To the Manor Born
| To the Manor Born | |
|---|---|
 Main title caption | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Peter Spence |
| Directed by | Gareth Gwenlan |
| Starring | Penelope Keith Peter Bowles Angela Thorne John Rudling Daphne Heard Michael Bilton Gerald Sim |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 21 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producers | Gareth Gwenlan Justin Davies (2007) |
| Running time | 30 minutes (1979-81) 60 minutes (2007) |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC1 |
| Release | 30 September 1979 – 29 November 1981 |
To the Manor Born is a British sitcom that aired on BBC1 from 1979 to 1981, and will air for a one-off special on Christmas Day 2007.[1][2] Starring Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles, it received high audience figures for many of its episodes. In 2004, it came 21st in Britain's Best Sitcom. The first 20 episodes were written by Peter Spence, the creator, and the 1981 finale by Christopher Bond, the script associate.
In To the Manor Born Penelope Keith, who had became famous for playing Margo Leadbetter in the suburban sitcom The Good Life, plays Audrey Forbes-Hamilton, an upper-class woman who, upon the death of her husband, has to move out of her beloved manor house. The manor is then bought by Richard DeVere, played by Peter Bowles, a nouveau riche millionaire supermarket owner. DeVere and Forbes-Hamilton have a love-hate relationship which is eventually resolved in the 1981 finale, in which they marry.
Production
Development
Peter Spence first thought of the idea behind To the Manor Born in the early 1970s when he was working for BBC Radio as a gag writer.[3][4] One of the programmes that Spence wrote for featured a Cockney comedian, who had recently bought a manor house in an English country village.[3] When holding a housewarming party, the comedian invited the previous occupant, a widow who could not afford to keep the house up and had moved to a smaller house in the village.[3][4] The comedian's account of the lady, and the conversation he had with her, Spence later described as a "perfect discription" of Audrey.[3]
A few years later, following the success of The Good Life, Spence was asked by BBC Radio to come up with an idea for a programme to feature Keith.[3][4] Thinking of Keith's character in The Good Life, Spence had the idea of an upper-class version of Margo Leadbetter, and from the account from the comedian, came up with Audrey Forbes-Hamilton.[3] Instead of a Cockney comedian as the new owner of the manor, Spence decided on an American who sees the manor while in England looking for his roots. The American later discovers he is descended from the Forbes-Hamiltons. This was made into a radio pilot in 1976 with Bernard Braden as the American, but was never broadcast due to the interest to make it into a TV series.[5][3]
When writing the TV series, Christopher Bond was brought in as the script associate and helped to adapt the series from radio to television.[5] The American character was changed, and the idea of a character who appeared to be an English gentleman but turns out not to be, was thought of.[3] It was then decided that this character needed someone who could reveal his real background, and his mother was created, although it was not until Spence had nearly finished the first series that she was written in from the beginning.[3] The characters of Brabinger and Margery followed soon after.[3] The first episode aired on 30 September 1979, a year after Keith had played Margo Leadbetter for the last time in The Good Life.[6]
Filming
To the Manor Born was filmed on location in Cricket St Thomas, Somerset and in a studio.[7] The Manor, Cricket House, was at the time owned by the father-in-law of Peter Spence, the show's creator and writer.[4] Some interior scenes were also filmed inside Cricket House. The Old Lodge, which on screen was at the end of the Manor's drive, is in fact about one mile away and called West Lodge.[8][9] A false gatepost was installed to help the illusion that the two are close together.[8] The 2007 special was, like the original series, filmed on location in Cricket St Thomas in Somerset.[10] This filming took place for about a week starting on 28 October 2007.[11] The studio footage was filmed in front of a live audience at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire on 25 November 2007.
