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Upstairs, Downstairs was a 1970s British television series set in a grand Edwardian town house in London and depicting the events of the early twentieth century as they affected the servants ("downstairs") and masters ("upstairs").

The series was originally conceived by Jean Marsh and Eileen Atkins as a comedy, called Behind the Green Baize Door, about two housemaids (to be played by themselves) who worked in a Victorian country house. After approaching a development company in 1969 their ideas were expanded and developed to include the upstairs element and it became a drama known variously as Two Little Maids in Town, Below Stairs, The Servants' Hall, That House in Eaton Square and 165 Eaton Place until becoming Upstairs, Downstairs shortly before going into production.

Production

The series was first offered to Granada Television in Manchester who passed on it as they were working on another period drama (A Family At War) but London Weekend Television liked the concept and in April 1970 commissioned a series of thirteen plays with an option for a second. Because of a technician's strike the first six episodes were shot in black and white; when colour production eventually began, the opening episode was remade in two different versions, which could be shown depending on whether or not stations broadcast the black and white episodes. The original black and white pilot is believed to have been wiped.

Upstairs, Downstairs eventually ran for five seasons totalling 68 episodes.

The series won many awards, including seven Emmys and a Golden Globe. The theme tune by Alexander Faris won an Ivor Novello award.

Story

Lady Marjorie Talbot-Carey, the lovely and willful daughter of the Earl and Countess of Southwold married Richard Bellamy MP, the upright younger son of a country parson, despite her parents' objections. Mr. Richard and Lady Marjorie Bellamy set up housekeeping at 165 Eaton Place, one of several London properties owned by Lord Southwold.

Richard is a politician and several plots centre around his political ambitions and conflicts arising from his desire to follow his conscience and his allegiance to his father-in-law's political party, the Conservatives. Richard and Lady Marjorie Bellamy have two children, James and Elizabeth, who are in their early twenties and late teens when the series starts in 1903.

Time is something of an amorphous concept in this series. The first episode, "On Trial," is set in November 1903. Assuming James, the elder of the siblings, was 20 in 1903, that would mean he was born in 1883. Assuming Richard was at least 24 when James was born (married sometime between age 21 and 23), he would been born in 1860, making him 43 at the start of the series and 70 when the series ended in 1930. Marjorie is said to have been born in 1864 and would have been 39 when the show started in 1903 and 48 when she died in 1912.

Other characters, however, don't seem to age — or age in reverse. Jean Marsh once remarked that the hairstyle of the 1920s favoured her, so that instead of making her look older (she should have been at least 50 by 1930) "it youthed me". Meanwhile, Mr. Hudson and Mrs. Bridges, who were each about 50 when the show started in 1903 should have been fully retired (or dead, more likely) by the shows end in 1930. However, by the time 1930 rolled around, Mrs. Bridges and Mr. Hudson (since they were still alive) should have both been around 75, but had only aged to about 60!

The first and second seasons are set from 1903 until 1910, during the reign of King Edward. Stories depict the lives of the Bellamy's "upstairs" and the servants "downstairs". The Bellamy family comprised Richard, the politician, and his wife Lady Marjorie, and their two children, James and the rebellious Elizabeth, whom Rose calls "Miss Lizzy". The original staff was composed of Mr. Angus Hudson, the pompous and authoritarian butler, Mrs. Kate Bridges, the cook, Emily, the kitchen maid, Alfred, the footman, Rose, the Head House Parlourmaid, Sarah, the Under House Parlourmaid, and Pearce, the coachman.

In 1908, Elizabeth married a young poet Lawrence Kirbridge, but he found sexual intercourse disgusting and their marriage was unconsummated. Elizabeth had an affair with her husband's publisher and became pregnant, later giving birth to a daughter, Lucy. She moved to America in 1910 after her divorce from Kirbridge. She was later said to have married a man named Dana. James and Sarah, the Under House Parlourmaid, had an affair, resulting in Sarah's pregnancy and James's banishment to India. Sarah was sent to live at the Southwold Manor, but came back after she went into labour, while the King was upstairs at a dinner party, only to give birth to a stillborn infant boy. Later, Sarah and Thomas Watkins, the valet of Lawrence Kirbridge, fell in love, though he never married her, and they span off to their own short-lived series "Thomas and Sarah". Emily the scullery maid killed herself over a lover who was forbidden from seeing her and was replaced with Ruby, a hardworking young woman with minor mental disabilities who constantly irritated Mrs. Bridges. In 1905, Alfred ran away with Baron Klaus von Rimmer, a guest of the family, after they had been caught in a compromising position. He was replaced with Edward Barnes, who went onto marry housemaid Daisy Peel.

Tragically, Lady Marjorie (and her brother Hugo Talbot-Carey, Earl of Southwold and his wife), died in the sinking of the RMS Titanic, her last known words being uttered to her maid – "Keep this for me, Roberts" – as she hands over her jewelery case. The episode in which Miss Roberts returns alive features a brilliant farewell (to the series) performance by Patsy Smart, as Maud Roberts. She refuses to let anyone touch the jewelery box, because she's keeping it for Lady Marjorie. Richard's secretary, Hazel Forrest, wins the hearts of all when she very gently persuades Miss Roberts to open the box. That means accepting Lady Marjorie is gone and she breaks down into sobs, as she cries, "I tried to save her! I tried to make them life boat go back!"

