All About "To The Manor Born"

The basic premise for To The Manor Born is simple: Audrey fforbes-Hamilton, an upper class British lady, is absolutely overjoyed when her husband dies as she is left in sole possession of the Grantleigh Estate: all she ever wanted. Unfortunately before she's finished celebrating (since when was champagne served at a funeral?) she discovers that her late husband was bankrupt and the only way to pay the debt is to sell the Manor. She is horrified at this, and even more so when her beloved home is sold to Richard DeVere, a businessman. He may be top of a multi-national company, but "at bottom he's a grocer." Finding out that he is originally from Czechoslovakia (and Poland) doesn't improve her mood and she is therefore openly antagonistic from the moment he takes up residence in the Manor. In order to spy on him she moves to the Lodge, which is just down the drive from the Manor and affords a marvellous view into the windows. So the stage is set for a tempestuous love-hate relationship.

To The Manor Born is like a long film divided up. It has a definite beginning and the same theme carries through the changing seasons leading to a definite end. Most of the time the story goes something like this: Richard does something Audrey doesn't like, she takes him to task about it and generally acts like she still owns the place, he doesn't take a blind bit of notice, war is declared and finally someone triumphs. The disagreements are usually based on the fact that Richard wants to bring Grantleigh up to date whereas Audrey's opinion is that it's been managed perfectly well for the past 400 years so change is criminal. Eventually both parties learn something: Audrey, that change is sometimes necessary and breeding and heritage aren't the only things that matter, and Richard, that the old ways of doing things are often best and traditions can be important.

Each of the three series has a different tone. The first series is a succession of conflicts with a definite air of competition; even though it's evident that both characters are attracted to each other they can't seem to agree on anything for more than five minutes so there are many sharp exchanges as they test each other's strength. By the second series they have come to accept (if not understand) each other so the atmosphere is much more friendly with only occasional lapses into argument. Understanding has arrived by the third series, and this one has a much more flirtatious tone; while Audrey continues to want her own way she doesn't grumble for long as Richard can easily charm her out of her mood.

The main themes to the program are the relationship between Audrey and Richard, and Audrey's changing attitude. The first is based on the second, as only when Audrey can truly appreciate Richard can there be any chance of lasting romance. From the first episode, when she labels Richard as a possible "Mr Convenient" in that he could be her way back to the Manor, Audrey gradually comes to the point where in the last episode she is the one who proposes – although she has nothing material to gain from marrying him. This subtly shows just how much she has changed; outwardly there's not a lot of difference apart from a very slight softening of manner, but the only thing Richard can offer her that she doesn't already have is himself. Which includes his background, the thing she's spent the whole series deploring. She doesn't actually say she loves him, but she doesn't have to: why else would she want to marry him?

While the program focuses on Audrey and Richard, it wouldn't be the same without the other characters. In particular Mrs Polouvicka, Richard's mother who is an absolute scream with her old Czechoslovakian sayings and misquoted English phrases. The one-off characters also do a lot to add to the comedy. There are some marvellous short scenes, such as the one involving a zealous Sergeant Major or the one with the "packet of Bee-Eaters"; as well as some episodes where a considerable part of the laughs come from a one-off character, like the one with the excitable film director Bob Roberts.

To The Manor Born was originally planned as a radio play in 1976. It was to have starred Penelope Keith as an upper class lady forced to sell her ancestral home and Bernard Braden as an American businessman who bought it. For some reason it was never aired and the idea was put aside until "The Good Life" finished when it was adapted for television and the businessman's nationality changed to Czechoslovakian. In 1997, over fifteen years after the television series finished and more than twenty years after TTMB was originally planned, 10 episodes were aired on BBC Radio 2. Six were adapted from the television series and four were specially written. Penelope Keith and Angela Thorne reprised their roles of Audrey and Marjory but Richard was played by Keith Barron and Mrs Polouvicka by Margery Withers. Other cast members included Frank Middlemass as Ned and various other characters, and Nicholas McArdle as Brabinger and the Rector. Peter Spence, who wrote 20 of the television episodes and all the radio episodes, also wrote two books that cover the first and second series of the program.

In 2007 To the Manor Born returned for a new one-off Christmas special featuring the original cast back together for the first time in 26 years. The episode revolved around Audrey and Richard's 25th wedding anniversary - the scene was set for a great party until an extraordinary confession gets in the way.

Some interesting facts...

• The last television episode had the highest ever viewing figures – 24 million. This was the record until "Only Fools and Horses" beat it in 1996. It is still the second most watched British sitcom of all time.

• Peter Bowles was the first choice to play Jerry in "The Good Life" but he refused because of other work. Which was a lucky decision as otherwise he wouldn't have been able to do Richard!

• The script associate, Christopher Bond, wrote the last episode.

• Peter Penry-Jones, who plays Julian Gayforth in the last two episodes, is the real life husband of Angela Thorne (Marjory).

• To The Manor Born was filmed at Cricket St. Thomas in Somerset. At the time the Manor belonged to the father-in-law of Peter Spence, the program's creator.

• The Manor is now a Hotel owned by Warner Holidays and Cricket St. Thomas is a Wildlife Park.

• The Lodge is really about a mile from the Manor, but with the help of a fake gate post and some clever filming is made to look a lot closer.