# Upstairs, Downstairs (1971)

> Upstairs, Downstairs follows the aristocratic Bellamy family and their servants sharing a London townhouse across nearly three decades of social and political change.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/462

## Facts

- Seasons: 5
- Episodes: 68
- Episode runtime: 50 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama
- Created by: John Hawkesworth, Eileen Atkins, Jean Marsh
- Network: ITV1
- Cast: Gordon Jackson, Jean Marsh, Angela Baddeley, David Langton, Simon Williams, Jacqueline Tong, Julia Sutton, Clive Morton
- TMDB rating: 8.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066722/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: warm, witty, nostalgic, sociable

## What critics say

Critics broadly admired its ensemble cast, period detail and warm, socially observant writing, while noting that its later seasons lost some of its early sharpness.

## Synopsis

Upstairs, Downstairs (1971-1975) is a British period drama series created by John Hawkesworth, Eileen Atkins and Jean Marsh for ITV1. Set in 1900s London, the story centers on the wealthy Bellamy family living upstairs at 165 Eaton Place in fashionable Belgravia and the loyal, lively servants who run their household downstairs. Jean Marsh anchors the staff side and Gordon Jackson plays the butler Angus Hudson, while David Langton and Simon Williams play the Bellamy men, and Angela Baddeley plays cook Mrs. Bridges. Each episode builds from everyday domestic friction, romances, scandals and small rivalries between floors, and the series spans nearly thirty years of social change, political upheaval and the horrors of the First World War. Its tone is warm and sociable, with wit and a sense of loyalty running beneath the rigid hierarchy of master and servant. Viewers who enjoy Downton Abbey, The Forsyte Saga and Gosford Park will find a similar appeal in its British household drama, class tensions and ensemble of intertwined lives.

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