Upstairs, Downstairs is a British drama television series produced by London Weekend Television (LWT) for ITV. It ran for 68 episodes divided into five series on ITV from 1971 to 1975.

Set in a large townhouse at 165 Eaton Place in Belgravia in central London, the series depicts the servants—"downstairs"—and their masters, the family—"upstairs"—between 1903 and 1930, and shows the slow decline of the British aristocracy. Great events feature prominently in each episode but minor or gradual changes are also noted. The show may be regarded as a fictional view of the social and technological changes that occurred during those 27 years, including the Edwardian period, women's suffrage, the First World War, the Roaring Twenties, and the Wall Street crash. It was a ratings success for ITV and received outstanding acclaim worldwide, winning multiple awards.

The BBC Wales and Masterpiece-produced continuation Upstairs Downstairs was broadcast by BBC One in 2010.

Background Upstairs, Downstairs was originally an idea by two actress friends, Jean Marsh and Eileen Atkins, for a comedy titled Behind the Green Baize Door. It focused on two housemaids, played by Marsh and Atkins, in a large English country house in the Victorian era. They soon added a family upstairs, as Marsh recognised "Servants have to serve somebody". In summer 1969, they took this idea to Sagitta Productions, which was run by John Hawkesworth and John Whitney. They soon removed the comedy element, changed the setting to a large townhouse in Edwardian London and the title became Below Stairs. It was first offered to Granada Television in Manchester, but it declined as it already had a period drama, titled A Family at War, about to start. However, Stella Richman, the controller of Programmes at London Weekend Television, saw potential, and in April 1970, the first series was commissioned.

Characters were then developed, but when Alfred Shaughnessy, an old friend of John Hawkesworth, was called in as script editor, he changed much of the detail to make the characters more realistic. Honor Blackman was short-listed for the role of Lady Marjorie and George Cole for that of the butler, Hudson. Jean Marsh was already slated to take the part of Rose Buck, the head house parlourmaid. Eileen Atkins was scheduled to play the other maid, Sarah Moffat, opposite Jean Marsh's Rose, but was playing Elizabeth I in Vivat! Vivat Regina! at the time, so Pauline Collins took the role. Gordon Jackson was offered the role of Hudson after it was decided that Londoner George Cole was not suitable to play a Scotsman. The programme took many names, including Two Little Maids in Town, The Servants' Hall and That House in Eaton Square. It was titled 165 Eaton Place until just before the production of the first episode when it was changed to Upstairs, Downstairs, following a suggestion from John Hawkesworth.

Despite having a champion in Stella Richman, the show suffered from internal politics at the station, most notably from the sales department who could not see the attraction of a period drama, and the programme's videotapes spent nearly a year in storage awaiting a transmission date. Eventually the network had a space in its schedule at the unfashionable time of Sunday nights at 10:15 and called upon LWT to fill it. It chose Upstairs, Downstairs, and with no promotion of the show, there was little expectation of success. However, audiences steadily grew, and the series became a hit. In the United States, Upstairs, Downstairs was aired as part of PBS' Masterpiece Theatre.

Cast and characters

Plot

The stories depict the lives of the wealthy Bellamy family ("upstairs"), who reside at 165 Eaton Place in London's fashionable Belgravia, and their servants ("downstairs").

The series opens in 1903 London. Lady Marjorie Bellamy (née Talbot-Carey), the daughter of the Earl and Countess of Southwold, and her husband Richard Bellamy MP, a country parson's son, reside at 165 Eaton Place, one of several properties Lord Southwold owns. Several plots revolve around Richard's political ambitions and conflicts arising from his ethical beliefs and allegiance to his father-in-law's politically conservative Tory party.

Richard and Lady Marjorie Bellamy have two grown children, James, who is in his early 20s, and Elizabeth, who is in her late teens. In 1912, James's wife Hazel becomes the mistress of the house following Lady Marjorie's death. In 1913, Richard's ward, Georgina, comes to live at 165 Eaton Place.

The original servants are the authoritarian butler Mr. Angus Hudson, cook Mrs. Kate Bridges, pragmatic head house parlour maid, Rose Buck, sweet Irish kitchen maid Emily, eccentric footman Alfred, mischievous under-house parlour maid Sarah, coachman Pearce, and Lady Marjorie's lady's maid Maude Roberts. Over the years they are joined by Edward, a cheeky footman who later becomes a chauffeur; Daisy, the parlour maid who eventually marries Edward; Thomas Watkins, the devious chauffeur who dallies with Sarah's affections; and Ruby, the slow-witted kitchen maid.

In the episode "Another Year" from series 4, Hazel Bellamy notes that two families live in the house, one upstairs and also the other downstairs: Mr Hudson and Mrs Bridges are the father and mother; Rose, the eldest daughter; their son Edward and daughter-in-law Daisy; and Ruby, the youngest child.

