The series starred Mollie Sugden, Frank Thornton, John Inman, Wendy Richard and Nicholas Smith reprising their Are You Being Served?

Lloyd and Croft liked the idea, but agreed that the department store format was exhausted and that any spin-off would require a change of location.

Most of the original cast were able to return quite easily, with the exception of Wendy Richard, who had since joined the soap EastEnders; however, she was given a leave of absence from that programme, and temporarily written out so she could reprise her role of Miss Brahms.

The plot line that brought the cast from the store to the manor was considered remarkably topical, since it aired just a few months after the death of British publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell, who was revealed to have borrowed heavily against his own employees' pensions, in a similar vein to what Young Mr Grace does in the series.

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?.

[2] Audio samples of Grace & Favour (media help) The main cast included the five actors and characters who had appeared in every episode of Are You Being Served?

Joanne Heywood as Miss Lovelock, Billy Burden as farmer Morris Moulterd, and Fleur Bennett as his daughter, Mavis, appeared in all twelve episodes.

As per the instructions in his will, the remaining workers in each department at Grace Brothers' closing sale find their pensions invested in different things.

Episode 1 of Series 2 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 three months before the first episode was broadcast.