"Are You Being Served" (1972-1985) was set on the floor in a large department store where men's and women's clothing were sold. Mollie Sugden played Mrs. Slocombe, the senior seller of woman's clothing.
Mrs. Betty Slocombe was a widow, living alone with her pet cat. In almost each episode she would utter comments that implied her cat, such as "What a fog! My pussy has been gasping all night".
Mollie Sugden also appeared in several episodes of "Coronation Street".
2. John Inman
Answer: Are You Being Served?
In "Are You Being Served?", John Inman played Mr. Wilberforce Humphries, starting as an assistant on the men's department (later promoted to senior seller).
Mr. Humphries frequently gave remarks that hinted at his gay disposition. The tone on which he uttered his catchphrase "I'm free" was a clear hint to that effect.
Inman also appeared in the TV series "Odd Man Out" (1977).
3. Frank Thornton
Answer: Are You Being Served?
Frank Thornton played Captain Peacock, the floor supervisor in "Are You Being Served?"
Captain Stephen Peacock claimed to have been an officer in the North Africa campaign during World War II. In one episode a former colleague of his claimed Peacock was only a NCO in the recreational department of the British forces.
Thornton had also a role in the movie "Gosford Park" (2001).
4. Wendy Richard
Answer: Are You Being Served?
Wendy Richard played Miss Shirley Brahms in "Are You Being Served?".
Miss Brahms was the junior assistant to Mrs. Slocombe in the ladies' department, and she was mostly seen selling lingerie.
Wendy Richard had also a role in the movie "Gumshoe" (1971).
5. John Cleese
Answer: Fawlty Towers
"Fawlty Towers" ran from 1975 to 1979. This sitcom was set at a hotel on the English south coast.
John Cleese played the hotel owner Basil Fawlty, the pinnacle of incompetence. One of the best examples is the episode with a number of German guests, in which Basil repeatedly called out to the rest of the staff "Don't mention the war" - but was overheard by the German guests.
Cleese is of course best known for his antics in "The Monty Python's Flying Circus".
6. Connie Booth
Answer: Fawlty Towers
Connie Booth played the waitress Polly Sherman in "Fawlty Towers".
Polly Sherman was the only competent member of the staff of this hotel: the owner Basil was rude, his wife Sybil was constantly chatting on the telephone with her friends, and Manuel did not understand English.
Connie Booth also played in the short movie "Romance with a Double Bass" (1975).
7. Prunella Scales
Answer: Fawlty Towers
Prunella Scales played Sibyl Fawlty, the wife of the hotel owner Basil in "Fawlty Towers".
Sibyl was perhaps more sensible than Basil (evidently she could not have been worse), but whenever her assistance was urgently needed, she answered the phone and started an hour long conversation with one of her friends - to which her only contribution was "Yes, I know."
Prunella Scales could also be seen in the movies "Howard's End" (1992) and "The Boys from Brazil" (1978).
8. Andrew Sachs
Answer: Fawlty Towers
Andrew Sachs starred as Manuel, the Spanish butler in "Fawlty Towers". He was always doing his best, but as he did not understood English, things always got messy.
For instance, when Basil asked "Where's Sybil?" (referring to his wife), Manuel understood it as "Where's... the bill?"
Sachs also appeared in the movie "Are You Being Served?" (1977), but not in the TV series.
9. Patricia Routledge
Answer: Keeping Up Appearances
"Keeping Up Appearances" ran from 1990 to 1995. Patricia Routledge starred as the main character, Hyacinth Bucket.
Hyacinth came from a lower class but was intent to rub shoulders with the nobility. Obsessed with good manners, she tried always to make good impressions on any General or Baron she would occasionally encounter. Alas, her family and neighbours always somehow got in the way...
After leaving "Keeping up Appearances", Routledge starred in the mystery series "Hetty Wainthropp Investigates".
10. Clive Swift
Answer: Keeping Up Appearances
Clive Swift played Hyacinth's husband Richard Bucket in "Keeping Up Appearances". Richard was a local civil servant until he retired in the second season.
Richard was always driving the car in accordance with Hyacinth's instructions. While Hyacinth would mutter something as "Mind the sheep, dear", Richard (seeing the sheep in the meadow behind the fence) bleated "Minding the sheeeeeep..."