All the episodes were directed by Gareth Gwenlan, who also produced the original series.[12] The 2007 Special was co-produced by Gwenlan and Justin Davies.[12]
Cast
To the Manor Born's cast is led by Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles as Audrey and Richard. The other main cast members in the original series are Angela Thorne, Daphne Heard, John Rudling, Michael Bilton and Gerald Sim. Rudling, who played the butler Brabinger, is absent in the 1979 Christmas special and for much of the second series, being temporily replaced as butler by Ned. The off-screen reason for this absence was Rudling's ill health.[7] Peter Bowles had been asked some years before to play Jerry Leadbetter, the husband of Keith's Margo, in The Good Life.[13][7] Due to prior commitments, Bowles turned down the role, but had he played Jerry, he would not have been offered the part of Richard, as Bowles later said, "there's no way I could have played Penelope Keith's screen husband in two separate sitcoms".[13] However, in 1987 Bowles replaced Geoffrey Palmer as Keith's screen husband in the ITV sitcom Executive Stress.[5] Angela Thorne had worked with Keith before when she had played Lady Truscott in a 1977 episode of The Good Life.[7]
Aside from the main cast, the original series features many recurring characters, who are either estate workers or members of Audrey's social circle. Celia Imrie, who makes two appearances as Polly, later became famous for her work with Victoria Wood, including a lead role in dinnerladies, as well as lead roles in Kingdom and After You've Gone.[14]
The 2007 Christmas Special will feature four of the original cast members; Penelope Keith, Peter Bowles, Angela Thorne and Gerald Sim.[12] New characters will include Alexander Armstrong as Adam fforbes-Hamilton, Alan David as Emmeridge and Michael Cochrane as Archie Pennington-Booth.[12]
Original seriesMain cast
|
Recurring characters
|
2007 Christmas Special
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Penelope Keith | Audrey DeVere |
| Peter Bowles | Richard DeVere (Bedrich Polouvicka) |
| Angela Thorne | Marjory Frobisher |
| Gerald Sim | The Rector |
| Alexander Armstrong | Adam fforbes-Hamilton |
| Alan David | Emmeridge |
| Michael Cochrane | Archie Pennington-Booth |
Plot
Original series
To the Manor Born is set in the village of Grantleigh, in Somerset and the nearest town is Marlbury. The series begins with the funeral of Marton fforbes-Hamilton, the Lord of the Manor. Audrey, his widow and cousin, is happy at her husband's death as she now as control of the Grantleigh estate, which her family the fforbes-Hamilton's have controlled for 400 years.[8][15] Her joy is short-lived though, as her solicitor Arnold Plunkett informs her that Marton was bankrupt and that the Manor will have to be sold to pay off the debts.[8][7] Audrey tries to buy back the manor at auction, but fails.[7] The new Lord of the Manor is Richard DeVere, a recently-widowed self-made millionaire who owns the "Cavendish Foods" supermarket chain, but who to Audrey is simply a "grocer".[8] DeVere brings his mother, who is soon nicknamed Mrs. Poo due to her unpronouceable surname, who reveals to a horrified Audrey that they came to Britain in 1939 and Richard, whose real name is Bedrich Polouvicka, is half-Polish half-Czecholvakian.[8] Mrs. Poo tries hard to fit into to country life, but her accent often leads to many mispronunciations and she frequently comes out with old Czech sayings.[16] From early on in the series she encourages her son to propose to Audrey.[7]
After leaving the Manor, Audrey moves into the "Old Lodge", at the end of the drive, where she can see most of what goes on at the Manor. Living with her is her elderly and loyal butler, Brabinger, who has worked for the fforbes-Hamiltons' his whole life. Audrey's supportive best friend, and a frequent visitor, is the well-meaning Marjory Frobisher, who quickly develops a crush on DeVere.[16] Marjory, who was at school with Audrey, is still a schoolgirl at heart and a committed countryside campaigner.[7][16] Despite, Marjory's encouragment, Audrey refuses to get a job, saying her only job could be running the Manor. This means that money is a constant problem. During the second series, Brabinger is away ill and Ned, whose tithe cottage is being renovated by Richard, takes over as butler to Audrey. Ned, a gardener and "outside man", has worked on the estate all his life and finds working indoors difficult to get used to.[16] Other estate staff include the estate foreman Mr. Miller, the estate manager Mr. Spalding, the cook Mrs. Beecham and general domestic Linda Cartwright.[7] Another character Polly originally works at the local "Cavendish Foods" store and then at the doctors' surgery.
Other characters include the local Rector, who is very happy when Audrey loses the Manor, and wishes she would leave the area so he could have a bigger say on the running of the Church.[16] The Rector favours Richard, who is frequently generous when it comes to donations to church funds.[16] The village shop is run by Mrs. Patterson, the local gossip who again favours Richard and does not get on with Audrey.[16] The typically English Brigadier Lemington, another local landowner and friend of Audrey's, is the Master of Foxhounds and, like Audrey and Marjory, has an interest in nature conservation.[16] Arnold Plunkett and his wife are friends of Audrey, while Arnold is also her solicitor. Grantleigh's local estate agent is J.J. Anderson, who appears at Manor parties.
