Season 1 - Episode 1
First Shown: 10 January 1992

It's sad, so sad: Young Mr. Grace is no more! He had a bit of an accident while scuba-diving.

Grace Brothers has closed down, and the staff meets with Mr. Grace's attorney, Mr. Thorpe, to find out what is going to happen with their retirement pensions. Imagine their shock when they find out that their money has been sunk into a countryside Bed and Breakfast! Even worse, they can’t sell it as it’s in trust. Still worse: Mr. Rumbold has been appointed the manager. The final blow: the staff find out that they're sharing the kitty with Mr. Grace's companion Miss Lovelock, who was inadvertently responsible for Mr. Grace's demise when her bathing suit top came off.

The staff troops up to the village of Great Tender to see Millstone Manor. They get to know groundskeeper Mr. Moulterd, who already knows Mrs. Slocombe, and his daughter Mavis, who wants to get to know Mr. Humphries. After a little chicken herding, cow milking, and a take-away Indian dinner, Mr. Rumbold gathers everyone together to update everyone on the pension fund. It turns out it’s only a few hundred pounds a month, so if they want to get more money they’ll have to turn to the B&B.

Mr. Rumbold relates the staffing problems to everyone (as in, he’s let them all go!). Now they need to decide what they want to do with the place. Is it worth staying in the country? Should they pack it in and head towards the city? And how well does the staff's first night go: will Mr. Humphries ever be the same again?

Quote:
Slocombe: "What a way to go…scuba-diving with his nurse in the Caribbean."
Peacock: "Yes, according to her, his equipment, although old-fashioned, was in perfect working order."

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