You Rang, M'Lord? is a BBC television sitcom written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the creators of Dad's Army. It was broadcast between 29 December 1988 and 24 April 1993 on the BBC. The show was set in the house of an aristocratic family in the 1920s, contrasting the upper-class family and their servants in a house in London, along the same lines as the drama Upstairs, Downstairs.
The series featured many actors who had previously appeared in earlier works by Perry and Croft, notably Paul Shane, Jeffrey Holland and Su Pollard, all of whom had starred in Hi-de-Hi!; also featured were Donald Hewlett and Michael Knowles from It Ain't Half Hot Mum, and Bill Pertwee and occasionally Frank Williams from Dad's Army. Numerous small parts were played by other alumni of David Croft and/or Jimmy Perry shows. The memorable 1920s-style theme tune was sung by comedian Bob Monkhouse.
Episodes of You Rang, M'Lord? were fifty minutes long, rather than the usual thirty (for BBC sitcoms), and attempted to introduce a more reflective approach and more complex plotting than other Croft and Perry series. There was also less reliance on filmed location sequences.
Production The series, like other situation comedies of its time, was filmed in front of a live studio audience. Mark Lewisohn said the writers were careful to ensure the sets, lighting and camerawork were of a quality associated with drama productions such as Upstairs, Downstairs.Mark Lewisohn, You Rang, M'Lord at the former BBC Guide to Comedy For a situation comedy, the episodes are an unconventional length (50 minutes). Croft felt this would let them develop characters and situations more thoroughly. This was supported by Gareth Gwenlan, head of BBC comedy.Gary Basford, You Rang M'Lord? at perryandcroft.co.uk Also unconventional for a Perry/Croft series was the fact that plots directly continued from episode to episode like a soap opera as opposed to being largely standalone episodes such as in Dad's Army and It Ain't Half Hot Mum.
This, coupled with high production values and attention to period detail, was designed to give the series the feel of a comedy drama. In writing the series, the two writers drew on research and personal accounts from the period; Jimmy Perry's grandfather had been in service as a butler and David Croft's mother, Anne Croft, had been a musical comedy star in the 1920s, giving them some ideas of life both above and below stairs.
The pilot episode was meant to be recorded at the BBC Television Centre in London, but due to a strike the sets were sparsely dressed and production was moved to the BBC Elstree Studios instead. The sets were improved for the first series. After the pilot was aired and the BBC agreed to a full series, the production team decided to remain at BBC Elstree Studios, and all four series of the show were recorded there. Exterior shots were mostly filmed in and around Diss, Norfolk, for example a disused brush factory which was used as the Union Jack Rubber Company. Other locations included the seafront at Cromer, Lynford Hall, Bayfield Hall and Oxburgh Hall as the bishop's palace. The First World War battle scene at the beginning of the pilot episode was built in Long Valley, the British Army's tank training ground in Aldershot. The exterior of the Meldrum house is rarely seen, although the pilot featured exterior shots of an actual building, probably No. 15, Holland Villas Road, London W14, but later shootings took place at a mock-up built on the car park at BBC Elstree Studios or in Norfolk.
The first two series were directed by David Croft who then handed over directing duties to Roy Gould, his production manager for many years, for series three and four.
The series' opening and closing music was written by Jimmy Perry and Roy Moore and performed by a 1920s-style orchestra.You Rang M'Lord theme tune The vocals were performed by Bob Monkhouse and Paul Shane.
Plot In the pilot episode, two World War I soldiers stumble across the body of an officer while crossing no-man's land under heavy gunfire during the Battle of Amiens in 1918. Assuming the officer is dead, one soldier, Alf Stokes, attempts to rob the officer, much to the disgust of his comrade, James Twelvetrees. After it becomes apparent that the unconscious officer is not dead, the two men see their chance to escape the battle by carrying the officer to a field hospital. The two soldiers are later called to see the officer, The Honourable Teddy Meldrum, who says he is eternally grateful for their services, and tells them he will always be in their debt.
The action then moves to London in 1927, where James Twelvetrees has become the footman in the house of Teddy's brother Lord Meldrum, at 12 Park Lane, Mayfair, and wants to further his position following the death of the butler.The street name is mentioned once in Series 1, Episode 5: "Fair Shares". In order to establish a telephone connection, the switchboard operator asks the number of the Meldrum residence.
Meanwhile, Alf and his daughter, Ivy, have just been sacked from their jobsIn the 1988 Pilot Episode, Alf is erroneously handed a modern £10 note as goodbye wages, a fortune in 1927. In later episodes, old fashioned banknotes and prices are used. in a music hall (Alf took the music hall job after being dismissed for dishonesty as a butler). Alf sees his chance to apply for a job at the Meldrum's house, and after blackmailing his previous employer for references, becomes the new butler, much to the annoyance of James. Following the dismissal of a maid, after a backstairs relationship with the Honourable Teddy, Ivy is brought in by her father as the new maid (to hide the fact that she is Alf's daughter, the two decide that Ivy should use her mother's maiden name, Teasdale).
