From: pnm@milton.u.washington.edu (John Rahn)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv.uk
Subject: Re: To the Manor Born Episode Guide (no spoilers)
Summary: new guide, addition and corrections
Date: 30 Aug 92 21:46:49 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Aug30.214649.8637
Followup-To: rec.arts.tv.uk
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle

In article <1992Aug28.201951.25064@panix.com> tovah@panix.com (Tovah Hollander) writes:
>>A poster recently asked for an episode guide for To The Manor Born.
>
>This isn't the one which was posted before (because I've never posted
>it before), but it is an episode guide (at least to all the episodes
>shown in Los Angeles about 8 years ago).

                   [episode guide deleted]

With respect, I'm afraid that the station in question has omitted episode
no. 8, and the order is one of several found in US showings, none of
which correspond to the original BBC1 sequence.  Therefore I offer the
following corrected and complete (I believe) episode guide, with non-
spoiler descriptions.

                        TO THE MANOR BORN 
                         (Episode Guide)

There are a total of 21 30-minute episodes, in three series, of 
7, 6, and 7 episodes.  In addition, there was a Christmas Day 
special in 1979, some six weeks after the conclusion of the first
series.  The episodes do not bear titles or numbers.  Quoted 
descriptions are from The Times (London).  Other descriptive
matter is by the compiler.  The dates are of the first 
transmission, in all cases on BBC1.

                                  --Jerry Kohl
                                    pnm@u.washington.edu


Series 1 (1979)

  1. (Sun. 30.ix.79)  "New series, of seven parts, with Penelope
     Keith, hyphenated, haughty and recently widowed in Grantleigh
     Manor."  DeVere buys Grantleigh at auction when Audrey is
     forced to sell the fforbes-Hamilton estate to settle her
     late husband's debts.

  2. (Sun. 7.x.79)  "Audrey moves out of Grantleigh Manor to make
     way for the new owner, whose background is not at all what
     she would have chosen.  Penelope Keith, doing her turn in 
     last week's opening episode, was so political you could put
     this in as a Party Political Broadcast--for either party!"

  3. (Sun. 14.x.79)  "Richard DeVere, otherwise Bedrich Polouvicki, 
     fails to attend church on his first Sunday as the new lord of 
     the manor, so Audrey decides to remind him of his duties."
     Old Ned has repaired the church clock.

  4. (Sun. 21.x.79)  Audrey upbraids Richard for discarding 
     valuable antique pieces while refurbishing the Manor, 
     then helps him choose a new horse.  He thinks to repay her
     kindness by having an antique fireplace discarded from the 
     Manor installed in the Lodge, as a surprise.

  5. (Sun. 28.x.79)  "Richard allows the traditional hunt ball
     to be held at the Manor, but forgets to invite Audrey."

  6. (Sun. 4.xi.79)  "Audrey feels she must take a holiday to keep
     up with her wealthy friends, but can she afford to leave
     DeVere in charge of his estate?"

  7. (Sun. 11.xi.79)  DeVere agrees to appear, in his role as
     lord of the manor, in a television commercial for tonic water.

Christmas Special

  8. (Tues. 25.xii.79)  Richard and Audrey feud over who will
     provide the creche to decorate the village church for the
     holidays.  Brabinger is away visiting his sister.

Series 2 (1980)

  9. (Sun. 5.x.80)  DeVere hires a new Farm Manager, and plans
     to renovate the tied cottages.  Old Ned takes over temporarily
     for Brabinger, who has sprained his ankle over Christmas.

 10. (Sun. 12.x.80)  "A visit from a very altered school chum", 
     recently divorced and no longer overweight.

 11. (Sun. 19.x.80)  "The case of the vanishing piece of china"
     from Richard's collection, and Audrey is having estimates done 
     for expensive renovations to the Lodge.

 12. (Sun. 26.x.80)  "A spot of bother over an itinerant worker 
     (Bill Travers)."

 13. (Sun. 2.xi.80)  "Audrey imagines herself as Lady DeVere
     [Oh, yes?]."  Audrey and Marjory spearhead a campaign to save
     the hedgerows from Richard's plans to modernize the farm,
     and there are rumours that a prominent local person will be
     on the New Year's Honours List.

 14. (Sun. 9.xi.80)  "Audrey has back trouble and Richard makes
     her a sympathetic offer."  She is forced by her unaccustomed
     poverty to visit the National Health, rather than Dr. Horton. 
     Richard plans a skiing holiday in Switzerland.


Series 3 (1981)

 15. (Sun. 18.x.81)  "The comedy series recommences."  [The Times
     also had a publicity photo of Penelope Keith costumed in
     her Girl Guides Leader uniform.]  The Boy Scouts need a new
     Scout Hut, and Richard takes Audrey on a picnic.

 16. (Sun. 25.x.81)  "A campaign to save the local railway 
     station."  DeVere contemplates buying a helicopter.

 17. (Sun. 1.xi.81)  "Audrey, angry over her Rolls repairs, takes
     to horseback."  Richard buys the helicopter and takes flying 
     lessons.

 18. (Sun. 8.xi.81)  "More comical sparring between Audrey and
     Richard."  Audrey decides to keep bees, and a rare bird is
     spotted in Dingle Bottoms.  (The Times descriptions for this
     and the following episodes are unhelpful, and it is possible
     they should be reversed, as they *sometimes* are in syndicated
     US showings.)

 19. (Sun. 15.xi.81)  "Upper crust comedy, with Penelope Keith
     and Peter Bowles."  Richard buys an enormous concrete 
     sculpture for the lawn, and is visited by a glamorous French
     cosmetics manufacturer.

 20. (Sun. 22.xi.81)  "A business crisis means DeVere has no time
     for the estate."

 21. (Sun. 29.xi.81)  "Last of these rural comedies which have
     been BBC1's most-viewed programmes."