"Upstairs, Downstairs" (1971) TV series 1971-1975

Directors:

Bill Bain
Derek Bennett
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

6 January 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The series follows the lives of both the family and the servants in the London townhouse at 165 Eaton Place...

Plot Keywords:

Butler | Kitchen | Class System | Chambermaid | Working Class

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 11 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Gordon Jackson	...	Hudson (60 episodes, 1971-1975)
David Langton	...	Richard Bellamy (56 episodes, 1971-1975)
Jean Marsh	...	Rose (54 episodes, 1971-1975)
Angela Baddeley	...	Mrs. Bridges (53 episodes, 1971-1975)
Christopher Beeny	...	Edward (46 episodes, 1971-1975)
Jenny Tomasin	...	Ruby (41 episodes, 1972-1975)
Simon Williams	...	James Bellamy (37 episodes, 1971-1975)
Jacqueline Tong	...	Daisy Peel (32 episodes, 1973-1975)

Series Directed by
Bill Bain		(16 episodes, 1972-1975)
Christopher Hodson		(14 episodes, 1972-1975)
Raymond Menmuir		(12 episodes, 1971-1974)
Derek Bennett		(11 episodes, 1971-1975)
Cyril Coke		(5 episodes, 1972-1975)
Joan Kemp-Welch		(3 episodes, 1971-1972)
Brian Parker		(2 episodes, 1972)
Simon Langton		(2 episodes, 1975)

Series Writing credits
Alfred Shaughnessy		(16 episodes, 1971-1975)
Jeremy Paul		(14 episodes, 1971-1975)
John Hawkesworth		(12 episodes, 1972-1975)
Rosemary Anne Sisson		(11 episodes, 1972-1975)
Fay Weldon		(3 episodes, 1971-1973)
Charlotte Bingham		(3 episodes, 1971-1972)
Terence Brady		(3 episodes, 1971-1972)
Anthony Skene		(3 episodes, 1972-1973)
John Harrison		(2 episodes, 1971-1972)

Series Produced by
Rex Firkin	....	executive producer (66 episodes, 1971-1975)
John Hawkesworth	....	producer (66 episodes, 1971-1975)

Series Original Music by
Alexander Faris		(66 episodes, 1971-1975)

Series Film Editing by
Geoff Beames		(13 episodes, 1971-1972)

Series Casting by
Martin Case		(66 episodes, 1971-1975)

Series Production Design by
John Clements		(33 episodes, 1971-1975)
John Emery		(14 episodes, 1974-1975)
Roger Hall		(13 episodes, 1973-1975)
Rodney Cammish		(2 episodes, 1975)

Series Makeup Department
Wendy Liley	....	makeup supervisor (66 episodes, 1971-1975)

Series Art Department
Terry Griffiths	....	graphics (65 episodes, 1971-1975)

Series Sound Department
Paul Faraday	....	sound supervisor (65 episodes, 1971-1975)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Trevor Saunders	....	lighting director (66 episodes, 1971-1975)
Bert Wilkins	....	lighting director (66 episodes, 1971-1975)

Series Music Department
Alexander Faris	....	music theme (1 episode, 1972)

Series Other crew
Eileen Atkins	....	associate series creator (66 episodes, 1971-1975)
Anne Clements	....	secretary to producer (66 episodes, 1971-1975)
Jean Marsh	....	associate series creator (66 episodes, 1971-1975)
Vicki Miller	....	production assistant (66 episodes, 1971-1975)
Nicholas Prosser	....	stage manager (66 episodes, 1971-1975)
Lee Rowe	....	stage manager (66 episodes, 1971-1975)
Alfred Shaughnessy	....	script editor (66 episodes, 1971-1975)
Valerie Unwin	....	production assistant (66 episodes, 1971-1975)
Ken Ward	....	stage manager (66 episodes, 1971-1975)

Production Companies

• London Weekend Television (LWT)

Distributors

• Acorn Media Group (2011) (USA) (DVD) (complete series)
• Daily Mail Newspapers (2011) (UK) (DVD) (series 1)
• Future Film (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Independent Television (ITV)
• London Weekend Television (LWT)
• Mail on Sunday Newspapers (2011) (UK) (DVD) (episodes 1.3 and 1.4)
• Masterpiece Theatre
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

Other Companies

• Punch  title drawings from
• Sagitta Productions Ltd.  series created by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

Sweden:50 min | UK:60 min (68 episodes) | USA:60 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M (some episodes) | Australia:PG (some episodes) | Portugal:M/6 (DVD rating) | Singapore:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-18 (2007) (DVD) (self applied) | New Zealand:PG (season 1)

Filming Locations:

65 Eaton Place, Belgravia, London, England, UK

Company:

London Weekend Television (LWT)

Trivia:

Coincidentally, Jean Marsh (Rose Buck), Simon Williams (James Bellamy) and Jenny Tomasin (Ruby Finch) all made guest appearances in "Doctor Who" (1963) in serials featuring the Daleks.

Goofs:

Continuity: Hamish and Dorothy Matthews' names are spelt Mathews in the credits of episode 3.11 and Matthews in episode 4.6

Quotes:

Edward Barnes, footman:Arabella? That's a COW'S name!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Peter's Friends (1992)

The Perfect Time Machine

Probably the best TV series ever! For someone Anglophile like me it is the perfect time machine to enter a typical household of the Victorian/Edwardian era. Although it shows an "upper class" household, the focus is on the "downstairs" personnel. The problems and stories of the kitchen maidens, footmen etc are much more colorful and sympathetic than the actions of "her ladyship" and Lord Bellamy upstairs. Nevertheless absolutely all characters are designed thoroughly, sympathetic and authentic. Furthermore this series shows a sort of real "theater" which has left TV long time ago and will never appear again! Long close-ups which show the affection of every actor, long dialogs with full sentences and - long pauses between them to enable the actors and the viewer to reflect everything. In addition the fine set design, the costumes, the "funny stuff" around, for example an early - hand-crafted! - vacuum-cleaner! Another extraordinary fact is the combination of fictional characters with real history: Everything finds its way into the story, the death of Queen Victoria, the Titanic Disaster, WW I, the Spanish Influenza, Wall Street and so on. A period of nearly 30 years is described, and with the last episode you are crying, just because you wish to know how everything will continue... But, that was a lack of this absolutely brilliant series: The main characters hardly age during the decades! Butler Hudson and cook Mrs. Bridges for example are already "old people" in the first episode, playing 1901. In the last episode - 1929 - they have not changed in any way, they even plan to "start a new life", running a small guest-house. After having seen it in German TV, where several episodes are not shown, I bought the complete DVD edition and can only recommend this to everyone!