At about that time Richard hires a secretary named Hazel Forrest to type the biography of his father in law he was writing. Soon after, she and James fall in love and eventually marry. Hazel becomes "mistress" of the household. They are happy for a time but start to grow apart; this estrangement is worsened by a miscarriage. James serves in World War I, is seriously injured in a trench battle and is brought home to recover. He is nursed by his cousin Georgina, who was orphaned and came to live with the Bellamy's in 1913, when she was 18. Georgina was the daughter of Lady Marjorie's brother Hugo's second wife. Hazel had a brief affair with an airman who, like her, rose from the ranks of the middle-classes. He is killed while James is at home on leave. Rose meets an Australian man named Gregory and after overcoming several hurdles, finally agrees to marry him on his return from the war. Unfortunately he is killed, Rose is heartbroken but Gregory leaves her some money in his will. Edward suffers from shell shock and goes into hospital. He speaks to Richard who comforts him as if he was his own son.

In 1918, just as the War ends, Hazel dies in the infamous worldwide influenza pandemic. Richard later remarries — to a young widow named Mrs. Virginia Hamilton, who has three children. He is elevated to the House of Lords as Viscount Bellamy of Haversham.

Along the way, from 1903 through 1930, there are various and sundry adventures had by all, as many or more by the folk downstairs as upstairs. Georgina and her friends rebel against the depression and hard times of the war in the roaring 20s but her frivolity and merriment are brought to a quick end firstly, by the suicide of a friend who protested he loved her and threatened that, if she wouldn't marry him, he would kill himself — which he does, in the schoolroom at 165 Eaton Place, while a roaring 20s party rages below. Secondly, Georgina accidentally kills a working class man early one morning. He was on his way to work while she had borrowed Richard's car without asking and was going to a further party. Her friends desert her at the inquest, except very rich, but very stupid Dolly and the seeming dull and boring stick-in-the mud Lord Stockbridge, heir to a dukedom, who is a witness in her defence despite his family being against it. He is in love with her and she very quickly falls in love with him. James never settles. When the war ends, he stands for Parliament but is not elected.

As Lord Stockbridge's parents send him on a trip around the world to make sure his love for Georgina is true, James returns, in October 1929, from America — where he has visited Elizabeth and become rich through speculation on Wall Street. Rose allows James to invest the money Gregory left her when he died in the war in stocks and shares. Then the market crashes and he loses everything, plus he had "borrowed a fair bit" that he now cannot repay. James has disgraced his family and taken advantage of a member of staff who trusts him. He becomes depressed and ashamed. He goes to a hotel in Maidenhead and commits suicide.

The final episode, in 1930, finds things looking up at Eaton Place as Georgina is married to Lord Stockbridge. Mr. Hudson and Mrs. Bridges also finally marry, and Mr. and Mrs. Hudson take the uneducated but surprisingly shrewd kitchen maid, Ruby Finch, off to the seaside with them, to run a guest house called "Seaview" (however, you can only see the cliffs from the top bedroom window, over the other houses). When asked about this, Ruby says "They'll not last long and I'll get the guest house". Lord Bellamy has delivered his retirement speech to the House of Lords. He and Lady Bellamy, Virginia, retire to a small villa, keeping Rose Buck in their employ. Young Edward and his wife, Daisy, are elevated to the posts of butler and Head House Parlourmaid in the country household of Marquess and new Marchioness of Stockbridge.

The last scene shows Rose taking a final walk through all of the rooms and memories at 165 Eaton Place, which is up for sale, and likely to be redeveloped into flats. She hears the voices of Lady Marjorie, of Mr Hudson and of many incidents she has witnessed over the years but when she hears the voice of Gregory, she quickly realises that it is time to move on and leaves through the front door.

Upstairs, Downstairs attempted to portray life in a high-status house set against the events of early 20th century. Great events are featured prominently in the episodes but minor or gradual changes are noted as well. It stands as a document of the social and technological changes that occurred between 1903 and 1930. The lives of the servants are integral to the story.

In one episode Hazel notes that although upstairs, they are a family, downstairs they are also a family — Mr Hudson and Mrs Bridges are the mother and father, Rose, the eldest daughter who lost her man at the front, Edward, the son who has married Daisy who stays with the family while he is at war and Ruby, the youngest child who need protecting.

Many books were written based on the stories of Eaton Place.

Upstairs Characters and Cast Members

The Bellamy Family

Recurring Friends of the Upstairs

Downstairs Characters and Cast Members

The Servants

Butler

Cook

  • Mrs. Kate Bridges (Angela Baddeley) (1903-1930) - Angela Baddeley was nominated twice for an Emmy (Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress).

