Regency House Party

In 1811, when England's King George III was declared mad, his son, the Prince Regent (later George IV), assumed the throne. The prince had always had an extravagant and dissolute lifestyle. Obsessed with fashion and women, he had many mistresses - mostly married ladies - quite upsetting his father's strict moral code. His lavish habits were unbridled - in 1791, he owed the equivalent of over three million dollars to his tailors alone - and set the tone for an era of decadence.

Now, in the tradition of THE 1900 HOUSE, MANOR HOUSE, FRONTIER HOUSE and COLONIAL HOUSE, PBS presents REGENCY HOUSE PARTY, a series of four episodes in which 10 modern-day men and women get in on the romantic action and the way of life that typified the Regency era. REGENCY HOUSE PARTY airs on PBS Wednesdays, November 3-24, 2004.

For nine sunny summer weeks, a group of eligible bucks and buxom ladies takes up residence in a magnificent country estate for a house party exactly like those hosted at the height of the Regency. But will 21st-century folk who are really looking for love manage to navigate the strict social protocols of the day?

"I think the Regency period really was a lot like today's reality dating shows," said executive producer Jody Sheff. "During the Regency, people were thrown together under intense and prescribed circumstances and in a very short time, with very little to go on, they had to find a match. The big difference is that now the romance lasts until the programs air. Back then, your decision was for the rest of your life."

The Regency lasted a mere nine years - from 1811 until 1820 - but the period left a huge impression on modern history. The opulent era introduced the world not only to the works of Coleridge, Keats and Wordsworth, but also to personal trainers, the tabloid press, fashion icons and celebrity "attitude." Most people know a little about the period from the luminous fiction of Jane Austen. But what was it really like to live and love during the Regency, with its social stratification and its formal courtship rituals? What was the experience of trying to find a mate in a world where a man was not even allowed to call a woman by her first name until they were married? Viewers will find out as they follow the trials and triumphs of the REGENCY HOUSE PARTY.

From the moment they arrive at the grand house, the heroes and heroines of this electrically charged social experiment are immersed in the world of the Regency. The house has been restored to its period splendor, electricity and plumbing have been stripped out and an authentic interior provided - right down to the 32 chamber pots, including the unisex pot used right in the dining room. All modern-day conveniences - from razors and deodorants to mobile phones - have been barred from the house.

In the highly competitive, hot-house atmosphere of the house party, marriage, money and morals are all up for grabs. The status and fortune of each of the young men and women are keys to their eligibility and desirability.

The most fortunate of the male participants is real-life ad executive Mr. Gorell Barnes, who, as master of the stately home, is host of the party. His rivals are the charming and good-natured Mr. John Everett, a theater designer from West London; former dot-com millionaire Jeremy Glover, who takes on the role of Royal Naval Captain; hairdresser and self-confessed hell-raiser Paul Robinson, playing an army officer; and Mr. Foxsmith, a secondary school science teacher who has traveled back in time as an amateur scientist. Visitors to the house sent in to stir the pot include the singer-songwriter James Carrington, the Regency House "gentleman composer"; and Zebedee Helm, an artist and vagabond who turns up as the estate hermit.

The gentlemen are joined by five young women, each with a chaperone, of course. Larushka Ivan-Zadeh Griaznov, a real-life countess, is the highest-ranking female guest, but her lofty position at the party belies the fact that she is of very little means. Miss Victoria Hopkins comes with a sizeable fortune but not a shred of social standing. Two middle-class beauties, Miss Lisa Braund and Miss Hayley Conick, are worth little more than loose change, but the least fortunate of the bunch is Miss Francesca Martin, who, as a "lady's companion," has no means at all and is thus condemned to the status of unpaid servant. Adding some spice to the party is the provocative Miss Tanya Samuel, who, upon arrival, takes precedence over all the other women.

Over the course of the summer, the houseguests dine nightly on sumptuous feasts of peacock, turtle and game, under the flickering light of 10,000 candles. The gentlemen are dressed and shaved by footmen and enjoy days of shooting pistols, riding and other outdoor activities. They also engage in the usual activities of the era: heavy drinking, gambling, illicit bare-knuckle boxing and carousing with erotic dancers. For the women the days are quite different, marked by needlework and dancing classes that do little to alleviate the constraints of corsets and social mores.

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