A recent C5 doco told us that, at its peak, 24m viewers watched this. I liked it myself, as a little lad. Of course you largely got what you were given then, in TV terms; but still, it's surprising that they should have had such a big hit with such an incredibly snobby show. Mrs fforbes-Hamiton (two small 'f's!) is a character almost without redeeming features: prickly, entitled, full of hauteur; Margot Ledbetter without her humour, glamour or self-awareness. And her values seem to be the values of the show: when she sneers at nouveau-riche DeVere being 'in trade' we laugh with her; when she talks about 'noblesse oblige' we don't laugh at her. Peter Bowles and others are allowed to make fun of her at times, gently; but basically the show approves her feudal mindset, in which (very much like the royal family) she imagines herself to be conferring immense benefits on the whole district by things like doing a reading at church, organising the Huntsmans' Ball (or maybe you didn't realise that huntsmen had...?) or even just by talking to people. And she lives in an archaic world where people shop in the village, they farm with draught horses, medieval-style 'sturdy beggars' roam from parish to parish, and everybody more or less depends on 'the Manor'.
I can only imagine there must have been a deep nostalgia there, in the audience, for a paternal England which was always largely an urban and upper-class fantasy, and whose last vestiges probably expired during the war. Or are we supposed, with DeVere, to aspire to live like a Nob? Of course Bowles is charming - I suppose this show, though conceived as a vehicle for Penelope Keith, began his reign of 5 or 6 years as king of British telly. And I always enjoy his Mum calling him 'Bedrich'. Other than that, I can only think of the theme tune, which is an amazing piece of work: like a cross between Elgar and Saturday Night fever. It is in itself like a ride in a Roller - at least, it's the closest I've ever got. Hear that, see the shotguns and partridges of the opening titles, and you're right there already, living a different life, huntin' and shootin', shaking hands with people and asking condescendingly "And what do you do?".
I can only imagine there must have been a deep nostalgia there, in the audience, for a paternal England which was always largely an urban and upper-class fantasy, and whose last vestiges probably expired during the war. Or are we supposed, with DeVere, to aspire to live like a Nob? Of course Bowles is charming - I suppose this show, though conceived as a vehicle for Penelope Keith, began his reign of 5 or 6 years as king of British telly. And I always enjoy his Mum calling him 'Bedrich'. Other than that, I can only think of the theme tune, which is an amazing piece of work: like a cross between Elgar and Saturday Night fever. It is in itself like a ride in a Roller - at least, it's the closest I've ever got. Hear that, see the shotguns and partridges of the opening titles, and you're right there already, living a different life, huntin' and shootin', shaking hands with people and asking condescendingly "And what do you do?".