As lavish and gripping as episodes of “Mr. Selfridge” are, what’s additionally captivating is the behind-the-scenes photography and how it offers a fresh perspective on how the cast and crew create such onscreen magic.

Now, that’s not to say it’s all business, all the time. There are times for laughs (presumably due to a priceless blooper or inside joke); there are moments of serious contemplation (perhaps with the goal of adjusting how a scene is presented); and there’s even an instance of star Jeremy Piven sharing a signature and a laugh with an autograph-seeking fan. 

“When you play a character, you have to remember that no one is the devil in their own story,” said Piven during an interview with Haute Living. “The fact that he [Selfridge] had that duality, that during working hours, he was filled with love and was so professional, and then after hours, he went off the rails a bit. I thought that was fascinating and would be fun to play, but also be challenging.”

Continued Piven: “He was the guy that created the culture of modern shopping and created the idea of ‘the customer is always right.’ The windows that you see outside of all of our favorite department stores, those big windows, that was his creation. All of these things that he came up with are part of our lives to this day. And he wasn’t a saint, so it’s a fun, wild ride [to play him.]”

Season three of “Mr. Selfridge” airs Wednesdays a 10pm ET/7pm PT!

Here is a behind-the-scenes look at the “wild ride” that’s been season three of “Mr. Selfridge”:

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