Upstairs, Downstairs - Collectors
Edition Megaset (The Complete
Series plus Thomas and Sarah)
starring John Alderton, Pauline
Collins, Pam St. Clement, Graham
Cull, Maria Charles
A Great Series
This seminal British television series is just as enjoyable now as when it
first aired in the early 1970s. Richard (David Langton), Lady Marjorie
(Rachel Gurney), and their son James (Simon Williams) comprise the
aristocratic Bellamy family that reside upstairs while their loyal servants--
including butler Hudson (Gordon Jackson), cook Mrs. Bridges (Angela
Baddeley), and housemaid Rose (Jean Marsh)--maintain the household
from downstairs. The series follows the upper-class familys troubles as

times change and the ongoing lives of their resilient staff. Upstairs
Downstairs: The Complete Series contains 68 episodes on 20 DVDs, as
well as the series retrospective Upstairs Downstairs Remembered: the
25th Anniversary Special. Initially set in 1904, the first season comprises
13 episodes, 5 of which are 5 black-and-white episodes not aired during
the first season of the original U.S. broadcast. The second seasons 13
episodes cover various relationship problems and an appearance of King
Edward VII. The third seasons 13 episodes follow the London household
through the prewar years (1912-1914). Outstanding cast performances
and the dramatic backdrop of the Great War give the fourth season, set in
1914 to 1918, its reputation as the best of the five. Due to limited filming
budgets, the war is largely seen through home-front activities. The 16
episodes of the fifth and final season cover the swinging 20s to the stock
market crash (1919-30). The episodes of the fifth season are more self-
contained than other seasons and every bit as entertaining. The series
ends with Rose locking up the empty house, closing the door on one of
TVs most popular and acclaimed shows. Whether you first met the
Bellamys and their delightfully enjoyable downstairs entourage in the
1970s or are just getting to know them now, the superb acting and
compelling character development will always be the real reason to watch
Upstairs Downstairs. --Tara Chace Also included in the Collectors Edition
Megaset is the spinoff series Thomas and Sarah, in which two of Upstairs
Downstairs most colorful characters were given a series of their own:
Thomas the chauffer (John Alderton, Calendar Girls) and Sarah the parlor
maid (Pauline Collins, Shirley Valentine). The series charted the social and
financial escapades of this dubious pair, who lived together without getting
married and were as comfortable with con artistry as lawful employment.
The tone and quality of these 13 episodes varies from social commentary
to light adventure, but at its best Thomas and Sarah could match its
illustrious forebear. The first episode starts things off on a smart, satirical
note: Thomas disturbs Sarahs carefully fabricated new identity when, to
woo her back into his arms, he concocts a new persona of his own. But its
a handful of later episodes that are truly remarkable. In one, Sarah tells
Thomas that shes pregnant to forestall his dream of emigrating to America.
When he learns that shes lied to him, he enacts a vicious revenge;
Aldertons performance is both convincing and frightening. In another,
success in the stock market leads Thomas and Sarah to hire servants of
their own--with decidedly uncomfortable results (Nigel Hawthorne, The
Madness of King George, appears as a stern and rigid butler). The
exploration of class is clever, subtle, and insightful. A second season was
never produced due to a strike, but this single season remains a
fascinating portrait of the Edwardian era, sparkling with superb acting and
writing. Collins and Alderton create two engaging, contradictory, and utterly
vivid characters, worthy of your time. --Bret Fetzer
Personal Review: Upstairs, Downstairs - Collectors Edition
Megaset (The Complete Series plus Thomas and Sarah) starring

John Alderton, Pauline Collins, Pam St. Clement, Graham Cull,
Maria Charles
I saw this series probably about 30 years ago when I was a child. It is truly
unforgettable, even though I didn't remember much about the details of the
story I did so about some of the characters and some important events in
the series. So as soon as I found here I decided to buy it and to see it once
again. I was not going to be bother by the reviews about the sound quality
and picture probably coming from I suspect modern viewers accustomed
to HD definition, Stereo sound and Surround systems I can understand
their point of view perfectly. The series after all was made in the early
seventies, in fact some episodes are in black and white, some others have
not a very good sound, and you hear sort of a buzzing in the back. Mind
you, once you start watching this series you will forget all about the little
flaws and will not know what day of the week or what time it is anymore
because it is so entertaining you will spend the whole weekend trying to
find out what happens next. There are perhaps few episodes you may find
slow or not as great as the rest. But overall this series has everything to
keep you engaged and interested for as long as it is one more episode to
watch. At one point or another you almost feel as part of the cast, which is
superb, they are real actors in a time when a scene was 20 minutes
straight and they took a couple of takes, they had to memorize every word
and breath on the page and rehearse previous filming. It is definitely one
of the best BBC productions ever made. I don't think this beautiful series
can be done again in spite all the advances we may have with sound,
picture quality and special effects.
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