During the course of the three series, Audrey and Richard grow closer. Hostile to each other at the start, they grew to understand and accept each other, as both try to adapt to each other's way.[8] The last two 1981 episodes show Richard having problems at Cavendish, and having to sell the Manor.[17] At the same time, Audrey inherits a cousin's fortune and buys back the Manor. After Audrey proposes, she and Richard marry.[17]
2007 Christmas Special
Template:Future television episode Richard and Audrey prepare to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary, however a "major event" threatens the community and her marriage and with the help of Marjory, Audrey fights to save both of them.[10]
Episodes
The original series of To the Manor Born ran for three series and one Christmas special from 30 September 1979 to 29 November 1981. Each episode is thirty minutes long. The first series aired for seven episodes on Sundays at 8.45pm, the second series for six episodes on Sundays at 8.35pm and Series Three on Sundays at 7.15pm.[5] The Christmas special aired at 8.00pm. All episodes aired on BBC1.[5] On 24 October 2007, the BBC confirmed that a one-hour Christmas special, featuring Keith, Bowles, Thorne and Sim reprising their original roles, will air in 2007.[1][12] The episode will at 9.30pm on BBC One.[12]
Several episodes received high audience figures. In 1979, the last episode of the first series received 23.95 million viewers, the fourth-highest figures for any programme in the UK in the 1970s.[18] The following year, 21.55 million people watched the series two finale, the fifth-highest viewing figure for the 1980s.[19] The 1981 finale, when Audrey and Richard marry, received 17.80 million viewers.[20]
The theme tune for To the Manor Born was composed by Ronnie Hazlehurst, the BBC's Light Entertainment Music Director who composed the theme tunes for many sitcoms around this time.[21]
Novelisations
The writer Peter Spence wrote two books that accompanied To the Manor Born. While they were based on the TV episodes, both books did differ with added conversations, changed storylines and the characters being given different personality traits. The first book, published in 1979 by Arrow Books, was titled To the Manor Born and was based on the first series. In this book, Brabinger's first name, which is never mentioned in the TV series, was revealed as Bertram and Ned's surname revealed as Peasgood. The second book, called To the Manor Born Book 2 was published by the same publisher in 1980. This was a novelisation of the 1979 Christmas Special and the second series. Both books in parts differed from the TV episodes
Radio
In 1997, many years after the original series of To the Manor Born ended on television, ten episodes were recorded for radio, the programme's original intended medium.[7] The episodes, which aired on Saturday's on BBC Radio 2 from 25 January to 29 March 1997, were written by Peter Spence, six adapted from TV episodes and four new episodes.[22][7][23] Keith and Thorne returned as Audrey and Marjory, while Keith Barron replaced Bowles as Richard.[23] Other actors, including Frank Middlemass and Nicholas McArdle, who played Miller in the TV version, replaced many of the by then deceased original television cast members.[23]
Cast
| Actor | Character/s |
|---|---|
| Penelope Keith | Audrey fforbes-Hamilton |
| Keith Barron | Richard DeVere (Bedrich Polouvicka) |
| Angela Thorne | Marjory Frobisher |
| Margery Withers | Mrs. Maria Polouvicka (Mrs Poo) |
| Nicholas McArdle | Brainger/The Rector |
| Frank Middlemass | Ned/Arnold Plunkett |
| Zulema Dene | Mrs. Plunkett |
| Jonathan Adams | Brigadier Lemington OBE |
Episodes
| # | Title | Original airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Rhythms of the Earth" | 25 January 1997 | |
|
Audrey is unhappy that Richard has not attended the Sunday church service, and goes to the Manor to tell him of his duties as Lord of the Manor, which include reading the lesson. He promises to attend church the following Sunday and read one lesson, while she will read the other. However, she fails to turn up.[22] | |||
| 2 | "The Grapevine" | 1 February 1997 | |
|
At a party at the Manor, Audrey tells Richard that she is going on holiday to Spain. However, she actually spend her holiday hiding at the Lodge. During her 'holiday' she finds out that Richard and Audrey have been spending time in the woods behind the Lodge. Unknown to her, they are badger watching but when Audrey confronts him at post holiday party, he tells her he knows where she spent her holiday.[22] | |||
| 3 | "What's in a Name" | 8 February 1997 | |
| 4 | "Vive Le Sport" | 15 February 1997 | |
|
Audrey believes she is the only heathly person on the estate, but then hurts her back and gets little help from Dr. Horton (Geoffrey Whitehead). Audrey enjoys Richard coming round to see her, and pretends her back is worse than it is to ensure the visits continue. However, when he asks her to go skiing with him, she makes a quick recovery only for Richard to break his leg while practising skiing.[23][22] | |||
| 5 | "Sons of the Fathers" | 22 February 1997 | |
|
Audrey, a local magistrate, encourages Richard to join the Marlbury bench as they are short of magistrates. Richard meanwhile tries to persude her to go to the race course with him. However, she refuses as she wants to spend time looking for any close relatives as she is worried about being the last of the fforbes-Hamilton line.[22] | |||
| 6 | "A Wife's Prerogative" | 1 March 1997 | |
|
