Blandings Series 1

Given the popularity of dramas like Downton Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs, it would be easy to forget that the British also have a very silly side. Thank goodness, this delightful BBC series is now out on DVD to remind us just how funny the upper crust can be. The show stars Timothy Sprall as Lord Clarence Emsworth, the befuddled head of Blandings Castle who devotes more time to making sure his prize pig is constantly being fed than to the crumbling empire that surrounds him. He has an almost as befuddled son named Freddie (Jack Farthing) who is so scatterbrained he drives his jaunty automobile into the same tree almost every episode. Thankfully, the dour matriarch of the clan, Lady Conny (Jennifer Saunders) is on hand to make sure things stay as properly British as possible. It’s all played frightfully seriously, which makes it even funnier to watch.