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

In August 2011, it was announced that Eileen Atkins (Lady Maud Holland) had decided not to appear in the next series because she was unhappy with the direction the new scripts were taking.

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Connections

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

User Reviews

One of the best British TV series I have ever seen - full series please

It was with much trepidation that I watched this series on BBC over the Christmas break, I was sure that it was going to be a major disappointment as a remake of the classic 1970s TV series. However I am glad to say that I was very wrong.

Rather than a remake, this is a continuation of the story of 165 Eaton Place in Belgravia, the scene of the original series.

Jean Marsh, who appeared in and co-created the original series, returns as Rose Buck, and helps the new tenants assemble a new retinue of housekeeping staff.

The new series is set in the late 1930s and to add to the trials and tribulations of the new servants, we see initial interest in British fascism and the ensuing riots, Jewish fugitives from Germany and evidence of aristocratic flirtations with Nazi Germany.

The three episodes were very poignant and involving and included much humour also. The entire cast were uniformly excellent and I can only hope that the episodes were successful enough to result in a full blown series.