Frank Thornton - AKA Captain Peacock - has passed away

Found out some sad news yesterday: Frank Thornton, an amazing British actor who shone in every part he played but will forever be most remembered as the unflappable Captain Stephen Peacock on the BBC's legendary comedy series Are You Being Served?, has passed away at the age of 92.

(Does this mean that Peacock is now spending an eternity listening to Mrs. Slocombe prattling on about her pussy...?)

I know that 92 is a good run but still: Thornton made millions laugh during the very long run of Are You Being Served? (along with its sequel series Grace & Favour) and he will be sorely missed.  Of the original cast, only Nicholas Smith - who played Mr. Rumbold - is still with us.

Frank Thornton leaves behind his wife of 67 years.  I found that to be pretty dang remarkable in this day and age.

So in honoring his memory, as well as that of the rest of the wacky crew at Grace Brothers Department Store who have taken the elevator up, here is one of the many classic episodes of Are You Being Served? From March 13th 1975 it's "Up Captain Peacock"...

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Time for my weekly dose of ARE YOU BEING SERVED? on PBS

Just for fun, let's count how many times Mrs. Slocombe talks about her pussy!!!

EDIT 12:59 a.m. 02/22/2009: I am very disappointed! In two episodes tonight, Mrs. Slocombe mentioned her pussy only once! But Mr. Humphries more than made up for it :-)

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Mollie Sugden - AKA Mrs. Slocombe on ARE YOU BEING SERVED? - has passed away

DARN it!!

There are way too many talented people who are leaving us lately. And just after I had finished noting the passing of Karl Malden, now comes word that Mollie Sugden has die at the age of 86.

I say again: DARN it!!!

It's just been in the past few months that I have finally gotten into watching Are You Being Served?, the classic BBC comedy series that ran from 1972 to 1985. Every Sunday at midnight I now tune into North Carolina Public Television, and for the next hour I enjoy the mad hijinks of the Grace Bros. Department Store clothing staff.

And Mollie Sugden, as the uproariously bossy Mrs. Slocombe, never fails to make me honk with laughter. Especially all those hilarious double entendres when she talks about "my pussy"!

Sugden was a profoundly talented lady and by all accounts, a terrific person off-camera. She will most certainly be missed by her many fans not just across the pond, but throughout America and around the world.

EDIT 5:48 p.m. EST: Leave it to YouTube to have everything. Here's a collection of clips from Are You Being Served? featuring Mollie Sugden's Mrs. Slocombe going on about "my pussy"!

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