Quote: Marc P @ July 30 2009, 9:44 AM BSTI bet the pair of you didn't sit down to watch J&J with a nice bottle of Pinot Grigio and a big bag of Nachos!
Oh, Jesus! Don't even go there, girlfriend!
You Rang, M'Lord? Page 3
Quote: Jack Massey @ August 8 2007, 11:26 PM BSTJeffery Holland is a great actor, but I absolutely despised the character of James Twelvetrees. But is having a character you despise a bad thing, Alf Garnett in Till Death us do Part springs to mind. Jeffery Holland played Twelvetrees very well and made you despise him most of the time, altough I loved Twelvetrees when he deliberetly spilt wine on Miss Poppy's dress in an episode in the last series.
I think Jeffery played a James Twelvetrees type role in the YRML 'followup' Oh Doctor Beeching as well.
Quote: Jack Massey @ August 9 2007, 3:26 AM BSTJeffery Holland is a great actor, but I absolutely despised the character of James Twelvetrees... Jeffery Holland played Twelvetrees very well and made you despise him most of the time...
Hmm. Funny how people can respond in diametrically opposite ways to the very same character. I must take exception to the comment that James "made you despise him most of the time." James Twelvetrees is my favourite character in "You Rang, M'Lord" (well, right up there with Ivy Eavesdale anyway), and not because he was a scoundrel or hypocrite. Far from it. James may have come across as pompous, but I detect in him some sterling qualities -- honesty, sense of responsibility, nobility, integrity, and loyalty -- even when it would have been easier for him to let down his guard. A more faithful servant would be difficult to find, even in the face of the House of Meldrum's financial reverses. On a more corporeal level, time and time again he rejected the advances of Miss Poppy, though admittedly with a healthy ego and the normal human weakness of temptation. Further, James consistently resisted Alf Stokes's conniving schemes, weighing them against his own high ethical standards. True enough, he shared Mrs. Lipton's condescending attitude toward Henry and (especially) Mabel, but by the same token he did seem to recognise the inner good that was the essence of Ivy's personality. And so, I say there is much to like in James, and I respect his strength of character.
Just noticed that the Mrs Lipton character, played by Brenda Cowling, was the Sister in the Fawlty Towers episode, 'The Germans'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1n1Krehb3I&NR=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAWlL1B-kQI#t=6m33s
I notice that she passed away fairly recently too...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2010/nov/11/brenda-cowling-obituary
Amazing to see just how many big shows she was in...
Yes, Brenda Cowling was great in You Rang, M'Lord?. Best TV performance I've seen from her - probably because it was a subtantial part.
She also played a maid in Hi-De-Hi and I remember being the owner of the shop in Grange Hill for a bit.
I think You Rang, M'Lord? is a fantastic sitcom. The standard of production seems to be extremely high in every way. I personally prefer Hi-De-Hi! - not because it is better really, but because Hi-De-Hi! has a particular warmth for me and because the style is different the jokes are more frequent. I didn't used to like YRML all that much until I watched them all in sequence on DVD. It was then that I realised just how good it really is. Being a parody of the likes of USDS it actually becomes a serial drama in itself with the characters moving from cartoon like to three dimentional and back again in a way that really works - reflecting the accumulation of the cast and crews' developed talent and experience.
I think the main reasons it was never as popular as some other Perry and Croft shows was because the episodes were longer and because of the stronger emphasis on the drama/serial side. A substance that some people weren't prepared to chew through with a Perry and Croft offering.
Quote: Richard Wells @ July 30 2009, 2:44 AM BSTYes he did.
I was watching one of my DVDs of the show today and the show was just fantastic and it should get more love than it does.
Every character had depth and was funny in their own way.
The writing was second to none and I can't praise the show enough.
Definitely in my top 5 favourite sitcoms.
Yes you are soo right - it really is a fantastically enjoyable sitcom.
I only rought it because I loved Donald Hewlett and Michael Knowles in It Ain't Half Hot Mum and Pertwee from Dad's Army (he is PC Wilson)!
I keep getting stuff with my favourite actors in and am pleasantly surprised. So I shall probably buy Oh Doctor Beeching! next as it has five actors from You Rang, M'Lord?.
I've got about 40 UK sitcoms I really like and You Rang, M'Lord? has made my top 10. It has great one-liners too!
Quote: Rob Maris @ July 18 2011, 6:52 AM BSTSo I shall probably buy Oh Doctor Beeching! next
Oh, do. It's an absolute delight. I've been savouring it recently - I genuinely don't know how I've not watched it for so long. The humour is (for the most part) right up my street, the performances are fantastic, and almost every episode has a wonderful Croft-signature set-piece. An utter joy.
Quote: Aaron @ July 18 2011, 9:56 AM BSTOh, do. It's an absolute delight. I've been savouring it recently - I genuinely don't know how I've not watched it for so long. The humour is (for the most part) right up my street, the performances are fantastic, and almost every episode has a wonderful Croft-signature set-piece. An utter joy.
I had a very nice pint or two recently with the director, he very much admires my camera! Will pass on your thoughts! 
I always thought that this was quite good and very watchable. It is very underrated in my opinion , shame GOLD don't repeat it so we could watch it again.
Watched three episodes so far and I like it a lot. Bought it mostly because I liked the Knowles/Hewlett double team in IAHHM and wanted to see them again. But they are not the main attraction in this one for me. Shane, Holland and Pollard are the real stars here.
It has a killer theme tune too.
Quote: Rob Maris @ 18th July 2011, 6:52 AM BST....it really is a fantastically enjoyable sitcom.
I only rought it because I loved Donald Hewlett and Michael Knowles in It Ain't Half Hot Mum...
Oops, I didn't want to copy your post.
Still one of my favourite sitcoms of all time.
Every cast member a winner and the writing is superb.
I never really enjoyed this.
Not even the great theme tune?
No, not even that
Only one more episode for me. What a shame, I was enjoying this. 
I've become a bit of a Croft & Lloyd/Perry fan so I have to look out for a new drug. 'Allo Allo' maybe?