Clive Swift also had a role in the movie "Excalibur" (1981).
11. Judy Cornwell
Answer: Keeping Up Appearances
In "Keeping Up Appearances", Judy Cornwell played the role of Daisy, one of Hyacinth's sisters. Contrary to Hyacinth, Daisy had no desire to climb the social ladder, she was quite content living in a poor quarter.
Hyacinth once claimed she did love her family, and yet she was afraid to be seen in public with her sisters Daisy or Rose (one of the worst nymphomaniacs ever shown) - they hadn't made it in life, and never would.
Judy Cornwell also played in the movies "Wuthering Heights" (1970) and "Santa Claus" (1985).
12. Geoffrey Hughes
Answer: Keeping Up Appearances
In "Keeping Up Appearances", Geoffrey Hughes portrayed Onslow, Daisy's husband.
Onslow was the finest example of idleness, much to the dismay of Hyacinth. One episode showed him sitting in the (shabby) living room watching TV. As his wife Daisy admitted she didn't buy any beer, Onslow replied "I'm sitting here completely surrounded by no beer".
Hughes also had a role as Twiggy in "The Royle Family" (1998-2008). With the stature he had in "Keeping Up Appearances", I would never address him as Twiggy.
13. Gorden Kaye
Answer: 'Allo 'Allo
My all-time favourite sitcom is "'Allo 'Allo", which ran on the BBC from 1982 to 1992.
Gorden Kaye played René Artois, the local café owner in a small French town occupied by the Germans during World War II.
René tried to be friendly to everyone, but he had several problems to deal with. First of all, he was "volunteered" to lead an escape route for British pilots. But the two pilots he had to hide, didn't get away during several years - in spite of the many wacky plans concocted to get them to England or at least to a neutral country.
Secondly, René was "volunteered" by the German officers to hide some precious works of art, most notably the painting of "The Fallen Madonna with the Big Boobies" by von Klomp. René would like to sell it and keep the profits himself, but the painting constantly turned up missing, damaged, stolen, forged...
René's third problem was that he did no longer love his wife, but was often "volunteered" for cuddling both of the servant girls in the café (not at the same time, of course) - and both servant girls as well as his wife were very envious. Not to mention that Lieutenant Gruber also fancied him...
Gorden Kaye also acted in the movie "Brazil" (1985).
14. Vicki Michelle
Answer: 'Allo 'Allo
Vicky Michelle played the senior waitress at René's café in "'Allo 'Allo". She would take every opportunity to have René cuddle her, upon which René's wife would each time walk in with the remark "René! What are you doing 'olding that servant girl in your arms?" - to which René invented some lame excuse.
Vicki Michelle appeared also in the movies "The Callback Queen" (2013) and "C.O.O.L.I.O. Time Travel Gangster" (2014).
15. Guy Siner
Answer: 'Allo 'Allo
In "'Allo 'Allo" Guy Siner played the role of Lieutenant Hubert Gruber.
Gruber was part of the tank corps stationed near the village of Nouvion, where René held his café. Gruber did not fancy women, but he seemed immediately to fall in love with René - another of René's problems.
At first, Lieutenant Gruber did not know about the devious schemes of the officers of the German Army (Colonel Eric von Strohm and captain Hans Geering) to hide precious artworks at René's, but soon he took also part and was promised his share after the war. As a young man with artistic tendencies, Gruber made several forgeries of the precious paintings. And frequently, the contraband had to be hidden in knackwurst, which in turn were stuffed down Gruber's trousers.
Siner also appeared briefly in "Pirates of the Caribbean" (2003).
16. Kim Hartman
Answer: 'Allo 'Allo
Kim Hartman played private (briefly lance corporal) Helga Geerhart in "'Allo 'Allo".
Helga was secretary to Colonel von Strohm, but she was frequently sent pout to spy on the SS officer Otto Flick - who proposed to marry her after the war.
Helga was also aware of the dubious dealings of Colonel von Strohm and Captain Geering, asking René to hide valuable art works in return not to reveal that René also hid two British pilots.
Helga was frequently seen to strip to her underwear, delicately decorated with a row of little swastikas near the hem.
Kim Hartman was also spotted in the TV series "Grange Hill" (2005-2008) and in the movie "Dunkirk" (2017).
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor kyleisalive before going online.
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