Season 1 - Episode 4
First Shown: 31 January 1992

Need a job? Come on over to Millstone Manor because have they got vacancies!

The country air is agreeing with Mrs. Slocombe (Captain Peacock notes how it's especially seeming to perk up Mr. Humphries), while local pub life isn't agreeing with Miss Brahms (though the sound of it is perking Mrs. Slocombe up). Mr. Humphries is out of the garden, so now it's time to turn their attention to a few issues. First is the hot bath water issue (too many bathers and not enough wood choppers).

Second is the staffing problem: they've got an American tour party coming this weekend and no staff. There's two potential staff candidates, but even so, the staff's going to have to do some grunt work to clean the place up if they want to make a go of things! Mr. Rumbold delegates the duties fairly, as in he's not doing anything while the rest of the staff's overloaded.

Captain Peacock pulls lawn duties and doesn't do very well on the riding lawn mower. Mavis gives Mr. Humphries a job clearing the drains, then has him on his hands and knees in the kitchen, then brings them both to tears as they work on the stew. Mrs. Slocombe and Miss Brahms have a heart-to-heart about love and life while hanging the laundry, just to have the sheets mowed down in a horrible tractor accident. Tensions are high and Mr. Rumbold gets an earful from both Captain Peacock and Mavis.

The staff is ecstatic when the applicants for the positions arrive, but they are less than favorably impressed with their abilities. First is Mrs. Cleghampton (a lapsed Catholic) for the post of chambermaid but she doesn't seem to be healthy enough to do anything. Next is Mr. Volpone for the post of waiter: he offers to demonstrate his still in bringing in the tea, but the decades of working on the express rail have taken their toll. So the positions go unfilled...but it turns out, the photographer isn't coming tomorrow to shoot the brochure as planned...but today at 6:00pm!

Oh yeah, the staff does some teaseling...don't ask, just watch it.

Quote:
(Captain Peacock is denying any romantic interest in Miss Lovelock)

Captain Peacock: "And let me state, here and now, that I was just showing the ordinary courtesy expected of a gentleman towards a, um..."
Miss Brahms: "Good looking bird?"
Captain Peacock: (indignant): "Towards a well-bred young lady who did, let us face it, look after Mr. Grace in his, let us say..."
Mr. Humphries: "Reclining years."

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