Are You Being Served? DVDs Page 2

Quote: Aaron @ September 10 2010, 12:08 PM BST

There's no indication that it includes the film, and as it wasn't a BBC production is quite unlikely anyway. 'Extras', according to 2 Entertain, are Christmas specials and scene selection.

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The film isn't part of the AYBS Complete Package released in Oz. The "bonus disc" apparently includes the documentaries 'Funny Turns - John Inman', 'Funny Women - Mollie Sugden' and 'A Life on the Box - Wendy Richard'. And maybe the more recent documentary on AYBS? I don't know, as I'm not going to buy the set just to get hold of a bonus disc, the content of which I probably already have.

There's been no indication of any such content being included, and to date all 2 Entertain box sets I've seen have just been the exact same authored discs as released individually; none of which have any of those programmes on (AFAIK - I don't have S9 or 10 yet and don't have 1-8 to hand to double-check).

In the Australian releases (by 2entertain), 'Funny Turns - John Inman' was included on AYBS Best of the Early Years DVD, and 'Funny Women - Mollie Sugden' was on the Series 5 DVD. The Complete Package now on special here boasts of a bonus disc with 3 and a half hours of "exclusive content". I'm guessing it's those sort of things, which were also on the US release.

Just checked my DVDs, and one of them does indeed include Mollie Sugden's Funny Women episode. No sign of any of the rest though.

Aren't the edits just for clearance issues? Don't recall Mr. Humphries calling Mr. Lucas 'a nigger' or anything.

Quote: Godot Taxis @ September 11 2010, 12:21 AM BST

Aren't the edits just for clearance issues? Don't recall Mr. Humphries calling Mr. Lucas 'a nigger' or anything.

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But Mr. Grainger did refer to Germans as the Bosch, and 2|entertain apparently deemed that politically incorrect and worthy of censorship. Cutting and pasting from another forum: I had the chance to compare the episode German Week with this morning's screening on UK Gold and there are indeed cuts to the DVD release (even though the BBFC entry says there aren't). They appear to be "politically correct" ones sadly, I noted. A line by Mr Granger, just before the scene of Mr Humphries with the sword stick, referring to "the Bosch" (I think). Another line by Mr Granger, just after the German customer departs in the lift, referring to "the damn stiff necked Bosch". Mr Granger suffers yet again, in the post-sales meeting, in which he refers to the Germans "being too cocky" (which is intact) but the line "we did win, you know!" is removed.

I just looked at that episode (on Series 3) and those cuts seem evident.

Jesus, that's just disgusting and depressing to read. I loathe 2entertain, I really do.

Quote: Kenneth @ September 11 2010, 10:52 AM BST

But Mr. Grainger did refer to Germans as the Bosch, and 2|entertain apparently deemed that politically incorrect and worthy of censorship. Cutting and pasting from another forum: I had the chance to compare the episode German Week with this morning's screening on UK Gold and there are indeed cuts to the DVD release (even though the BBFC entry says there aren't). They appear to be "politically correct" ones sadly, I noted. A line by Mr Granger, just before the scene of Mr Humphries with the sword stick, referring to "the Bosch" (I think). Another line by Mr Granger, just after the German customer departs in the lift, referring to "the damn stiff necked Bosch". Mr Granger suffers yet again, in the post-sales meeting, in which he refers to the Germans "being too cocky" (which is intact) but the line "we did win, you know!" is removed.

I just looked at that episode (on Series 3) and those cuts seem evident.

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These remarks are of course racist but should not be cut for reasons that are too self-evident to need reiterating.

As ever the lunatics are running the asylum.

I think they are edited. What a waste of money.

If this is the sort of thing that qualifies as 'racist' today, then all I can say is that it's a good job the time-machine hasn't been invented yet: if these 'do-gooders' could visit a WW2 concentration camp (or worse) I wonder what they would make of it, how would they react to it? Seeing they already are shocked and appalled at relatively minor 'race references' presumably their minds would be blown when confronted with the true excesses of real, evil racism.

I appreciate they (these modern 'censors') are trying to 'educate' younger generations and trying to sweep away a lot of the prejudices of past generations, but most modern viewers are sussed enough to appreciate that trends from the past reflect an earlier era, and many of these percieved 'faults' are part of the experience of revisiting vintage comedy.

Younger viewers of vintage comedy are probably just as interested in the history of the period, and I don't think it's right to give them a 'whitewashed' view of the past.

The DVD people can bung in a disclaimer if they wish (I have no problems with this other than it's boring).