What a pleasure! You never hear this kind of thoughtful musing on American radio. This series is like an audio version of one of Montaigne's essays.

If i ever join a golf club i'll know ive failed as a human

Goodness David, button your shirt please. LOL

My 74 year old dad still wears a jacket and tie when he goes out at night in a restaurant. I like that.

I agree with David Mitchell that the bad kind of manners hit the middle class the hardest. However I would further posit that the reason those bad kinds of manners exist is because they are middle class people's way of earning their way up. They looked at upper class people and said "They do that, so if I do that I will have earned my place as one of them, superior to these slobs around me." In short, we do it to ourselves.

I like how the series ends with admitting how the "manners" of old were at the price of some damn upsetting prejudice

One always takes two pairs of trousers to the golf club in case one gets a hole in one.

It is strange how many people in the golf club were very concerned with wearing the correct clothing. I don't recall hearing any of them saying much about how people should treat others, other than the bit about yelling fore.

Thx for the upload, really enjoyed it.

The people in that golf club really are the worst.

Has it ever occurred to these people that golf is a bit rubbish?

Why is his shirt so open?

The posh golf club ladies embracing old tradition while being conveniently forgetting women aren't originally admitted into country clubs

13:41 “Everyone got a grip on 2023” That didn’t age well.

I suggest that the Lord and Lady Buchanan, who served dinner on paper plates and served tea in silver mugs, were implying that the vicar's family would break their dishes. Bless her, the vicar doesn't know when she's being insulted.

I think the notion of proper dress is not just tradition, or manners. Its Appearances. The plain fact is that what used to be called ‘proper attire’ is clothing tailored to flatter our bodies. To make us human beings look more stylish, well formed, and attractive. And that, today, everyone feels its fine to walk about in knit shorts, flip flops and a t-shirt, which, sorry, but make human beings generally look their worst, most slovenly, and lazy selves if they don’t happen to be a youthful and learn Adonis or Diana to start with. Once, while waiting in line to tour the Duomo in Milan, the group of 4 ahead of me, who were obviously Americans based upon their weight and knit tshirts and shorts and sandals, got to the door and the Italian guide at the door looked them up and down and told them they could Not go in the Cathedral dressed like that! He told them to go to their hotels and put on some respectful clothing. They looked to me to complain and I told them I agreed with the Italian. That the Milanese had spent 400 years building the most beautiful cathedral they could imagine, and here these tourists had traveled halfway around the world to be the most unsightly things in the building. The greatest compliment I got traveling in Europe was that None of the locals ever took me for an American. When I asked them why they wouldn’t assume I was American, they simply said that my wearing a simple collared shirt and long pants and closed toe shoes was far too well dressed to look like an American.

Nope! We didn’t get a grip in 2023!

When I used to play rugby, after the match we had to wear a shirt and tie after the game for when we had food with the other team

so was this a tv s how at first or always rdio ?

If it weren't a crime to snoop into other people's houses, everyone would stop by? REALLY?

As a somewhat fan of David Mitchell, I thought this a bit too dry for my taste.

Interesting points about rudeness being shown on the television. I tend to agree that it would be more acceptable if the program was a deliberate parody or comedy show which is meant to exaggerate aspects of our human conditions and living. But I don't like it when television programs make it all too blatant and standout-ish, to the point where it is absurdly obvious to anyone watching that the form of embarrassments or rudeness being shown are unrealistic, and worse- contrived. Certain shows like "the office" specialize in having their characters do ridiculously outlandish acts of embarrassment or rudeness that no one in the real world would probably ever think to do. I even feel that about Peep Show, certain things the characters do look contrived, as if to do a poo on the camera and then make a wide eyed expression as if to get the 'omg' reaction from the audience.. I could be wrong of course, and it is just my opinion but I hate it when shows do that. I hate it when the characters in the show are shown to do tricks and stunts just to put the audience in gasp mode, and then the characters look at the camera as if they want a biscuit for their trick. I don't like because it stands out and is blatantly obvious. However, parody and comedy allow for these types of things to be acceptable even if a bit obvious, because part of our human condition is to be able to laugh at all of our horrible truths or embarrassments.. Cheers.

It is probably not your duty to comment on poor scone making, but somebody may be in the position/relationship that should do so. Best friends should find a way to broach the subject of B.O. despite the marketing use of a supposed taboo.

I had to pause at the Great British Bake-Off comment because I tend to watch it out of empathy, not joy in rudeness. Comments of "you really botched that bit" and such are made out of commiseration rather than cruelty. Is this biting British rudeness that has simply gone over my American head the same way "bless her heart" from a Southerner means nothing of the sort?