To The Manor Born (Vintage Beeb)

Peter Spence

Feb 2012 · BBC Digital Audio · Narrated by Angela Thorne, Full Cast, Penelope Keith, and Peter Bowles

About this audiobook

This collection was first published on LP in the 1980s. When Audrey fforbes-Hamilton's husband dies, and she is forced to leave Grantleigh Manor, she takes up residence at the nearby Lodge - from where she can keep a watchful eye on the Manor's new owner, Richard DeVere! Featuring the cast of the TV series, including Penelope Keith as Audrey fforbes-Hamilton, Peter Bowles as Richard DeVere and Angela Thorne as Marjory Frobisher. Vintage Beeb: classic albums first available as BBC LPs, now available to download for the first time ever. Warning: due to the archive nature of the source material, the sound quality may vary.

About the author

To the Manor Born was created by Peter Spence, after he was asked to come up with a show for Penelope Keith following her success in The Good Life. It was initially proposed as a radio pilot in 1976, with Bernard Braden playing alongside Penelope Keith; but the pilot was never broadcast and it was adapted for television instead. The series first aired in 1979 and was a huge hit, attracting an audience of 23.95 million for the finale. Two subsequent series and a Christmas special were broadcast, culminating in a final episode on 15 October 1981 which saw Audrey (Penelope Keith) and Richard de Vere (Peter Bowles) get married. Twenty-six years later, the series returned for another Christmas special in 2007, which saw the characters celebrating their silver wedding anniversary.