How a 1920s sitcom broke the rules of BBC comedy

Countries & Cities · Published 9 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In the late 1980s, most BBC sitcoms were thirty-minute standalone episodes. But 'You Rang, M'Lord?' took a different path, opting for fifty-minute episodes and continuous, soap-opera style plotting. This ambitious approach aimed to blend high-quality comedy with the dramatic depth of a period piece.

Broadcast on the BBC between 29 December 1988 and 24 April 1993, 'You Rang, M'Lord?' was a departure for creators Jimmy Perry and David Croft. While their previous hits like 'Dad's Army' relied on standalone episodes, this series utilized a more complex, serialized narrative structure. This choice, supported by BBC comedy head Gareth Gwenlan, allowed the writers to develop characters and situations more thoroughly. The show's distinctive theme tune was performed by comedian Bob Monkhouse. This unconventional format was a deliberate attempt to introduce a more reflective tone than other contemporary Croft and Perry productions.

Set in a 1920s London aristocratic household, the series explored the friction between the upper class and their domestic staff. The production values were intentionally high, with writers Mark Lewissohn and the creators aiming for a quality associated with serious dramas like 'Upstairs, Downstairs'. This was achieved through meticulous attention to period detail, drawing on personal research—including Jimmy Perry's experience with his butler grandfather and David Croft's mother, a 1920s musical comedy star. The series was originally intended for recording at the BBC Television Centre, but a strike forced the production to move to Elstree. Additionally, the creators drew on specific family histories to enrich the depiction of life both above and below stairs.

Though much of the action was filmed at BBC Elstree Studios, the series utilized diverse locations to ground its world. Exterior shots were filmed in and around Diss, Norfolk, using sites like a disused brush factory for the Union Jack Rubber Company. Other scenic locations included the seafront at Cromer and various grand estates like Lynford Hall and Oxburgh Hall. The pilot's fierce WWI combat sequence was filmed at Long Valley, located in Aldershot, where the British Army trains its tanks. The production also made use of the seafront at Cromer for various scenes. Furthermore, the pilot's battle sequence was set during the 1918 Battle of Amiens.

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