Welcome to Glenbogle!
Monarch of the Glen is a British TV series in the "eccentric country folk" vein. The eccentric country folk in this case live in the Scottish Highlands, on and around the estate of the Laird of Glenbogle.The central character is Archie MacDonald (Alastair Mackenzie), reluctant new Laird and latest in the line of Glenbogle, who would really rather be running a restaurant in London than dealing with the crumbling and cash-strapped estate. Richard Briers and Susan Hampshire are his parents, Hector and Molly.
Based loosely on Compton Mackenzie's 1940s Highland Novels, although it makes more sense to think of Hector and Archie as descendents of Mackenzie's Laird, rather than the series being a Setting Update.
Monarch of the Glen provides examples of:
- Art Reflects Personality: When sitting on an interview panel with Archie and Katrina, Hector doodles pictures of a cask of alcohol, as he is desperate to get his hands on one which Archie is keeping from him.
- Big Fancy House: Glenbogle House. And it's old and falling apart. Keeping it heated is a ruinous expense, especially since Hector and Molly insist on living in separate wings.
- Bizarre and Improbable Golf Game: Hector occasionally plays golf inside the house.
- Brotherhood of Funny Hats: The Highland Hundred. No funny hats, but a funny secret greeting. And they're not actually as secret as they thought they were.
- Card Sharp: A villain who comes to settle a debt with Molly persuades her to gamble, using cards marked on the back with ultra-violet ink, which he can see using special glasses.
- Caught on Tape: When Archie has his final break-up with Justine, this is witnessed in real time (complete with sound) by his whole family through the cameras around the estate; and by Katrina, and the children in her nursery. The mood is sombre among those watching. As a Brick Joke, Katrina switches off the camera, causing the children around her to utter a disappointed "Oh!". Hector does likewise, and Lexie says "Oh!" disappointedly.
- Censor Suds: Seen during a scene with Archie in the bath, until the sassy Lexie pulls the plug out.
- Childhood Friend Romance: Archie and Katrina.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Hector. Molly is usually pretty sharp, but she has her moments of this, too.
- Crystal Clear Picture: At the beginning of the second series, a camera system is set up around the estate, and the resolution on the screens is amazing (TV broadcast quality), even for the year 1999.
- Deadpan Snarker: Most of the characters.(In different scenes:)Katrina: I'd rather be illegitimate than the daughter of a laird.Archie: (when an underground spring is discovered) If you go into the kitchen, you'll find these things called taps.Justine: (to Katrina, her love rival) Let's put this in the language of the Highland laird: keep off.Molly: (to Hector) You couldn't slap anyone down, even if you had a large wet haddock in each hand.Golly: (when Archie has refused him a job interview) I'm sure a sensible Laird like you is aware of the Equal Opportunities Act.
- Dramatic TV Shut-Off: Archie having a tense conversation with Justine is accidentally captured on cameras on the estate, and this is watched on screens by Archie's family, and by Katrina in her classroom, surrounded by children. When Archie breaks up with Justine, Hector switches off his screen, and at the same moment, Katrina switches off hers; these are met with protests of "Oh!" from everybody else watching.
- Embarrassing Middle Name: One of Lord Kilwillie's middle names is Sharon.
- "Fawlty Towers" Plot: Hector has gotten himself into a couple of these. Lord Kilwillie was almost always involved.
- First Girl Wins: Katrina. Averted.
- Forced into Their Sunday Best: Duncan, when Lexie makes him wear a suit for being interviewed by Archie.
- Formal Full Array of Cutlery: Lexie gives a bewildered guest the advice "start from the outside and work in".
- Grumpy Old Man: Hector. Played for laughs and drama. He's not happy about getting old and no longer being the laird, or how times have changed.Justine: Hector, can't you just go with the flow a bit?Hector: Don't be absurd. For my entire life, the flow has gone with me.
- Happily Married: Hector and Molly.
- Ice Queen: Justine, Archie's girlfriend from London.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: In the case of Stella Moon; she's loosened up considerably by the end of her run in the series.
- Identical Grandson: A Hogmanay special involved Paul meeting the ghost of his Grandfather.....who looked suspiciously like Paul.
- Impoverished Patrician: The main source of drama is the need of Glenbogle to make money. Simply heating Glenbogle House costs a fortune, but selling it is unthinkable.
- Intergenerational Friendship: Duncan and Golly are best friends despite a gap of several decades between them.
- It's Always Spring: Most episodes appear to be in spring or summer. One exception is when Archie is forced to stop paying staff to cut costs, so Lexie refuses to turn on the heating; resulting in the occupants of the house wrapped up in winter scarves and hats.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Hector, may be grumpy and abrasive, but deep down he has a heart of gold.
- Jumping on a Grenade: Hector, to save his dog who had accidentally fetched a lit dynamite stick.
- Just Ignore It: Early in the series, the estates debt problems are revealed by Hector refusing to open letters from the bank, stashing them in a drawer; he does this until Mr Fleming from the bank turns up.Hector: A man is entitled to open his own correspondence!
- Kissing Under the Influence: Archie, Lexie, and a bottle of whiskey on the train home from London.
- Love Dodecahedron: In series two, Duncan loves Lexie, Lexie loves Archie, Archie loves Katrina, Katrina loves Fergal, and to top it all off, in one episode, Lexie and Fergal flirted in the kitchen!
- MacGuffin Escort Mission: Played for laughs, of course. Hector and Kilwillie are determined to drink a cask of 1970 whiskey that Archie wants to auction off for lots of money, so they spend the entire episode trying to keep it away from/get it back from Archie. Ends in a case of No MacGuffin, No Winner, as the whiskey has gone bad and is undrinkable.
- Man in a Kilt: All the time.
- Mood Dissonance: During the episode with Hector's funeral, the sombre mood of the funeral is broken by the coffin brought in not on the shoulders of uniformed coffin-bearers, but on the shoulders of workmen in hard hats.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Golly, who got his nickname when the wind blew his kilt aside and a girl who witnessed it said, "Golly!". His first name is eventually revealed to be Aloysius.
- Only Sane Man: Archie.
- Pretty in Mink: When the heating is turned off to save money, the family are forced to wear several layers of clothes at night, including Molly wearing her fur coat.
- Put on a Bus: Archie
- Repetitive Name: Donald MacDonald.
- Rich Bitch: Lady Kilwillie
- Scenery Porn: The beautiful Scottish Highlands.
- Screw Politeness, I'm a Senior!: Hector in spades. He justifies it by claiming "being rude is one of the few benefits of old age."
- Slap-Slap-Kiss: Archie and Katrina.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute:
- Paul Bowman-MacDonald is introduced in Season 4, and replaces Archie from Season 6.
- Averted with Donald MacDonald, who serves a broadly similar role to Hector, but has a very different personality.
- The Clan: Clan MacDonald, of course!
- ViolinScam Variation, Golly and Andrew's revenge on the dealer who messes with Molly's antique sideboard
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Hector and Lord Kilwillie, Type 2.
- Walkie-Talkie Static: When Hector and Kilwillie are conspiring to remove a valuable ancient cask of alcohol from Glenbogle, Archie locks it away securely, prompting Hector to make a radio call to Kilwillie:Hector: The fox has gone back to earth, and dug itself an even deeper grave. Plan B, I think.
