You Rang, M'Lord?

This is one of my all time favourite TV shows and has been forever. I loved it when it first aired when I was a little girl and at 25 I am thrilled that (a) it is now being repeated on UKTV Drama, and thanks (b) to that the show is being released on DVD in January 2006. While the triple treat of Paul Shane, Jeffry Holland and Su Pollard are value for money as always, the beauty of this series is that everyone is so well cast and that even the smaller more minor roles were still a dream for any Actor to play. Michael Knowles is fabulous as Uncle Teddy and Lady Lavender steals every scene she is in. However, even though she was a little Cat (to use a favourite phase of the series) my favourite character was always Miss. Poppy, fantastically played by Susie Brann, because it was nice to see an Actress play a character who wasn't always sweetness and light. Granted, Ivy is sweet and gentle, but Miss Poppy seems a lot more fun. Am I the only person who was disappointed that she didn't end up with her beloved James Twelvetrees??? (I know - I need to get a life. Ha Ha!!!) A jewel in the British comedy crown. Two thumbs up.

I first saw You Rang M'Lord? As a child aged around 10. Back then I didn't get some of the jokes, especially around Cissy's lesbianism, and back then Miss Poppy seemed a lot nicer than I realised re-watching it recently as a 40 year old.

The period setting means this show hasn't aged badly at all. The acting, setting, and overall comedy still holds up.

What I also hadn't noticed as a child, but did as an adult, is just how layered and complex the plots are for a sitcom. At any time there are at least 4 or 5 plots playing out, with the Meldrum men carrying out affairs, Alf Stokes the butler constantly on the make, and Ivy being in love with James Twelvetrees the footman. Alongside these you have Mrs Lipton and the police officer forming a relationship, as well as earlier on, Mrs Lipton and Alf Stokes. Henry's unrequited love for Ivy is often touched upon too, as well as the politics of that period around workers and their 'betters'. It's incredibly well delivered and doesn't feel contrived most of the time.

Darker than other Croft and Perry sitcoms, You Rang M'Lord often tackles some quite serious subjects, and doesn't have the laugh out loud silliness of Hi Dr Hi for instance.

The show ran for 4 series and came to a worthwhile ending which I won't spoil here.

A very good show, with the production and values of a period drama. You can see the influence dramas like Upstairs Downstairs had on it, and it's all the better for it. Funny, occasionally dark, and quite endearing.

My early memories of You Rang M'Lord are pretty hazy (I was only small when it was first shown) but I have very fond memories of it. I managed to catch it again when I was fifteen and I still remembered some scenes (the way Madge Cartwright's maid Rose squeaks "Oh, Mr. Teddy!", Mrs. Lipton throwing everything in sight at Alf Stokes and the bit where Lady Lavender throws six tapioca puddings at Ivy are three that really stuck in my mind). I really wish it was repeated more often, as - for instance - Dad's Army is in the UK. As I think an earlier reviewer said, it paints a fantastic picture of society in the twenties and the way in which it was changing at the time. The characterisation is great - Stokes as the scheming butler, Henry who always seems to get hit round the head with something or by someone, Lord Meldrum as the adulterous (presumably widowed) head of the house. A great series that should be seen by anyone who gets the chance.

This was one of the funniest sitcoms to come out of the BBC, sweet, funny and innocent. It showed the class divide in the country during the 1920's. The Meldrum's, a wealthy family living in a large house, below stairs live the servants. A charismatic bunch lead by butler Alf Stokes. Most of the humour comes from downstairs, and lots of the serious bits come from the mix of the two.

On many occasions social and political arguments were raised, there were often touches of realism.

It went out on a Sunday evening, and it was the last good bit of the weekend, before School on a Monday morning.

Great performances from all the cast. Su Pollard was visually very funny, so often she's the one that steals the laughs. The craziest laughs came from Lady Lavender, her and that parrot.

It was a brilliant series, one I couldn't recommend highly enough, 10/10

While it's not news that British comedies are far better than their American counterparts, You Rang M'Lord tops the list of excellent British comedy. The post-Victorian aristocratic setting is perfect for class distinction humor, its underlying political themes subtle enough to serve the humor only. This series reveals that all "classes" of people are driven by basic human nature, the same foibles, desires, hopes, and dreams. The situations are hilarious and tied to an overall theme in each episode, the characters as good as any ever conceived, the acting of each one superb, the costumes and sets flawless. I just wish the series had run for 10 years, as each episode is so much fun.