Upstairs Dowstairs returns
Coming to PBS this Sunday, April 10th, is Upstairs Downstairs, the newly minted series. Except for Rose, the characters have completely changed, but the nature of the program, following the family and the servants who cater to them, has not.
165 Eaton Place
It is 1936, and only six years have passed by since the Bellamys last lived at 165 Eaton Place. The townhouse is an abandoned shell when Lady Agnes Holland (Keely Hawes) and her diplomat husband, Sir Hallam Holland (Ed Stoppard), arrive from abroad to renovate it as their first home in England.
Keely Hawes as Lady Holland looks towards a new future
Rose (Jean Marsh), the only holdover from the original series, has left service to care for a sick aunt and is now self-employed, finding work for other domestics. A frugal Lady Holland solicits her to fill her house with servants. This means she does not mind employing help with little experience and who need training.
Young Johnny (Nico Mirallegro) needs training
Heidi Thomas, who also wrote the script for Cranford, delivered a crisp, intelligent, and witty script that draws viewers in right away, preserving the elements that drew us to the original show. This series (which has been renewed for a second season) stacks up well against its parent very well indeed. (Although my heart will always be with Hudson, the first butler.)
Jean Marsh as Rose
Thirty years or so ago, Upstairs, Downstairs was a television sensation, and rightly so. The series had been conceived by Jean Marsh and Eileen Atkins, who was working on another project when filming began, and so she did not play a maid alongside her friend, Jean. Thankfully so, for Ms. Atkins has returned as Maude, Lady Holland a character who lights up the screen as delightfully as Maggie Smith’s dowager Countess in Downton Abbey.
Eileen Atkins as Lady Maud Holland
In this year of The King’s Speech, it is interesting to note that Wallis Simpson makes an appearance in the first episode and that the cast listens to Edward’s first radio speech as king. The story of the king and his abdication has long legs this season (he and Wallis were also featured in Any Human Heart, also shown on PBS)
Although invited to the party, Wallis Simpson's (Emma Clifford) appearance is not welcome.
Comparisons of Upstairs Downstairs to Downton Abbey are inevitable, but this is unfair. After all, Upstairs, Downstairs arrived on the scene decades earlier and provided the template for all the master/servant stories that followed. Viewers will not be disappointed with the renewal of a most beloved series. I certainly wasn’t.
Image @Radio Times
Jane Austen's World 
I am SO excited about the start of this show! Can’t wait until Sunday!
I’m glad Eileen Atkins finally made it to Eaton Place.
I believe Rose went with Richard and Virginia Bellamy when they moved to a smaller house. I hope we’ll hear what they were doing when Rose left to care for her aunt.
watched it on BBC Christmas time, fantastic. I’m thinking of buying all the seasons on DVD
I always “hear it first” here, and since the thirties are the era of my own work, I can hardly wait for April 10th. How lovely to see Jean Marsh’s face again, and how wonderful to see some strong female parts written for women over 30.
Thank you, England.
I was a high school/college age girl of uncertain tastes and couldn’t understand all the ruckus about Upstairs, Downstairs that some of my friends were making. That was before I discovered Jane Austen and found a little maturity (read life experiences, not age) to appreciate the finer things. I have not seen one bit of UD but cannot wait to see this newer version. I was at Costco tonight and noticed that they had the 1st and 2nd seasons of UD for sale. How many seasons were there? Would it be worth my while to get them and view them? I LOVED Downton Abbey and did buy that one and can’t wait for the next installment.
Karen, adding to Barbara’s comments, I would view a few episodes of the original Upstairs, Downstairs episodes before purchasing a season. While I loved the series and own the VHS tapes, the production values are typically 1970’s, meaning that most of the action occurs on a staged set. The stories are marvelous and I love them, but many contemporary viewers might find the original series a bit too old-fashioned for modern tastes.
Karen:
I think the original Upstairs, Downstairs ran for five seasons.
This new production promises to be entertaining; if for no other reason than it is written by Heidi Thomas, writer of the BBC’s Cranford!
Sunday cannot come too soon…
I have not heard about this one before but right after I have finished “Downton Abbey” I’ll have a look at this one!
Tuning in tonight! Lovely image in your blog banner.
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