Are You Being Served? actor Nicholas Smith dies aged 81

bbc ^ | december 7, 2015

[lowbridge]

Nicholas Smith, the actor who played store manager Mr Rumbold in the BBC sitcom Are You Being Served?, has died aged 81.

He had been the last surviving member of the original cast.

"It is with great sadness we can confirm that our client passed away yesterday," his agents at Michelle Braidman Associates said.

"He was a lovely man and a terrific actor. He will be much missed by all who knew him."

[lowbridge]

[AbolishCSEU]

Bummer! Loved that show!! Only thing worthwhile on PBS (other than antique road show)

I have the entire collection backed up electronically

[fatnotlazy]

I love that series. Didn’t realize he was the last surviving cast member.

Rest in peace, Mr. Smith.

[W.]

RIP Mr. Smith.

I love that show, found it on PBS back in the early 90's. I was just wondering if anyone was left, and then this...

[niteowl77]

Candy Davis and Mike Berry are still alive, but Nicholas Smith was the last of the original cast.

Mr. niteowl77

[nuconvert]

I had no idea that he was the last surviving member of the original cast

[Gefn]

RIP Old Jug Ears.

This show made me a fan of Britcoms.

[az_gila]

RIP Old Jug Ears.

This show made me a fan of Britcoms.

---

Yes, before they became Politically Correct...:^)

[vetvetdoug]

I enjoyed watching the show especially since we got it on the PBS stations. Many times it was the only thing we could get with the rabbit ears. RIP Mr. Smith.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Mollie Sugden...Mrs. Betty Slocombe (heart failure 2009)

John Inman...Mr. Wilberforce Clayborne Humphries (Hep A 2007)

Frank Thornton...Captain Stephen Peacock (natural causes 2013)

Wendy Richard...Miss Shirley Brahms (breast cancer 2009)

Trevor Bannister...Mr. Dick Lucas (heart attack 2011)

Arthur English...Mr. Beverley Harman (emphysema 1995)

Harold Bennett...Young Mr. Grace (heart attack 1981)

Arthur Brough...Mr. Ernest Grainger (natural causes 1978)

[TonyM]

I guess they don’t Vivienne Johnson, Mr. Grace’s blond nurse. I think she is still alive.

[stayathomemom]

We had been watching the show for two years on a black and white TV in our bedroom before I discovered that Mrs. Slocombe’s hair was colored. I discovered this when I realized we had left the TV on in the family room and I went down to turn it off. I went running upstairs yelling, “Mrs. Slocombe has blue hair!!!”
No big deal these days;-)

[jjotto]

Vivienne Johnson was in 22 of 69 episodes, the same number as Penny Irving (Miss Blakewell). Also very much alive.

[mumblypeg]

Great show.
Even thinking about Wibbly-Wobblies still cracks me up.

[Twinkie]

Yeah. I like “Last of the Summer Wine”, too. Some of the
actors on “Are You Being Served” went on to act on “Wine”
after “Served” went off. Of course, “Summer Wine” has been
off the air (after almost 40 yrs. running) for about four
years. - The actors on that show are generally very long
lived and not at all like their roles in real life. Howard
Sibshaw was portrayed as a philandering cad when in reality,
he is still alive at 90 & is still with his wife &
childhood sweetheart in a very, very long marriage. Pearl
Sibshaw was portrayed as the longsuffering wife of Howard;
but actually, Pearl was left with 3 children when her
real life husband died suddenly. She was in a terrible
bind as to what to do. That show came along at the right
time for her. - Marina was really a nice person. She had a
travel trailer in town and would put Thora Hird down for
naps after Dame Thora got almost 90 and tired easily. Most
of them stayed at a hotel just outside town while they
taped the show. Compo would not ride the bus back home
without first changing out of his ratty costume. Cleggy is
as far as I know, still living at about 95 and his wife
is almost the same age as he is in real life. - We watch
that show every night when it comes on.

[wally_bert]

I discovered The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin at an early age, way before AYBS.

CJ the boss was my favorite character.

[Gefn]

I loved the first version of Reggie Perrin. Not so much the remake.

I had a British boyfriend who introduced me to Reggie and Blackadder. I discovered Monty Python, Fawlty Towers and Red Dwarf on my own. Oh I forgot Benny Hill.

I found AYBS one night on a PBS begathon when they had Mr. Humphries in studio. I was hooked.