Plot
The series begins with the staff of Grace Bros returning to the store to read the will of Young Mr Grace, the former head of the department store, recently deceased while scuba diving on holiday in the Caribbean with his personal secretary, Miss Jessica Lovelock. Young Mr Grace had invested their pension funds in a multitude of antiquated businesses, the largest of which is a country manor house called Millstone Manor. The will stipulates that they cannot sell the house and split the profits, but can use the property in the manner of their choosing.
After a trip to Millstone Manor to view the property, the staff discover that Mr Rumbold has caused the Millstone Manor staff to leave, due to his excellent managerial skills, and that Miss Lovelock, given accommodation in the grooms' quarters and charge of the horses, also lives at the manor. In addition, the staff learn that their pensions are minuscule. As a result, the staff decide to live in the manor in order to run it as an inn and live off the proceeds.
Meanwhile, Mr Humphries is forced by circumstance to share a bed with Mavis, the daughter of the manor's farmer, and finds that she develops a crush on him. Mrs Slocombe discovers that the manor's uncouth farmer, Maurice Moulterd, is a former lover from the war years, and tries to insist that the relationship never happened, while Captain Peacock is keen to pursue a relationship with Miss Lovelock, despite their difference in age.
Production
Background
The idea of a spin-off was suggested by the cast of Are You Being Served? almost immediately after the original series had ended in 1985. Writers Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft liked the idea, but they agreed, along with the cast, that the department store format was exhausted and that any spin-off would require a change of location. Despite the enthusiasm of the original cast, it was almost seven years before Lloyd and Croft brought them back to television. [1] Public demand necessitated the production of the new series. [2] Most of the original cast were able to return easily, [3] with the exception of Wendy Richard, who had since joined the soap EastEnders ; she requested permission to be temporarily written out of that programme so she could reprise her role of Miss Brahms. [3] [4]
The series aired a few months after the death of British publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell, who was revealed to have borrowed heavily against his own employees' pensions, in a similar vein to what Young Mr Grace does in the series. [1] [5] The first episode of Series 2, "The Gun", contains a number of satirical references to the wrongful conviction and hanging of Derek Bentley for the murder of a policeman. The case revolved around the issue of whether Bentley's words "Let him have it, Chris" to his associate Christopher Craig were meant literally ("Let him have the gun") or figuratively ("Open fire!"). [6] The case had been widely publicised and was the subject of a film titled Let Him Have It starring Christopher Eccleston, [7] that was released in October 1991, three months before "The Gun" was broadcast. [8]
Grace & Favour is different from Are You Being Served? in that it involves a continuous story arc, with certain plot elements, such as the relationship between Mr Humphries and Mavis Moulterd, unfolding throughout each episode. This in turn allowed the series to involve more complex storylines and subplots, making it possible to include returning guest stars and location shooting, neither of which was done on Are You Being Served?.
The title of the series is a double play on words. A "grace and favour" is a home or other property owned by a monarch, government or other owner, but given to the use of a faithful retainer upon retirement, as with the retired characters in the series. [9] "Grace" is the surname of the founder and owner of Grace Brothers (the fictional department store where the characters had previously worked) who had also been the previous owner of Millstone Manor. [3] [10]
Casting
The main cast included the five actors and characters who had appeared in every episode of Are You Being Served? : John Inman (Mr Humphries), Mollie Sugden (Mrs Slocombe), Frank Thornton (Captain Peacock), Wendy Richard (Miss Brahms) and Nicholas Smith (Mr Rumbold). [11] New regular cast members included Joanne Heywood, who had previously appeared in the Mike Stephens-directed First of the Summer Wine (1988–89), portraying Miss Lovelock; Billy Burden, who portrayed farmer Maurice Moulterd; and Fleur Bennett, who played his daughter, Mavis. [12] Several new recurring characters were added to the show, including Michael Bilton as Mr Grace's solicitor, Mr Thorpe, and his assistant, Miss Prescott, played by Shirley Cheriton.
Of the other surviving Are You Being Served? cast members who had either left or joined the cast during the programme’s run, only Trevor Bannister (Mr Lucas) was reportedly asked to join Grace & Favour, but declined.
Mike Berry, who had portrayed Mr Spooner for the last three series of Are You Being Served?, was not asked to appear in the sequel series, though stated that he would have if he was asked. [3] Berry recalled that Arthur English, who portrayed Mr Harman, was retired by that stage, and therefore was in "no position to return". [3]
Cancellation
In a 1993 interview on American television, Inman recalled that "the BBC axed it in their wisdom, and it was a case of 'No, we're not doing anymore'". Inman was "a bit distressed" by the series' cancellation, because Lloyd had approached him and explained the storyline for the third series, in which a wedding was to be arranged for Mr Humphries and Mavis Moutlerd, whereby Inman would portray Mr Humphries's mother in a dual role (as he had done in the original series). Mavis would instead choose to run off with a village boy; Mr Humphries would be heartbroken, falling into Mrs Slocombe's arms, much to her delight. [3] Heywood stated that, when news had reached that the series had been cancelled, it "hit the original cast members even harder than us newer characters", resulting in the cast members "los[ing] touch" with each other. [3] Heywood stated that the series was cancelled due to it "just [not being] his cup of tea" of the then-BBC1 Controller, Alen Yentob. [12] The series was the last written by Lloyd and Croft together. [15]
International broadcasts
In the United States, the series was broadcast on PBS member stations as Are You Being Served? Again! in 1992. [3] [4] The first series was broadcast on WNEO from 13 July to 20 July 1992 at 11:00 pm, each weeknight; the whole six episodes were screened via television marathon on 18 July, from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm. [16]
In a documentary included with the Are You Being Served? DVD box set, John Inman stated that he preferred the American title, and believed the programme may have performed better if that title had been used in the UK.
In Australia, both series were broadcast consecutively from January to April 1994, airing at 8:00 pm on CTC and Network Ten, after a repeat episode of Are You Being Served?. [17] [18] [19] [20]
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