Everyday life can be frankly overwhelming, from anxiety-inducing news cycles to mundane responsibilities, so sometimes you have to escape to another time and place. For our next time-travelling endeavour, we’re heading to 1929 Shropshire to meet the Blandings – a crumbling family of aristocrats. With Jennifer Saunders in a lead role, it’s an outstanding period drama that you’ll want to watch on repeat – and, dare we say, it’s every bit as good as Downton Abbey.
The series follows widowed Connie (Jennifer Saunders), a stern sister who’s had enough of trying to keep her eclectic family and sprawling country estate together. While she manages everything, her brother Clarence (Timothy Spall) yearns to be left alone with his pet pig.
With the series available to stream now, here’s everything you need to know about Blandings, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is Blandings about?
Based on the classic short stories by PG Wodehouse, Blandings, the comedy series that first aired in 2013, transports us to the fictional Blandings castle in Shropshire in 1929 and follows a wonderfully dysfunctional family. Lord Emsworth (Timothy Spall), known to his friends as Clarence, is friendly but scattered, and what he desires most in life is to be left in peace with his beloved pet pig, The Empress. However, he’s often called upon by his family, visitors, servants and spongers – making serenity an impossibility.
Above all, Clarence fears his younger, widowed sister, Lady Keeble, known as Constance or Connie (Jennifer Saunders), who rules the roost. She’s a frustrated battleaxe who tries to keep her disorderly clan together – including her foolish nephew, Freddie (Jack Farthing). She isn’t entitled to any of the family’s wealth or power, despite being far more capable than her male counterparts. The series follows the family’s ridiculous endeavours, from a ‘fattest pig’ competition to the arrival of the Duke of Dunstable (Harry Enfield) – the most obnoxious man in Britain, who attempts to have Clarence committed.
Jennifer Saunders previously opened up about entering the wonderful world of PG Wodehouse and taking on the role of Connie. ‘When she is alone, she can be fun. She sits there, eating Turkish Delight, wrapped in an exotic shawl and is transported to her own special world,’ she told the BBC. ‘She imagines she is travelling around the Middle East. She has all these romantic ideas. But then, sadly, reality hits and she remembers she had to sort out the staff or her niece’s marriage. She has to do everything herself – Clarence doesn’t even know the nieces’ names!’ she added.
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Who’s in the cast of Blandings?
The cast of Blandings includes:
- Timothy Spall (The Sixth Commandment, The King’s Speech, Death Valley) as Clarence
- Jennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous, Jam & Jerusalem) as Connie
- Jack Farthing (Da Vinci’s Demons) as Freddie
- Mark Williams (Father Brown) as Sebastian Beach (in series 1)
- Tim Vine (Not Going Out) as Sebastian Beach (in series 2)
Is Blandings any good?
Yes – the series is pure comforting escapism, and the casting is absolute perfection. Despite their wealth and vast estate, their family conflicts and the weird characters they encounter are very relatable. The series is worth watching just to witness Jennifer Saunders’ disapproving expressions and stinging one-liners, but the real scene stealer is arguably Clarence’s prized pig.
Is there a trailer for Blandings?
Yes – you can watch the trailer for Blandings below.
How can I watch Blandings?
All episodes of Blandings are available to watch now on ITVX.
What other period dramas can I watch now?
For a more emotional spot of escapism, we’d suggest the Netflix series Cable Girls, which follows four women who find themselves on the cusp of huge change as they’re awarded new freedom through employment in Spain’s national telecommunications company in 1920s Madrid. Together, they face whirlwind romances, heartbreak, deceit and the dawn of a dictatorship. All episodes of Cable Girls are available to watch now on Netflix. If you’re after a whodunnit, we’d recommend Summer ’36, a French whodunnit that transports you to the dazzling Côte d’Azur in 1936. When a prosecutor dies, four very different women all become prime suspects – and it’s a riveting ride to work out who was actually responsible. Summer ’36 is available to watch now on Netflix.
