To the Manor Born

To the Manor Born is a classic and unmistakably English sit-com, with all the wit and intelligence you'd expect of good old British humour.

Penelope Keith does what she does best, in sheer style, portraying Audrey Fforbes-Hamiltion (NEVER Audrey F-H), a recently widowed and infinitely upper class traditionalist, whose steely determination makes her attitudes very difficult to change. That is, until the self-made millionaire and grocery shop extraordinary (not to mention foreign) Richard De Vere assumes residence of the stately home in which Audrey has resided (as the title suggests) since birth, after she is forced to sell her pride and joy.

Unsurprisingly, Audrey takes an instant dislike to this social upstart, an instinct which appears mutual, as Richard is driven to distraction by his predecessor's constant putdowns (which are in a league of their own) and persistent interference in his running of her beloved Grantleigh Estate. However, Richard's dear mother, Mrs Poo has other ideas about the pair, and resolves to bring her son around to her way of thinking.

Although from the word go you know this initial 'hate' relationship is going to end in the discovery of true love, and you may be thinking 'change the record', but theres just this incredible 'Je ne sais quoi' about these two characters, when they are together, that is just so captivating. For those of you who still remain unconvinced, its well worth watching for Audrey's rather unorthodox suggestion at the end.

To the Manor Born is about how old money and new money don't necessarily mix very well. The show stars the wonderful Penelope Keith CBE OBE (a comedy veteran) who plays Audrey Fforbes Hamilton who represents old money and Peter Bowles as Richard Devere who represents new money. After Audrey's husband and lord of the manor has died much to Audrey's dismay, they didn't have a good marriage. She lets out a scream that she finally free to rule the Manor. Unfortunately, Audrey learns that she is in debt after his death. She must sell her beloved home to Richard Devere, a self-made millionaire entrepreneur who really is both Czech and Polish heritage. She sells but she moves close by and is still active in her community with her best friend played by a terrific actress whose name I can't remember. Daphne Heard plays the wonderful foreign born mother of Richard. The episodes are all classically funny and it is one of Britain's best exports. Penelope Keith is one of Britain's brilliant funny ladies up there with Patricia Routledge CBE OBE and Dame Judi Dench.

This likable series followed hot on the heels of Penelope Keith's success in 'The Good Life'. In 'The Good Life', Penelope played the thoroughly snobbish Margot Ledbetter and it is possible to see that 'To the Manor Born' was a somewhat carry on from that. In this series, made for the BBC from 1979 to 1981, Penelope plays Audrey Fforbes-Hamilton, a member of aristocracy, (and boy, doesn't she know it) and one of the 'old girls' with the very proper up-bringing. When her husband dies, Audrey discovers she is in serious debt and must sell the house, Grantley Manor. The Estate is bought by Mr Richard DeVere, a Czechoslovak immigrant who has established a very successful chain of supermarkets called 'Cavendish Foods'. Audrey moves into the Gate-Keepers lodge and continues to live the aristocratic life. The show is a gentle dig at English aristocratic life and those who are members of it and those who are trying to. The show is also dominated by the 'will-they-or-won't-they' relationship between Audrey and Richard (played by Peter Bowles). One of the many likeable British comedy series.

The setting is in a fictional English village, Grantleigh, residing inside the fictional town of Marlbury in Somerset, England. The locals in this quaint countryside are a bit quirky. In the first scene, Richard DeVere (Peter Bowles), a stranger to the town and among the "nouveau riche", meets the town Vicar at the local parish church to ask for directions and where he might meet Mr Forbes-Hamilton. To which the Vicar replies, that Mr Forbes-Hamilton "will be here at any moment now (but) I doubt you'll get much out of him." And then Mr DeVere sees some pall-bearers carrying a casket. From the get-go, this is the kind of irreverent yet refreshing humour which permeates the entire show.

Mr DeVere is looking for some real estate to buy in the area and learns that the manor house is owned by the late Mr Forbes-Hamilton and his opinionated and talkative wife, Audrey. Audrey Forbes-Hamilton (Penelope Keith) is a fast-talking aristocrat who would tell a perfect stranger he looks retched because he bought his clothes at the British-equivalent of Sears. Her family, the Forbes-Hamilton's, have lived in the manor house in the English countryside since the time of Queen Elizabeth I. After laying her husband to rest, she tells the vicar that it was a "lovely funeral, we must have another one sometime." Now she has to sell the manor because of debts. And who should buy the manor but Ricard DeVeer, the new stranger who is not only wealthy and non-aristocrat but was "dressed like a chessboard" according to Audrey at the funeral reception. He then makes an unexpected offer: Audrey may continue to reside at the manor if she wishes, and she accepts the offer, beginning one of the more entertaining sitcom's of its type. DeVeer and Mrs. Forbes-Hamilton become sort of reluctant bedfellows in a kind of clash of the classes, in this case old aristocracy versus bourgeoisie.

A delightful British comedy in which the many lines are simultaneously unexpected and yet fit each character's personality. Peter Bowles plays "straight-man" to the quirky characters of the town. But it's the sharp-tongued Penelope Keith as Audrey Forbes-Hamilton who steals the show. Keith is perfectly cast as Audrey whose biting rhetoric would give any politician significant cause to run and hide under a nearby bed. Not to be missed if you like British comedy of this sort.

I'm usually not a sucker for formula shows like this. They chase, they chase, but they never get together. The comedy and chemistry of Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles overcomes my initial reluctance to shows of this sort. In short, I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT... It's worth watching the series in its entirety just to have their history in your memory banks so you can enjoy the final episode of the show. It paints a lovely picture. The show ended complete. There was no more to be said. A truly classy ending to a truly classy show and cast....