Monarch of the Glen - Series Three
The third season ofMonarch of the Glen, the delightful BBC-1 comedy, finds the fortunes of Glenbogle estate--jewel of the Scottish Highlands but a financial disaster--in a period of transition. On the one hand, Glenbogle's once-reluctant laird (i.e, family head and overseer of vast holdings), the former trend-setting restaurateur Archie MacDonald (Alastair MacKenzie), has settled into his leadership role for good. Archie's cantankerous, old-school aristocratic father, Hector (Richard Briers), is finally resigned to Archie's ambitious plans to save Glenbogle from bankruptcy by turning the MacDonalds' ancient castle into a tourist attraction. The estate's longtime staff--sexy Lexie (Dawn Steele), housekeeper and cook, grizzled gamekeeper Golly (Alexander Morton) and boyish handyman Duncan (Hamish Clark)--are more like family to the MacDonalds than ever.On the other hand, change is in the air. While it took two seasons for Archie to win the heart of land-rights activist Katrina Finlay (Lorraine Pilkington), it takes less than half the first episode of series 3 to lose her to an important political job in London. That leaves Archie's door open to a new relationship with an attractive adversary, a role instantly filled by the arrival of Stella Moon (Alexandra Gilbreath), a bank executive sent to seize control of Glenbogle's operations. For much of series 3, Stella is at such odds with the MacDonalds' free-spending ways that she antagonizes everyone (except Archie's enchanting mother, Molly, played by Susan Hampshire), resulting in a staff strike and the arrest of Hector himself for stealing salmon from his own river. In time, however, lonely Stella is swayed by the MacDonalds' loyalty and eccentric passions, while Archie's steadfastness and decency stir deeper feelings. Lexie, meanwhile, already in love with Archie, mounts her strongest campaign yet to win his affections. As always, the lives and loves ofMonarch's supporting players prove exceptionally interesting and colorful. Series 3 introduces Golly's long-estranged daughter and Duncan's beautiful French pen-pal (who thinks Duncan is Glenbogle's laird), as well as a cad whose romantic pursuit of Lexie is tied to a dastardly plot to develop MacDonald land. The challenges never end for Archie and company, but the bonds between these wonderful characters grow deeper and sweeter.--Tom Keogh