At Manderston, a 109-room Edwardian mansion in Scotland, the Olliff-Coopers relish their roles as landed gentry.

The series begins downstairs at Manderston, a 109-room Edwardian mansion in Scotland, where the butler and housekeeper organize the junior staff. The Olliff-Coopers relish their roles as landed gentry. Joining the butler and housekeeper as upper servants are the lady's maid and the tutor to young Master Guy. The stage is set for a challenging experiment in living history that re-creates an era of stately homes and rigid social hierarchies. The first dinner, prepared by the temperamental French chef de cuisine, is a triumph, but the chaos begins almost immediately when the scullery maid quits after only two days on the job.