Upstairs, Downstairs

I love a good period drama, and Upstairs, Downstairs is that and more. Everything about it is wonderful, and it is also very classy and a delight to watch. The series looks sumptuous; the photography is marvellous while the locations, scenery and costumes are a delight to the eyes. The music is beautifully composed, the pace is warm and lively without being too rushed or draggy and the direction is always controlled. There is also the fabulous writing, the engrossing stories and the rich characters and their development. And the acting is great across the board, I personally do not think there is a weak link in the cast. All in all, this is a wonderful series and worth looking out for. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Having first watched this series as a mere boy of 10 years in the early 70's, it is indeed a pleasure to see it being repeated on UK cable TV as I write.

To me, it has lost none of it's charm and appeal, particularly the richness of characters, characters which were allowed to develop fully over the period it was screened.

If you haven't seen this, make an effort to do so - it was and is one of the most beautifully written and acted British drama series to grace the screen.

I have just bought the whole 5 series on DVD and am currently watching them all, especially the first two series which i never saw on their first showing. The series has not dated and is just as powerful as when it was first shown. Pauline Collins was a revelation as the sassy housemaid. I had only ever seen her before in the strange sitcom 'No Honestly,' in which she again co starred with real life husband John Alderton. They also starred in 'Thomas and Sarah' and the environmentally aware series 'Forever Green.'

I first viewed this series in the 1970's on PBS and have taken up the habit again. It is just so entertaining and classy that I can't shake my addiction to this wonderful period drama. Sadly, most of the actors have passed, only the younger ones are still alive. But that doesn't reduce the rich legacy of the whole cast. During the five seasons of this series, viewers witness the evolution of an aristocratic London family from 1901 to the early 1930's.

We journey with the family upstairs and their downstairs staff through many of the pivotal events of the era: the Titanic disaster, the Great War, the clash between labour and wealth, the market crash and depression. Not all the episodes are riveting but most of them kept this viewer transfixed to the screen. Lord and Lady Bellamy, performed by David Langton and Rachel Gurney, are the main characters upstairs as the series begins. Richard Bellamy is a Member of Parliament; Lady Marjorie, who comes from the landed gentry, oversees the staff with grace and a strict code of behaviour. She has her society friends and Lord Bellamy comes in touch with the leading figures of the day, from Lloyd George to Churchill. We even watch the family welcome Edward VII, the King of England, whose visit is punctuated by a servant giving birth.

Downstairs is dominated by the butler Angus Hudson, performed by Gordon Jackson, as an upright, no-nonsense Scot who runs the household with admirable efficiency and strict discipline. Angela Baddeley is the cook, a true perfectionist in the kitchen who tolerates no insubordination. If things go wrong, she can become unhinged until Hudson steps in to calm her down. Jean Marsh, who conceived the series with Eileen Atkins, is the head parlourmaid, Rose. Rose typifies many of the changes going on in her world and manages to be a friend and confidante to characters upstairs and down. Atkins never did appear...more the pity, but with the rest of this stellar cast, the series always sparkled anyway.

The cast changes as time passes and some remain to the end. Some characters with minor roles rise in prominence and more prominent ones disappear or recede. In this respect, it resembles family life in any era. The audience feels like a fly on the wall over the period as we see the intimate details of the lives of characters upstairs and down amid the changing face of British society. When the series ends, we feel the loss of the characters but with a great sense of satisfaction for knowing them and the world in which they lived.

No other television drama made in any country has equaled or surpassed this one in quality from the beginning to the end of the series. Interesting and relevant themes, historical background, outstanding writing, plots, characters, sets, direction, acting, photography, editing - every aspect is executed brilliantly and and so well that you don't even notice them. And yet it's more than just the sum of those elements - it's a complete package that is compelling and unforgettable. What else can you say? This is a milestone in television production. If you haven't seen it, you're missing a major event in television history. Get the entire series, and watch all 68 episodes, in order. You will never forget this show.