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Thread: Arthur Brough of Are You Being Served

  1. #1
    RoRo Guest

    Arthur Brough of Are You Being Served

    Arthur Brough was born Frederick Arthur Baker on February 26th 1905. 5'2" originally wanting to be a teacher, couldn't find work so went to work for the solicitors but decided to leave because it was too boring so he turned to acting and attened the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. He joined a Shakespeare acting group and married the actress Elizabeth Addyman. They had one child. Arthur started to build new theatre companies in Bradford, Bristol, Blackpool, Keighley, Leeds, Lincoln, Oxford and Southampton. He served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. When leaving he re-established his acting career. The Arthur Brough Players was a company that helped other actors come to the light. Trevor Bannister was part of the Players before going to star alongside each other in Are You Being Served?

    Before Are You Being Served? however Arthur went on to appear in smaller TV roles in the 1960's.He appeared in Dad's Army which is what made David Croft decide to cast him as Mr Grainger in Are You Being Served?
    Arthur appeared in series 1-5 but quit the show after 34 episodes because his wife passed away. However he was set to return back to the show but unfortuantley he passed away just six weeks after his wife, many say from a broken heart. Croft then wrote in the character Mr Tebbs.

    He had a cheeky sense of humour often pulling pranks on his fellow cast members when they were filming, but he was also disappear.

    'Whenever we were rehearsing he'd vanish at about three minutes to eleven.. For a while we wondered where he went, but eventually discovered that he'd nip next door to the pub for a quick pink gin. We'd watch from the window as this little figure hurled towards the pub - we never spoke to him about it. One day when he returned, John Inman asked where he'd been. He made some excuse, but what he'd forgotten was that it was pouring with rain and his bald head was soaking wet!' said Daivd Croft
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  2. #2
    STRAIGHT Guest
    I remember him from that show (are you being served). They show it often in my neck of the woods. R.I.P. Arthur.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    4,652
    Oh, I dearly loved him as "Mr. Grainger." He was always going "to spend a penny" and had a habit of falling asleep on the job.



    Quote Originally Posted by RoRo View Post
    Arthur Brough was born Frederick Arthur Baker on February 26th 1905. 5'2" originally wanting to be a teacher, couldn't find work so went to work for the solicitors but decided to leave because it was too boring so he turned to acting and attened the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. He joined a Shakespeare acting group and married the actress Elizabeth Addyman. They had one child. Arthur started to build new theatre companies in Bradford, Bristol, Blackpool, Keighley, Leeds, Lincoln, Oxford and Southampton. He served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. When leaving he re-established his acting career. The Arthur Brough Players was a company that helped other actors come to the light. Trevor Bannister was part of the Players before going to star alongside each other in Are You Being Served?

    Before Are You Being Served? however Arthur went on to appear in smaller TV roles in the 1960's.He appeared in Dad's Army which is what made David Croft decide to cast him as Mr Grainger in Are You Being Served?
    Arthur appeared in series 1-5 but quit the show after 34 episodes because his wife passed away. However he was set to return back to the show but unfortuantley he passed away just six weeks after his wife, many say from a broken heart. Croft then wrote in the character Mr Tebbs.

    He had a cheeky sense of humour often pulling pranks on his fellow cast members when they were filming, but he was also disappear.

    'Whenever we were rehearsing he'd vanish at about three minutes to eleven.. For a while we wondered where he went, but eventually discovered that he'd nip next door to the pub for a quick pink gin. We'd watch from the window as this little figure hurled towards the pub - we never spoke to him about it. One day when he returned, John Inman asked where he'd been. He made some excuse, but what he'd forgotten was that it was pouring with rain and his bald head was soaking wet!' said Daivd Croft

  4. #4
    deathhagcutie Guest
    love that show!..

  5. #5
    deathhagcutie Guest
    almost everyone on that show is dead..

  6. #6
    sunshine2828 Guest
    I love that show! Better than most of the t.v. shows now!

  7. #7
    RoRo Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by deathhagcutie View Post
    almost everyone on that show is dead..
    several are, but remember this show was done in the 70's and some were elderly when it was on...lol there are still a few that are alive. I just loved the show and since it had been mentioned in some threads I figured I would honor some of the ones that are gone. I am delighted so many enjoyed as I do

  8. #8
    deathybrad Guest
    Mr. Grainger really made the show work. Just wasn't the same without him.

  9. #9
    Frank 'N' Howie Guest
    You have great taste in TV shows! It's hard not to love the old standby's.

  10. #10
    Cathy J. Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by CMS View Post
    I love watching 'Are you being served?'

    'I'm free!'
    Dittos here

    But there is one thing about Are You Being Served I never did figure out. Why were some shows in Black & White? I always heard that British TV ( BBC and their other nets ) went full time color the same time the American Networks did ( 1967/1968 ).

    Benny Hill was on Britsh TV the same time as Are You Being Served was and I don't remember ever seeing a B&W Benny Hill show.

  11. #11
    Daisy'sMom Guest
    I just loved Mr Harmon. AYBS is our old Saturday night stand by. We never miss it.

