Upstairs Downstairs (2010– )

A new family and their servants live at the London townhouse at 165 Eaton Place in 1936.

Creator:

Heidi Thomas

Stars:

Keeley Hawes, Ed Stoppard, Adrian Scarborough

Nominated for 6 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Keeley Hawes	...	Lady Agnes Holland (9 episodes, 2010-2012)
Ed Stoppard	...	Sir Hallam Holland (9 episodes, 2010-2012)
Adrian Scarborough	...	Mr. Warwick Pritchard (9 episodes, 2010-2012)
Neil Jackson	...	Harry Spargo (9 episodes, 2010-2012)
Anne Reid	...	Mrs. Clarice Thackeray (9 episodes, 2010-2012)
Claire Foy	...	Lady Persephone Towyn (9 episodes, 2010-2012)
Art Malik	...	Mr. Amanjit Singh (9 episodes, 2010-2012)
Blake Ritson	...	The Duke of Kent (8 episodes, 2010-2012)
Nico Mirallegro	...	Johnny Proude (7 episodes, 2010-2012)
Laura Haddock	...	Beryl Ballard (6 episodes, 2012)
Ami Metcalf	...	Eunice McCabe (6 episodes, 2012)
Jean Marsh	...	Mrs. Rose Buck (5 episodes, 2010-2012)
Alex Kingston	...	Dr. Blanche Mottershead (5 episodes, 2012)
Ken Bones	...	Lord Halifax (4 episodes, 2012)
Sarah Gordy	...	Pamela Holland (4 episodes, 2010-2012)
Alexia James	...	Lotte Perlmutter (4 episodes, 2010-2012)

Storyline

In 1936, Sir Hallam Holland and his pretty young wife Lady Agnes return from a diplomatic posting abroad and take up residence at 165 Eaton Place, formerly the home of the Bellamy family but vacant for several years. By chance, they ask Rose Buck, herself a long-time servant in the Bellamy household, to find them a suitable staff. In the end, Rose herself joins them as the Housekeeper. The 1930s are a difficult time in England. The Depression has taken its toll with high levels of unemployment. Fascism, which has become popular on the Continent in Italy and Germany, is also finding followers in the UK with Oswald Mosely's British Union of Fascists. As the new staff begin their daily work, the downstairs family begins to take shape.

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Plot Keywords:

upstairs downstairs

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Also Known As:

Arriba y abajo

Filming Locations:

35 Clarendon Square, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Cymru Wales, Masterpiece

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bird motifs are used throughout the 2010 series in the costumes, paintings decorating the sets, and on china and wallpaper patterns, to echo the bird theme employed in the three episode titles: "The Fledgling", "The Ladybird" and "The Cuckoo".

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Connections

Featured in Breakfast: Episode dated 22 December 2010 (2010)

User Reviews

Could have been so much better

I was hesitant at first to watch the new Upstairs Downstairs, knowing that it would be impossible to equal the quality production that was the original series. However, with the paucity of decent shows at present (and the fact that Downton Abbey had finished for the time being) I decided to give it a try with as little prejudice as possible, determined not to make comparisons.

Impossible of course. Although this new series is entertaining TV, pretty on the eye, fast moving (not something all that necessary in a show such as this) and relatively well cast, it just is not in the league of its predecessor, or its current "competition" Downton Abbey.

I found it hard to relate to most of the characters, of which there are way too many for comfort. Although the production falls short of using modern language, it certainly has an unsuitable modern way of depicting an era where royalty was revered, where shortcomings were either hidden or not mentioned. Instead we get a "boots and all" depiction of a class of people who would have never related to their servants the way they are shown to do and of servants who would never have behaved the way we are led to believe they might have done. Maybe if all the drama had been stretched out over a long series it would have been believable, instead of being thrown at us will nilly, one thing after the other in each and every episode.

Taken only for entertainment value, this is a watchable soap opera set a century ago - but, as the quality production it is presented as, it falls down on the job.

Oh for Mr Hudson!