Across:
1 Bend over backwards politely (SHOW DEFERENCE) in school (S-) – in what way (-HOW) is that key (music key D-) to getting recommendation for a job (reference) starting off? (r) (‘reference’ without ‘r’ = -EFERENCE) (SHOW DEFERENCE),
10 Greeting (HI-) back (= reversal indicator) delighted (glad = -DALG-) old (-O) (HIDALGO) Spanish gentleman (HIDALGO),
11 Heartless (o) young man (‘boy’ without ‘o’ = BY-) opens 7 down (‘catch on’ = -CATCH) (BY-CATCH) for those from the cast that are not wanted (BY-CATCH),
12 Finish filming (WRAP) what’s on the menu in The Restaurant (WRAP),
13 Plays, for instance (SHOWS), for all sides today (‘show’ on all sides of today’s grid = SHOWS),
15 Prove this (SHOW) to most of 13 across (most of 13 across/ ‘shows’ = SHOW),
17 Get your head around local (‘local’ SUS or suss) in small (S-) states (States/United States = -US) (SUS),
19 Expose (OUT-) legislative (-LAW) (OUTLAW) type of ban (OUTLAW),
21 No late (no late = LEAN-TO) shift (= anagram indicator) in temporary shelter (LEAN-TO),
22 It’s in the space separating (BETWEEN) back (BET-) and small (-WEE-) nerve tip (‘nerve’ tip = -N) (BETWEEN),
23 Academic (learned) lost the head (l) (‘learned’ without ‘l’ = EARNED) and got what he deserved, financially speaking (EARNED),
25 Wash your mouth out (GARGLE) with local drink (GARGLE),
27 The beastly pen (STY) of fascist youth in part (‘fascist youth’ in part = STY),
29 Shame (PITY) one of The Stones (PIT-) joining Yes (-Y) (PITY),
30 In retrospect (= reversal indicator), model (model = pose = -ESOP) on first assignment (first ‘assignment’ = A-) (AESOP) told tales about morality in the past (AESOP),
31 Local criticism (BEEF) of honey producer (BEE-) to offend (‘off’ end = -F) (BEEF),
34 Awful (= anagram indicator) close up (close up = COUPLES) of the duos (COUPLES),
35 Obtain (obtain = BOTANI-) novel (= anagram indicator) from college (-C) (BOTANIC) of the study of plants (BOTANIC),
36 Guide (guide/lead = SHOW) takes credit (GRATITUDE) (SHOW GRATITUDE) for the display? Thanks a lot! (SHOW GRATITUDE).
Down:
2 Hardy (hardy = HYDRA-) novel (= anagram indicator) is one of the good books (New Testament = -NT) (HYDRANT) – those in the emergency services are always looking for it (HYDRANT),
3 With a little luck, starters (‘with a little luck’ starters = WALL) might divide the room (WALL),
4 Periods (EPOCHS) in wild (= anagram indicator) copse (copse = EPOC-S) around top of the hollow (top of the ‘hollow’ = -H-) (EPOCHS),
5 Pushes (ELBOWS) joints? (ELBOWS),
6 The (the = ET-H) problem (= anagram indicator) involving college (-C-) (ETCH) – it might leave the wrong impression? (ETCH),
7 Get the picture (CATCH ON) of criminal (C- ON) overshadowing guard (watch) losing the head (w) (‘watch’ without ‘w’ = -ATCH) (CATCH ON),
8 Act of Bad Manners (SHOW NO RESPECT) is slight (sight/insult = SHOW NO RESPECT),
9 Puts in an appearance (SHOWS ONE’S FACE) to point out (SHOW-) school (-S) individuals (ONE’S) you might see in The Mirror if you look (FACE) (SHOWS ONE’S FACE),
14 Gets the better of (OUTWITS) the brains (-WITS) behind (= positional indicator) escape clause (OUT-) (OUTWITS),
16 Remove dirt from bird table (remove ‘dirt’ from ‘bird table’ = bable = BABEL) in old tower (Tower of BABEL),
18 Nepal (Nepal = PENAL) cook (= anagram indicator) from one of the colonies (PENAL colony),
20 Ran away from warden (‘ran’ away from ‘warden’ = wde = WED) to take the plunge (WED),
21 Raleigh loses hair (‘Raleigh’ loses ‘hair’ = leg = LEG) on part of the journey (LEG),
24 Make slight improvements (RETOUCH), as about (RE-) to take show on the road (tour) shortly (r) (‘tour’ without ‘t’ = -TOU-) to Switzerland (-CH) (RETOUCH),
26 A legend (a legend = GLEANED) on the rampage (= anagram indicator) obtained the information (GLEANED),
27 Receives a signal (SENSOR) picking up The Readings (SENSOR),
28 Sounds like (= homophone indicator) sheepish type (“ewe” = “you” = YOU) is back? (BET) (YOU BET) Absolutely! (YOU BET),
32 No intent in Tinseltown (no ‘intent’ in ‘Tinseltown’ = slow = SLOW) to reduce speed (SLOW),
33 Meant to leave statement (‘meant’ to leave ‘statement’ = stte = STET) and let it stand as it was (ignore marked correction/alteration = ‘let it stand’ = STET).