  12. #12
    Blurgle Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Cathy J. View Post
    Dittos here

    But there is one thing about Are You Being Served I never did figure out. Why were some shows in Black & White? I always heard that British TV ( BBC and their other nets ) went full time color the same time the American Networks did ( 1967/1968 ).

    Benny Hill was on Britsh TV the same time as Are You Being Served was and I don't remember ever seeing a B&W Benny Hill show.
    All the episodes were produced and originally broadcast in colour, but the only surviving print of the pilot is in black and white. Nobody knows what happened to the original colour pilot. So when it shows nowadays it's always in black-and-white.

  13. #13
    jcc Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Blurgle View Post
    All the episodes were produced and originally broadcast in colour, but the only surviving print of the pilot is in black and white. Nobody knows what happened to the original colour pilot. So when it shows nowadays it's always in black-and-white.
    I always wondered about that myself

    Anyway, my favorite episode is Goodbye Mr Grainger in which Mr Harman talks to him

    Mr Harman: Do you want to hear the good news or the bad news?
    Mr Grainger: The good news
    Mr Harman: The good news is that I could every word they said
    Mr Grainger: The bad news
    Mr Harman: Every word they said.
    (pause)
    Mr Harman: They want to give you bullet
    Mr Grainger: Do they? Were they all against me
    Mr Harman: Now they were except for Mr Lucas
    Mr Grainger: Ha ha. Dear boy
    Mr Harman: Yeah. He wanted to send you to the knackers yard.

  14. #14
    Lisamarie Guest
    awww the big ears!! I misss the old PBS line up for Sat nights..are you being served...good neighbors waiting for god...my all time favorite red dwarf and mystery!!! And of course Ab fab!!!

  15. #15
    deathybrad Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Lisamarie View Post
    awww the big ears!! I misss the old PBS line up for Sat nights..are you being served...good neighbors waiting for god...my all time favorite red dwarf and mystery!!! And of course Ab fab!!!
    I love you.

  16. #16
    Lisamarie Guest
    lol!! Love you too pooky!!!

  17. #17
    emlfb Guest
    Have a fan page from him at:

    http://www.aybscentral.com/abrough/aybsmgab.html

    Marlies

  18. #18
    NineTails20 Guest
    Wendy Richards (Miss Brahms) has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She fought off breast cancer twice, but it has now returned and spread to her kidney and bones.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7653179.stm

  19. #19
    Roaming Tigress Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by NineTails20 View Post
    Wendy Richards (Miss Brahms) has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She fought off breast cancer twice, but it has now returned and spread to her kidney and bones.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7653179.stm
    Cancer is an asshole.

    I love Are You Being Served.
    Last edited by Roaming Tigress; 10-08-2008 at 01:09 PM.

  20. #20
    Lisamarie Guest
    me too!! Favorite episodes anyone? There are wayy too many to name for me!!! God those were the days!! Nothing but the brit shows , anyone else love red dwarf?? I love that show!!! And will meet Chris Barrie one day.....

  21. #21
    deathybrad Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by NineTails20 View Post
    Wendy Richards (Miss Brahms) has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She fought off breast cancer twice, but it has now returned and spread to her kidney and bones.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7653179.stm
    That's the shits.

  22. #22
    Frank 'N' Howie Guest
    Nononononononon!!! Shit!!! Cancer sucks balls!!!

  23. #23
    emlfb Guest
    Really sad news indeed.

    Here's the link to a section for fans to leave notes for her:

    http://www.freeflashintros.com/gbs/gb.php?n=wrnotes

    Marlies

  24. 10-11-2018, 11:08 AM

  25. 10-19-2018, 06:17 PM

  26. #24
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    S.E. Pennsylvania, USA
    Posts
    624
    I found it kind of tough to watch the series after Arthur passed away. Then Trevor Bannister left the series - as much as I like Mike Berry, the writers failed to develop Mike's character at all. Then the elderly actor playing "Young Mr Grace" left the series (and eventually died) to be replaced by a middle-aged man in obvious "old man" stage make-up. Frequently the episodes of the later years were unimaginative remakes of earlier episodes. IMO two of the best of the entire series is "Oh What a Tangled Web" as well as "Fire Practice". If you look very carefully during the canteen scene in the "No Sale" episode you'll see Miss Brahms and Mrs. Slocombe try to conceal their smiles when Mr Grainger (making a mess of himself eating) says "I won't repeat that, I have my teeth caught up in a currant". He was known for trying to get his costars to laugh during filming.

  27. #25
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    1,504
    The very first time that I watched "Are You Being Served" was when they were trying to make a commercial. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Mrs. Slocumbe was supposed to be a seductive woman and Captain Peacock was a dapper type of man. Mr. Grainger was the bartender. I remember laughing so hard and saying, "what is this show?"
    The reason a dog has so many friends is because he wags his tail instead of his tongue.

  28. #26
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    6,302
    I so enjoy watching all the old 1970's English sitcoms
    Like: Are you being served? (1972-1985) Fawilty Towers (1975-1979)
    and one of the best: Some Mothers do 'Ave 'Em (1973-1978)
    Carolyn(1958-2009) always in my heart.

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