To the Manor Born
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To the Manor Born was a popular and high-rating British sitcom which ran for a total of twenty one episodes over three seasons between 1979 and 1981. Written by Peter Spence and produced by the BBC, the series examines via humour not only the class snobbery and xenophobia of the British, but the role of the landed gentry in conserving the rural environment and traditions.
Plot
Audrey fforbes-Hamilton (Penelope Keith) takes control of her ancestral home Grantleigh Manor shortly after death of her husband and cousin Marton fforbes-Hamilton, only to find that the estate is heavily in debt and that the creditors insist on selling the estate. When the estate is put up for auction, she hopes that the all family members will rally around and raise the money to buy the estate, but she is unable to raise enough. She is horrified when the purchaser turns out to be Richard de Vere (Peter Bowles). De Vere is not only 'a nouveau riche grocer' — he owns a supermarket chain — but foreign. His real name is Bedřich Polouvicki, and both he and his mother, Mrs. Polouvicka (Daphne Heard) are originally from Bratislava, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia), although Richard himself was raised in England. They both take up residence.
Audrey, able to retain only the services of her butler, Brabinger (John Rudling) and her vintage Rolls Royce, buys the Manor's former gatekeeper's lodge ("this rabbit hutch") which DeVere had originally intended buying before the manor house came on the market. From the "Old Lodge" (as it is known) she can keep an eye on developments at the manor. Her best friend Marjory Frobisher (Angela Thorne) also has eyes for Richard. Audrey soon sets about teaching Richard the concept of noblesse oblige and working her way back into the life of the manor, whilst dealing with the awkwardness of maintaining the social graces — and simply keeping body and soul together — without any money. Eventually, Richard develops romantic designs, but Audrey will not consider marriage unless she is mistress of her own fortunes.
In due course, Richard is forced to sell the manor to fund a business deal, and he returns to London. Coincidentally, Audrey's rich Uncle Greville (Ballard Berkeley, who played The Major in Fawlty Towers) dies and leaves his fortune to her, so she is able to buy back the manor. Richard is invited to the party to celebrate her good fortune and they agree to marry.
The possibility of Marjory getting together with De Vere's new farm manager was hinted at, but not developed.
This last episode was watched in the UK by 24 million viewers, the highest audience ever for a programme in the country until it was beaten in 1996 by the Christmas edition of Only Fools And Horses [[Citing sources citation needed]]. The series had been immensely popular throughout its three year run, regularly pulling in high audiences and sometimes over 20 million viewers in its Sunday night slot.
In 2003, a BBC programme Britain's Best Sitcom gave viewers the chance to vote for their favourite/best British sitcom. To the Manor Born reached number 21 out of 100.
Cast
- Penelope Keith - Audrey fforbes-Hamilton
- Peter Bowles - Richard DeVere (Bedrich Polouvicki)
- Angela Thorne - Marjory Frobisher
- Daphne Heard - Mrs. Maria Polouvicka (Mrs Poo)
- John Rudling - Brabinger
- Michael Bilton - Old Ned
- Gerald Sim - The Rector
- Daphne Oxenford - Mrs. Patterson
- Anthony Sharp - Brigadier Lemington OBE
- Betty Tucker - Mrs. Beecham
- Jonathan Elsom - J.J. Anderson
- Dennis Ramsden - Arnold Plunkett
- Nicholas McArdle - Miller
- Ben Aris - Mr. Spalding
Trivia
- The fictional manor and estate were stated as being near the equally fictional town of Marlbury in Somerset. The exterior and part of the interior was actually filmed at the Cricket St Thomas estate in Somerset, which was owned by the father-in-law of the writer, Peter Spence. Also, the lodge and the manor are within sight of each other in the programme: in reality there is two miles between the two. The producers of the programme gave the lodge additional features such as gateposts before filming to give the impression that it was a gatehouse.
- Daphne Oxenford, who played "Mrs Paterson", the owner of the village shop ('I'll have to take separate for that, dear') is best remembered for being part of Listen With Mother. This programme for young children was broadcast on the BBC Light Programme from 1950 to 1982. The words 'Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin' were actually coined by Julia Lang, but Daphne persuaded her to use them regularly. The phrase is now in The Oxford Book of Quotations.
- The show takes its name from a pun on the line to the manner born in Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
- To The Manor Born was originally intended for radio. It finally appeared in this form when BBC Radio 2 aired ten especially recorded episodes from January 25 to March 29 1997, six being adaptations of the television scripts, four being newly written. While Penelope Keith and Angela Thorne reprised their TV roles, Keith Barron played Richard DeVere. Several of these episodes are included with the DVD set for the series.
External links
- [British Sitcom Guide]
- [Phill.co.uk Comedy Guide]
- [BBC Comedy Guide]
- [Fan Site]
- [To The Manor Born International Appreciation Society]
- [Programme Preservation Society article]
- [BBC episode guide]
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