This series is a BBC adaptation of the `Mapp & Lucia' novels by E.F. Benson. The comedy-drama introduces the eccentric world of the residents in Queen Anne village of Tilling during the 1930s. In a community that values appearances and fads, the desire to keep up with the Joneses is high on the agenda. One neighbour in particular attracts more attention than most: Miss Elizabeth Mapp, from the centrally located house of Mallards. The talented but snobbish Mapp has even more reason to gloat as she receives a glamourous new tenant into her home, Miss Emmeline Lucas, otherwise known as Lucia. As she introduces her guest to her friends, Mapp realises they are more interested in Lucia than herself. The inhabitants of the village fall for Lucia's natural charms, so an unhappy Mapp plots to regain her popularity. The two ladies fight for recognition in a series of garden parties and art competitions.