The programme follows the various relationships between the upper-class and their servants, as well as Alf's scheming and James's attempts to stop him. The events depicted in the 26 episodes are time-lined though not directly following each other and are based mainly around the following threads:
Moral combat between Alf, James and Ivy, as Alf keeps developing schemes in order to achieve some fortune (and usually fails) and James and Ivy try to stop his actions Clashes about politics between James and Alf (James is a Conservative voter whilst Alf often talks of class struggle and revolution) Adultery triangle between Lord Meldrum, Lady Agatha and Sir Ralph James arousing romantic interest in Poppy, Lady Agatha, and Ivy Developing love affair between Alf and Mrs. Lipton, and between Mrs. Lipton and Police Constable Wilson Efforts of Teddy to dodge the marriage with Madge Cartwright Teddy's pursuit of servant girls Lord Meldrum's threats to deport Teddy to his rubber plantation in British Malaya; Ivy's growing affections for James Business rise, fall and recovery of the House of Meldrum and its most important asset, the Union Jack Rubber Company; The unpredictable actions of Lady Lavender
Characters
The Meldrum Family George, Lord Meldrum MC (Donald Hewlett) – The master of the house, Lord Meldrum is a respected member of the aristocracy, in charge of the Union Jack Rubber Company and various other interests. Old-fashioned, with Victorian values, his reputation is nevertheless threatened by his affair with Lady Agatha, the wife of Sir Ralph Shawcross, and it is usually left to Stokes to help him cover this up. He claims to deeply love Agatha, and is left heartbroken after she breaks off their affair. Despite his considerable wealth, he pays his workers poorly, and it is hinted that he once employed slave labour in Africa. The Honourable Edward "Teddy" Meldrum (Michael Knowles) – Lord Meldrum's younger brother, he had been conscripted as a Captain into the British Army in 1915 and had served in the Infantry on the Western Front, where he was badly injured by a shell and carried back to the field hospital by Stokes and Twelvetrees. By 1927 the Honourable Teddy is still unmarried and living in his brother's house. The stereotypical upper-class twit, he has had relationships with five previous housemaids and has fathered children by them all: he cannot resist their "shiny, scrubbed faces" and scent of carbolic soap. He is being forced by his brother to marry Madge Cartwright, the heiress to a soap dynasty, although he is more interested in her maid, Rose. Cecily "Cissy" Meldrum (Catherine Rabett) – Cissy is Lord Meldrum's elder daughter. Although attractive, she dresses in a masculine style, takes part in men's sports and activities, such as flying (she is a qualified pilot), and her feminine "chum" Penelope (Sorel Johnson) is a frequent house guest. Thus, although never explicitly stated, there are many suggestions that Cissy is a lesbian, the many clues to which are not entirely obvious to her father.You Rang M'Lord? , Jeffrey Holland official website Cissy is a pleasant character, who shows genuine concern for the family and servants alike, often giving away feminine items such as dresses and make-up to Ivy (whom she shows an attraction to in early episodes, frequently winking at her). She often socialises with her younger sister Poppy, but the two regularly bicker because of their differing attitudes. She proclaims herself a socialist and stands as a candidate for the United Workers Party, winning a seat on the council through Stokes's machinations. Poppy Meldrum (Susie Brann) – Poppy is Lord Meldrum's younger daughter and is a spoiled and unpleasant character who attends 'wild' parties with her friend, Jerry (John D. Collins). She is quite a snob about her position in society, often ready to remind those lower of her position, although at other times she confesses to feeling trapped by her class. Throughout the series, she is attracted to the footman, James Twelvetrees, whom she delights in leading on, despite being aware of the problems it could cause for him. She has an on-off relationship with Jerry, who she abandons when she meets Dickie Metcalf, who is in fact a confidence trickster and is after her money. Lady Lavender Southwick (Mavis Pugh) – Lady Lavender is Lord Meldrum's mother-in-law and she resides with her parrot, Captain, in the second bedroom of the house. She is very wealthy and has interests in many businesses, including a large number of shares in the Union Jack Rubber Company. Lavender was born into an aristocratic family in the early 1850s. We are given to understand that she led a somewhat promiscuous youth, having many affairs, including with Boris the Crown Prince (later King) of Dalmatia (Davy Kaye). She then became involved with a young army officer called Captain Cedric Dolby (Maurice Denham); the two later became engaged, but separated shortly before he was sent off to fight in the Zulu War. After the death of her husband, Lord Southwick, Lady Lavender moved in with her daughter and son-in-law, becoming increasingly reclusive and senile, and enjoyed throwing plates of food at Ivy, the maid. She calls the servants by alternative names of her choosing (calling Ivy 'Ethel', Henry 'Steven' and Stokes 'Capes'). She has no idea who Teddy is (when he explains he is "George's brother" she comments she has a son-in-law with that name).
Servants