When Richard gets in a difficult situation with a female business associate Mlle Dutoit (Rula Lenska), he invets a wife. However, Mlle Dutoits then arranges to visit the Manor, and Richard persuades Audrey to pretend to be his wife for the weekend. Audrey uses the situation to move a piece of modern art she dislikes. The deception goes well until Mrs. Poo returns home early from London.[22][23] | |||
| 7 | "The Spare Room" | 8 March 1997 | |
|
An old friend of Audrey and Marjory, Podge Hodge (Zulema Dene) , comes to visit, Audrey has to ask Richard to provide a bedroom as the Lodge has a leaking roof. Podge and Richard soon start getting on well, to Audrey and Marjory's horror, and when they spend the whole day together after going hunting, Audrey and Marjory ensure Podge does not spend a second night at the Manor.[22][23] | |||
| 8 | "An Englishman's Home" | 15 March 1997 | |
|
Richard has a security system installed at the Manor and Audrey is concerned that the CCTV will allow Richard to see into her bedroom. Meanwhile, the estate workers' strike fearing they are being watched and Mrs. Poo has problems with the system causing the Police to be called to the Manor frequently.[22] | |||
| 9 | "The Honours List" | 22 March 1997 | |
|
Audrey lectures Richard for not attending Lord Allenshaw's (Frank Middlemass) lecture on the nature conservation. She then attacks him for his proposed destruction of the estate's hedgerows. However, when Audrey hears that a local person is to receive an honour, she belives it will be him and she changes her mind and agrees to host his New Year party. However, it is the Brigadier who gets a honour, being made an OBE.[22] | |||
| 10 | "Plenty More Fish" | 29 March 1997 | |
|
Audrey and Marjory fall out when Audrey develops a close friendship with Commander Jeremy French-Liversey (Doyne Byrd) and does not help organise the county show. Richard gets jealous, and he finds out the Commander has a "roving eye" for women. Meanwhile, Mrs. Poo and Ned get stuck on a runaway traction engine.[22][23] | |||
DVD releases
All three series, including the 1979 Christmas special, of To the Manor Born have been released in the UK (Region 2). The first series and the 1979 Christmas special were released on 5 May 2003, followed by Series Two on 29 December 2003 and Series Three on 14 June 2004.[24] The DVDs for Series Two and Three feature an interview with Peter Spence.[24] The complete series was released in a boxset in the United States and Canada (Region 1) on 15 June 2004.[25]
References
- ^ a b Roche, Elisa (25 October 2007). "To the Manor Reborn". Daily Express.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Manor reborn for one-off special". BBC. 30 October 2007.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d e f g h i j Spence, Peter (March 1987). "Annoying Things Show-Business Writers Get Said to Them at Cocktail Parties". Writers' Monthly. Retrieved 2007-09-26.
{{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b c d Edge, Simon (26 October 2007). "Return of Lady Penelope". Daily Express.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d e Lewishohn, Mark (2003). Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy. London: BBC Worldwide. ISBN 0563487550.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Edwards, Amelia (2007). "Series 1 First broadcast 1979". British Sitcom Guide. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Hearn, M (2000). "Archive Gems - To the Manor Born". Programme Preservation Society. Retrieved 2007-11-10.
- ^ a b c d e f g Edwards, Amelia (2007). "All About "To The Manor Born"". British Sitcom Guide. Retrieved 2007-11-04.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=(help) - ^ "Images of England". English Heritage. 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-10.
- ^ a b "BBC One returns to the Manor this Christmas". BBC Press Office. 30 October 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=(help) - ^ "News - To the Manor Reborn starts filming". British Sitcom Guide. 24 October 2007.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d e f "Christmas Day TV Listing". Radio Times. 22 December 2007.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b Webber, Richard (2000). A Celebration of The Good Life. London: Orion Books. ISBN 0752818309.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ "Celia Imrie - Television". CeliaImrie.com. Retrieved 2007-11-10.
- ^ "To the Manor Born". Arrow Books. 1979.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Edwards, Amelia (2007). "All About "To The Manor Born"". British Sitcom Guide. Retrieved 2007-11-04.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=(help) - ^ a b Edwards, Amelia (2007). "Series 3 - First broadcast 1981". British Sitcom Guide. Retrieved 2007-11-10.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=(help) - ^ "BFI - Britain's Most Watched TV - the 1970s". British Film Institute. 4 September 2006.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "BFI - Britain's Most Watched TV - the 1980s". British Film Institute. 4 September 2006.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Highest Rated Programmes - 1981". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.
- ^ Leigh, Spencer (3 October 2007). "Obituary - Ronnie Hazlehurst". The Independent.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "The Radio Series Guide". To The Manor Born International Appreciation Society. 4 June 1999. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=(help)CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ a b c d e f g "The Full Cast List". To The Manor Born International Appreciation Society. 2 February 1999. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=(help)CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ a b "BBC Shop". BBC Shop. Retrieved 2007-11-10.
- ^ "Amazon.co.uk". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-11-10.