“Fackham Hall” — say it poshly and fast, and don’t blame me — occupies a hitherto unpopulated cinematic niche: a “Downton Abbey”-esque tale told in the style of “The Naked Gun,” with a few dashes of “Gosford Park,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and “Mary Poppins” mixed in. It’s 1931, and young Lady Rose Davenport (Thomasin McKenzie), daughter of a titled family living in a vast manor house, falls for pickpocket-turned-hallboy Eric (Ben Radcliffe) — who soon finds himself framed for murder. Various additional plot complications ensue, including a jilting at the altar, a crisis involving an entail (Rose’s brothers John, Paul, George and Ringo have all previously died mysterious deaths) and rather a lot of R-rated jokes that I can’t describe here. (The Dowager Countess, rest her soul, would be horrified.)

Directed by Jim O’Hanlon, from a screenplay by five credited writers, “Fackham Hall” is very much of the throw-it-at-the-wall-and-see-if-it-sticks school of comedy; if you don’t find a particular punchline or sight gag funny, just hang on a few seconds for the next one. Those who love “Downton Abbey” but don’t mind poking a little fun at period-drama conventions will find much to enjoy; I quite liked the stern-faced housekeeper (Anna Maxwell Martin) whose entire job seems to consist of walking lugubriously around the hallways saying extremely obvious things, the introduction of a houseguest named Lady Gaga, a random string quartet lurking in the shrubbery (the better to accompany a romantic walk) and a gentlemen’s clothing establishment named — wait for it — Tailor Swift.

Too many of the jokes don’t land — this is a rare movie that feels overlong at 97 minutes — and honestly I would have enjoyed the arrival of Liam Neeson's Lt. Frank Drebin to solve the murder, as he and that housekeeper might have hit it off. But “Fackham Hall” is a pleasantly silly diversion for “Downton Abbey” fans with a tolerance for raunchy sight gags and bad puns. At one point, someone trying to helpfully identify a literary quote offers, “That’s Balzac’s,” to which someone else replies indignantly, “No, it’s true.” Reader, I giggled.

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'FACKHAM HALL'

2.5 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: R (for some sexual content, language and violence)

Running time: 1:37

How to watch: Now in theaters

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