Manor House



A 2002 British TV Series, the latest in a long trend of Historical Re Creation Reality Shows. Following the success of 1900 House, this series attempted to recreate life in an English country estate at the height of the The Edwardian Era. A modern-day, moderately well-to-do British family are brought in to step into the polished boots of turn-of-the-century landed aristocracy, while other normal people from different walks of life take up the roles of the staff.

During the three-month social experiment, all participants are required to not merely talk the talk, but also walk the socially-stratified walk. Abovestairs, the Oliff-Cooper clan adopt the lifestyles of the landed gentry while navigating the labyrinthine rituals and customs of a typical Edwardian social season. Belowstairs, the servants are expected to carry the full workloads of their turn-of-the-century counterparts, while also observing all period etiquette, protocols and restrictions. Hilarity Ensues.

This show contains examples of:
 * A Father to His Men: Edgar, the butler, to the staff. He actually admits to coming to think of them as his grandchildren.
 * Sir John sees himself as this.
 * Becoming the Mask: Several participants to different degrees, but Lady Oliff-Cooper is the most extreme example. A modern, well-educated, capable, intelligent professional in the beginning, but three months of living the life of an upper-crust Edwardian society woman... by the end, it's like she's been brainwashed. It gets just a tad eerie.
 * Averted, by contrast, by her sister, interestingly enough.
 * Butt Monkey: Kenny. Being hallboy basically means being this professionally. 17 hours a day, seven days a week, bed in the front hall, first to get up, make the fires, and wake everyone else up, plucker of ducks, and lowest paid into the bargain. On the other hand, he's also the one who successfully.
 * Also, the scullery maids, Kelly, Lucy, and Ellen. Seventeen hours a day, keep the fires stoked, and take orders from Dubiard the chef.
 * Really, all the belowstairs staff, in descending order of monkey-buttness.
 * Deadpan Snarker: M. Dubiard, the chef. Yes, he's French, why do you ask?
 * Disproportionate Retribution: Sir John Oliff-Cooper hands down a particularly harsh one to the entire staff after a social faux-pas.  Truly, this was unforgivable.
 * The Ditz: Kenny the Hallboy.
 * Estrogen Brigade Bait: Rob, Charlie, Kenny, Tristan.
 * Jonty Oliff-Cooper, for girls who like the more refined, intellectual type.
 * Gorgeous Period Dress: Well, okay, yeah. The family and the higher-ranking staff get the good duds. Though not capes and elaborate ballgowns, as it's the Edwardian Era, so it's more understated and modern, but this trope still applies if you like that sort of style.
 * Heel Realization: An intriguing inversion. Mr. Edgar's grandfather had actually been a real butler in the Edwardian era. An icy, distant, authoritarian figure, he inspired silent terror in the young boy. In his shoes sixty years later, a shaken Mr. Edgar comes to understand just why he had to be that way.
 * Invisible to Normals: Some of the staff. According to Edwardian social dictate, they were to remain out of sight, and, if present, were not to be acknowledged.
 * Meganekko: Becky. Kind of a pity that she's...
 * Out of Focus: Mrs. Davies, Becky, Tristan, Jessica, Ellen. Responsible? Good-natured? Did your backbreaking labor day in and day out without drama or secret love affairs? Well... good for you.
 * After two failures walk out, Ellen arrives and successfully assumes the role of scullery maid. You will never hear from her again.
 * Poor, poor Jonty Oliff-Cooper.
 * Reasonable Authority Figure: Edgar, the butler, to the staff. Though undeniably strict and intimidating, it's noted that he would actually have been considered lenient by the standards of the old days. Also noteworthy that an early act of leniency comes back to bite him, rather viciously, at which point he is forced to affirm the "Authority Figure" part of the trope.
 * By contrast, Sir John. See the entry for Disproportionate Retribution.
 * Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Good scullery maids are so hard to find these days...
 * Scullery Maid: Kelly, Lucy, Ellen, the, uh, scullery maids.
 * Single Tear: Edgar let's one slip during the aforementioned Heel Realization.
 * Spotlight-Stealing Squad: Mr. Edgar, Rob, Charlie, and Kenny.
 * Supreme Chef: M. Dubiard, naturally.