Series One (set 1903–1908) The first and second series span the period 1903 to 1910, during the reign of Edward VII. In 1903, Sarah Moffat applies to be under-house-parlour maid for the Bellamy family, pretending to be of French parentage but soon revealed to be illiterate, English, and with no work history. Later in the year, Lady Marjorie poses for bohemian artist Mr Scone (which he pronounces "skoon"), who over the same period paints an intimate portrait of Sarah and (an imagined) Rose, the Bellamy's head house maid; he exhibits both paintings juxtaposed at the Royal Academy. Fearing a scandal, Bellamy threatens to sack the two maids but is dissuaded by Scone. Later, the Bellamys holiday in Scotland. With Mr Hudson also absent, the servants carouse drunkenly through the house only to be caught by the Bellamy son James, who promises not to disclose their misbehaviour. James and Sarah later have an affair that results in Sarah's pregnancy. James is banished to India, while Sarah is sent to the Southwold estate for the duration of her pregnancy.

Around 1905, daughter Elizabeth returns from Germany and prepares to be presented to the King and the Queen Consort at a social event. Her rebellious, headstrong nature causes her to flee the event. She later talks with servant Rose, who lectures her about the importance of duty and how it applies to the entire household.

Elizabeth soon falls in love with German Baron Klaus von Rimmer, unaware that he is gay and is using her in a scheme to obtain naval secrets from her father. Rose catches him having sex with Alfred, the footman, and he flees Eaton Place before the police arrive to arrest them. To spare Elizabeth the real reason for his departure, she is told that he is a spy. Alfred is replaced by Edward Barnes, a young and naive footman whose fun-loving and immature nature initially annoys Mr Hudson.

In the summer of 1906, Lady Marjorie has brief affair with her son James's friend, Captain Charles Hammond. While Lady Bellamy and Rose are away in the country, a new under-house-parlour maid, Mary Stokes, arrives. She is pregnant, having been raped by Myles Radford, the son of a powerful politician and a Bellamy family friend. Richard Bellamy attempts to help Mary, but the Radfords refuse to take responsibility and the legal system proves ineffective. Mary quits, but departs with a small gift of money from some of the servants.

The following year, 1907, Mrs Van Groeben arrives from South Africa. Housemaid Emily falls passionately in love with Mrs Van Groeben's footman, William. Mrs Van Groeben learns of the affair, and, considering Emily beneath William, forbids him to see her. William drops Emily when he learns of his mistress's disapproval, suggesting he never really cared about her. Emily takes her own life. Mrs Bridges, distraught with remorse over Emily's death, steals a baby from its pram outside a shop and hides it in her room. The baby is returned to its parents by Richard and Lady Marjorie, and Mrs Bridges only escapes a jail sentence after Hudson agrees to marry her once they are no longer in service. The scullery maid position is first filled by Doris, then by Nellie, and finally by Ruby, who is rather slow and is frequently scolded by Mrs Bridges.

In 1908, daughter Elizabeth Bellamy marries Lawrence Kirbridge, a young poet.

Series Two (set 1908–1910) Somewhat indifferent to his new responsibilities as a householder, Lawrence also avoids marital relations with Elizabeth, claiming he prefers her to be pure and muse-like, leaving their marriage unconsummated. Elizabeth has a brief affair with Lawrence's publisher, which Lawrence facilitates. Elizabeth becoming pregnant, giving birth to a daughter, Lucy Elizabeth. Elizabeth joins militant suffragettes who attack the home of a prominent politician, resulting in her being arrested. A wealthy Armenian, Julius Karekin, bails her out. They become romantically involved, and he buys a hat shop for her to manage. Karekin is more interested in buying his way into British society than Elizabeth's affections. He buys the lease of 165 Eaton Place after the Bellamys are forced to sell after Lady Marjorie's father dies 1909. He offers the lease to Elizabeth who then gives it to her parents. Richard and Lady Marjorie are now morally in Karekin's debt.

A pregnant Sarah returns to Eaton Place the night the Bellamys host the king for dinner; Sarah goes into labour, but the baby, a son, is stillborn. James eventually returns from India just before his mother's birthday on 6 May 1910 (which coincides with the death of King Edward VII). He brings his brash and gushing fiancée, Phyllis, the daughter of an army veterinarian. James eventually breaks off the engagement, however, realising that Phyllis is wrong for him.

Elizabeth moves to America in 1910 after splitting from Karekin and divorcing Kirbridge. She later married a man named Dana. Sarah falls in love with chauffeur, Thomas Watkins, who previously worked as Lawrence Kirbridge's valet. Sarah becomes pregnant again and will be dismissed. Thomas offers to marry her, though no one knows it is actually his child. To avoid any scandal, Lord Bellamy arranges for them to leave service and start their own business. While in the Upstairs, Downstairs episode "A Family Gathering" it is stated that Thomas and Sarah were married; this fact is disregarded in the spin-off series Thomas & Sarah.

In episode 9, "An Object of Value", veteran British actress Cathleen Nesbitt appears as Lady Southwold, Lady Marjorie's mother. At the end of the second season, actresses Rachel Gurney (as Lady Marjorie) and Nicola Pagett (as Elizabeth) permanently left the series, but Gurney appeared briefly in the premiere episode of the third season ("Miss Forrest"). Pagett's character of Elizabeth never was seen again but was mentioned throughout the remainder of the series. Actresses Meg Wynn Owen as Hazel Forrest Bellamy, James's wife; and Lesley-Anne Down as Georgina Worsley, Richard's ward and James's cousin became the major female upstairs characters.

Series Three (set 1912–1914)