User Reviews

With the rigidity of it's archaic rules, one would think the fictional department store Grace Brothers could not get more oppressive on it's staff. This episode demonstrates it can and would.

Rumbold (Nicholas Smith) announces to the staff that there have been too many cases of shop lifting and pilfering in the store, so Young Mr. Grace (Harold Bennett) has ordered the installment of cameras on the floor of the women's wear and men's wear departments as a test. If the system helps reduce thefts there the cameras will be set up in the entire store.

Although the staff is aware of the need for the security system, they soon find the annoyance of it. At first, they are preening themselves for the camera, trying to get their best sides photographed (the worst offenders are Mrs. Slocombe, Captain Peacock, and Mr. Humphreys - Mollie Sugden, Frank Thornton, and John Inman). Then Rumbold shows off the central television monitor to Mr. Mash (Larry Martyn), and they are actually spying on the staff, not looking for various shop-lifters. Soon small rule infractions (too much time smoking or goofing off) are visible, as are conversations as well (the system has an audio component). The staff suddenly becomes aware of "Big Brotherism" and does not like it.

Leave it to Mr. Lucas (Trevor Bannister) and Mr. Humphreys to figure out how to properly use the system to force it's removal. The plan needs a great deal of misinformation and the Department Store's doctor to work. And it does.