Miss Brahms
Encyclopedia
Miss Shirley Brahms is a fictional character from the BBC1
comedy show, Are You Being Served?
. She was played by Wendy Richard
.
accent, Miss Brahms is sometimes unintelligible to the person with whom she is speaking, but often puts on her best voice when answering the telephone. Under Mrs. Slocombe
's guidance, she becomes a more useful assistant throughout the series, though the hierarchy of Grace Brothers is such that she would have moved up only when Mrs. Slocombe left, if ever. Attractive and voluptuous, she is sometimes (but usually not) receptive to the advances of Mr. Lucas. Despite this, she considers herself to have standards. In one incident, when she was approached to participate in a store-wide Holiday Girl contest with the assumption that she would easily win, Miss Brahms refuses, mainly because one of the prizes is a vacation aboard the yacht
of old Mr. Grace, who had previously made lecherous advances toward her.
While she is proud of her working-class roots, she bemoans her present existence and yearns for a more glamorous and exciting life. Her largest sale occurs when Mrs. Slocombe, who had temporarily replaced Mr. Rumbold, is not by her side.
Miss Brahms often makes reference to her swinging social life and the mores
of the times (such as not wearing a bra and sleeping in the nude), usually to the disdain of Mrs. Slocombe and the immediate interest of either (or both) Captain Peacock
and Mr. Lucas. It is stated at times that she is considered the "prettiest" girl at Grace Brothers, with Young Mr. Grace at one point considering her as a strong candidate to be one of his secretaries. Miss Brahms' legs are displayed quite often to the members of staff, either innocently (as she attempts to fix a suspender or show off a ladder in her tights) or on purpose (such as when Mr. Lucas triggers an air vent under her skirt, Marilyn Monroe
-style). Although she is picked to be the public face of Grace Brothers (in the episode "Closed Circuit") due to her good looks, her high-pitched Cockney
accent proves to be unsuitable (and ultimately cost her a chance at romance, as a Lord
falls in love with her voice, which is actually dubbed on by Mr. Grace's blonde nurse).
Although Miss Brahms resents being viewed as nothing more than a pretty face, she does on a couple occasions use her feminine wiles to charm Captain Peacock when she wants something.
reprised the role of Miss Brahms for the spin-off show, Grace and Favour
, in 1992.
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
comedy show, Are You Being Served?
Are You Being Served?
Are You Being Served? is a British sitcom broadcast from 1972 to 1985. It was set in the ladies' and gentlemen's clothing departments of Grace Brothers, a large, fictional London department store. It was written mainly by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, with contributions by Michael Knowles and John...
. She was played by Wendy Richard
Wendy Richard
Wendy Richard, MBE was an English actress best known for playing Miss Brahms in Are You Being Served? and Pauline Fowler in EastEnders...
.
Role
Miss Brahms is the junior ladieswear assistant. Known for her CockneyCockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
accent, Miss Brahms is sometimes unintelligible to the person with whom she is speaking, but often puts on her best voice when answering the telephone. Under Mrs. Slocombe
Mrs. Slocombe
Mrs. Betty Slocombe is a fictional character from the BBC One comedy show, Are You Being Served?. She was played by Mollie Sugden.-Role:...
's guidance, she becomes a more useful assistant throughout the series, though the hierarchy of Grace Brothers is such that she would have moved up only when Mrs. Slocombe left, if ever. Attractive and voluptuous, she is sometimes (but usually not) receptive to the advances of Mr. Lucas. Despite this, she considers herself to have standards. In one incident, when she was approached to participate in a store-wide Holiday Girl contest with the assumption that she would easily win, Miss Brahms refuses, mainly because one of the prizes is a vacation aboard the yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
of old Mr. Grace, who had previously made lecherous advances toward her.
While she is proud of her working-class roots, she bemoans her present existence and yearns for a more glamorous and exciting life. Her largest sale occurs when Mrs. Slocombe, who had temporarily replaced Mr. Rumbold, is not by her side.
Miss Brahms often makes reference to her swinging social life and the mores
Mores
Mores, in sociology, are any given society's particular norms, virtues, or values. The word mores is a plurale tantum term borrowed from Latin, which has been used in the English language since the 1890s....
of the times (such as not wearing a bra and sleeping in the nude), usually to the disdain of Mrs. Slocombe and the immediate interest of either (or both) Captain Peacock
Captain Peacock
Captain Stephen Peacock is a fictional character from the BBC One comedy show, Are You Being Served?. He is played by Frank Thornton, who went on to take the popular role of Truly in Last of the Summer Wine...
and Mr. Lucas. It is stated at times that she is considered the "prettiest" girl at Grace Brothers, with Young Mr. Grace at one point considering her as a strong candidate to be one of his secretaries. Miss Brahms' legs are displayed quite often to the members of staff, either innocently (as she attempts to fix a suspender or show off a ladder in her tights) or on purpose (such as when Mr. Lucas triggers an air vent under her skirt, Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
-style). Although she is picked to be the public face of Grace Brothers (in the episode "Closed Circuit") due to her good looks, her high-pitched Cockney
Cockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
accent proves to be unsuitable (and ultimately cost her a chance at romance, as a Lord
Forms of Address in the United Kingdom
Forms of address used in the United Kingdom are given below.Several terms have been abbreviated in the table below. The forms used in the table are given first, followed by alternative acceptable abbreviations in parentheses.-Abbreviations:*His/Her Majesty: HM...
falls in love with her voice, which is actually dubbed on by Mr. Grace's blonde nurse).
Although Miss Brahms resents being viewed as nothing more than a pretty face, she does on a couple occasions use her feminine wiles to charm Captain Peacock when she wants something.
Grace and Favour
Wendy RichardWendy Richard
Wendy Richard, MBE was an English actress best known for playing Miss Brahms in Are You Being Served? and Pauline Fowler in EastEnders...
reprised the role of Miss Brahms for the spin-off show, Grace and Favour
Grace and favour
A grace and favour home is a residential property owned by a monarch by virtue of their position as head of state and leased rent-free to persons as part of an employment package or in gratitude for past services rendered....
, in 1992.
External links
- Are You Being Served? at the British Film InstituteBritish Film InstituteThe British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...