Lady’s Maids

Housemaids

Kitchen Maids

Footmen

Coachmen/Chauffeurs

Nursery Maid

Nanny

Governess

Recurring Friends of the Downstairs

The Writers

The quality of the writing for the series was praised both at the time and by many later critics. The script editor and frequent writer was Alfred Shaughnessy. He was nominated for an Emmy twice, for the episodes "Miss Forrest" and "Another Year". Another frequent writer was the producer, John Hawkesworth. He was nominated for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series for the episode "The Bolter", he also won two Emmys for Outstanding Drama Series. The author Fay Weldon won a Writers' Guild award for Best British TV Series Script of 1971 for the first episode "On Trial", which was possibly the most important episode in the series. Weldon also wrote two other episodes. Most of the episodes in Series 2, 3, 4 and 5 were written by a core group of script writers: Jeremy Paul, Rosemary Anne Sisson, Shaughnessy, and Hawkesworth.

Upstairs, Downstairs won an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series every year it was shown.

Episode list

For more information see the main article at List of Upstairs, Downstairs episodes.

Series One (1971–72)

1. On Trial
2. The Mistress and the Maids
3. Board Wages
4. The Path Of Duty
5. A Suitable Marriage
6. A Cry For Help
7. Magic Casements
8. I Dies from Love
9. Why is Her Door Locked?
10. A Voice from the Past
11. The Swedish Tiger
12. The Key of the Door
13. For Love of Love

Series Two (1972–73)

14. The New Man
15. A Pair Of Exiles
16. Married Love
17. Whom God Hath Joined...
18. Guest of Honour
19. The Property of a Lady
20. Your Obedient Servant
21. Out Of The Everywhere
22. An Object Of Value
23. A Special Mischief
24. The Fruits of Love
25. The Wages of Sin
26. A Family Gathering

Series Three (1973–74)

27. Miss Forrest
28. A House Divided
29. A Change of Scene
30. A Family Secret
31. Rose's Pigeon
32. Desirous of Change
33. Word of Honour
34. The Bolter
35. Goodwill to All Men
36. What the Footman Saw
37. A Perfect Stranger
38. Distant Thunder
39. The Sudden Storm

Series Four (1974)

40. A Patriotic Offering
41. News from the Front
42. The Beastly Hun
43. Women shall not Weep
44. Tug of War
45. Home Fires
46. If You Were the Only Girl in the World
47. The Glorious Dead
48. Another Year
49. The Hero's Farwell
50. Missing Believed Killed
51. Facing Fearful Odds
52. Peace out of Pain

Series Five (1975)

53. On With The Dance
54. A Place in the World
55. Laugh a Little Louder Please
56. The Joy Ride
57. Wanted - A Good Home
58. An Old Flame
59. Disillusion
60. Such A Lovely Man
61. The Nine Days Wonder
62. The Understudy
63. Alberto
64. Will Ye No Come Back Again
65. Joke Over
66. Noblesse Oblige
67. All The King's Horses
68. Wither Shall I Wander?

Thomas and Sarah

In 1979 a spin-off series entitled Thomas and Sarah was made, with John Alderton and Pauline Collins reprising their roles from Upstairs Downstairs. One series of thirteen episodes was produced by LWT.

DVD releases

The complete series was originally released on Region 2 DVD by VCI beginning in 2001. In common with most VCI DVDs there were no extra features. The black and white episodes, although made first, were released last together with the alternative colour version of the pilot, presumably due to public demand. Thomas and Sarah was also released in matching packaging. VCI stopped making copies of the DVDs in 2005 and they are becoming hard to find.

Network Video subsequently acquired the rights to the series and released The Complete First Series on DVD in 2005. This comprised digitally remastered versions of the colour and black and white episodes from series 1 in chronological order. Six of the episodes have newly-recorded audio commentaries by various cast members and writers. The alternative version of the pilot is included as a special feature together with part 1 of a specially-produced documentary.

The episodes on the Network DVDs are complete to the extent of including the original animated LWT logos and commercial bumpers. Some episodes even include as Easter eggs the original countdowns preceding each segment.

So far the first three series are available. Network will be releasing the fourth series in August 2006.

Starting in September 2001, A&E DVD began to release Region 1 season sets of the programme in the USA. In 2003 they released Thomas and Sarah as well. In October of 2005 A&E released the complete series as well as the spin-off series Thomas and Sarah for $69.

The first three seasons are available in Spain, and the very early episodes can be purchased in Portugal, the Netherlands, and Italy.

Influence

The BBC series The Duchess of Duke Street is widely seen as the BBC's answer to Upstairs, Downstairs, not least because some of the same producers and writers worked on it, and it also has a theme tune by Faris. The 1990 BBC sitcom You Rang, M'Lord? also featured a similar situation. In the early 1990s, Marsh and Atkins created another successful period drama, The House of Eliott, for the BBC. In 1975 an American version, entitled Beacon Hill, debuted but due to low ratings it was soon cancelled, running for just thirteen episodes. More recently the feature film Gosford Park, written by Julian Fellowes was compared to Upstairs, Downstairs.

See also

External links

Upstairs, Downstairs | Drama television series | ITV television programmes | UKTV programmes | Period piece TV series | PBS Masterpiece Theater

Das Haus am Eaton Place | Maîtres et valets | Herrskap och tjänstefolk

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Upstairs, Downstairs".

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