To The Manor Born

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 in 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.