Background The idea of a spin-off was suggested by the cast of
Are You Being Served? almost immediately after the original series had ended in 1985. Writers
Jeremy Lloyd and
David Croft liked the idea, but they agreed, along with the cast, that the department store format was exhausted and that any spin-off would require a change of location. Despite the enthusiasm of the original cast, it was almost seven years before Lloyd and Croft brought them back to television. Most of the original cast were able to return easily, The first episode of Series 2, "The Gun", contains a number of
satirical references to the wrongful conviction and hanging of
Derek Bentley for the murder of a policeman. The case revolved around the issue of whether Bentley's words "Let him have it, Chris" to his associate Christopher Craig were meant literally ("Let him have the gun") or figuratively ("Open fire!"). The case had been widely publicised and was the subject of a film titled
Let Him Have It starring
Christopher Eccleston, that was released in October 1991, three months before "The Gun" was broadcast.
Grace & Favour is different from
Are You Being Served? in that it involves a continuous
story arc, with certain plot elements, such as the relationship between Mr Humphries and Mavis Moulterd, unfolding throughout each episode. This in turn allowed the series to involve more complex storylines and subplots, making it possible to include returning guest stars and location shooting, neither of which was done on
Are You Being Served?. The title of the series is a double play on words. A "
grace and favour" is a home or other property owned by a monarch, government or other owner, but given to the use of a faithful retainer upon retirement, as with the retired characters in the series. "Grace" is the surname of the founder and owner of Grace Brothers (the fictional department store where the characters had previously worked) who had also been the previous owner of Millstone Manor.
Casting The main cast included the five actors and characters who had appeared in every episode of
Are You Being Served?:
John Inman (
Mr Humphries),
Mollie Sugden (
Mrs Slocombe),
Frank Thornton (
Captain Peacock),
Wendy Richard (
Miss Brahms) and
Nicholas Smith (Mr Rumbold). New regular cast members included
Joanne Heywood, who had previously appeared in the
Mike Stephens-directed
First of the Summer Wine (1988–89), portraying Miss Lovelock;
Billy Burden, who portrayed farmer Maurice Moulterd; and
Fleur Bennett, who played his daughter, Mavis. Several new recurring characters were added to the show, including
Michael Bilton as Mr Grace's solicitor, Mr Thorpe, and his assistant, Miss Prescott, played by
Shirley Cheriton. Christine Gernon, who served as production assistant on the series, recalled that Heywood and Bennett "fitted in really well" with the original cast members, while the "cast got on so well; they were just all so pleased to be back together". Indoor filming was recorded in front of a live
studio audience. ==International broadcasts==