hear of 'Are You Being Served' without John Inman.

The tiara that Miss Shirley Brahms is wearing has "GB" outlined in it.

Captain Peacock's voice in the first scene is reminiscent of Donald Duck, less of a throat infection and more of helium abuse.

Mr. Lucas cracks up when he tries to ask Mr. Grainger his name (i.e. the name of the person Grainger is pretending to be.)

During the later scenes, the cast talks about dressing casually for a week, but they are wearing the same outfits that they wore on Monday, the first day of casual week.

In this episode and a few later ones, Mr. Humphries' first name is addressed as Clayborn. We later learn this is his middle name, and his first name is actually Wilberforce. (Apologies if I misspelled either of these names.)

This epsiode is creator Jeremy Loyd's favorite episode of the whole series.

Mr. Rumbold says on the phone that Mr. Grainger is over 70, but three years earlier, the Gents' and Ladies' floor held a party for Grainger's 65th birthday.

Goof: At the end, when Mr. Grace is inspecting the Father Christmases, you can see his secretary behind the scenery waiting for her cue.