# The Duchess of Upstairs Downstairs, Revisited **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 17, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141 "2012-02-17T15:44:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141/1 "2012-02-17T15:44:29Z")
Not to hijack the _Downton Abbey_ thread, I wanted to get out grandmother’s tea set, break out the digestive biscuits and talk about some of the older British series. I have all three above-mentioned on DVD (_Upstairs Downstairs_, 1971-75; _The Duchess of Duke Street_, 1976-77; and _Brideshead Revisited_, 1981) and rewatch them regularly–_Brideshead_, just this past month. I am enjoying _Downton_, but I just don’t think the writing and the acting are quite up to the Old Standards. Any other 1960s-80s British miniseries fans out there? Louisa Trotter and Lady Marjorie and Sebastian groupies? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141/2 "2012-02-17T16:18:25Z")
Another good one – _[The House of Elliot](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_elliot)_, about two sisters who become fashion designers in '20s London. Some stunning costumes in that. Warning: it ends \*very \*abruptly – apparently there was a major set fire a few episodes before the end of the third season, and since they hadn’t been renewed, they just … stopped … with a couple of big plot points dangling. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141/3 "2012-02-17T16:34:44Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Another good one – _[The House of Elliot](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_elliot)_. Oh, that \*was \*enjoyable, I had forgotten about that one. Also, _Flickers_, with the great Bob Hoskins and Frances de la Tour, about the British film business in the 1910s. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141/4 "2012-02-17T16:56:33Z")
I watched all of these back in the day, except Brideshead Revisited. I enjoyed them all immensely, as I enjoy Downton Abbey. But nothing - NOTHING - can top Upstairs, Downstairs. Downton Abbey is to U.D. as a Dove bar is to a 5 lb. box of Godiva chocolates. Even my husband watched it with me, and he never watched anything on TV except football. He was SO upset when (a major character) committed suicide near the end, and we were both in tears when we watched the very last episode, with Rose going through the empty house… Not the same era, but anyone ever watch Poldark on PBS? (That was an entrancing show, a rich man-poor man historical soap set in the 1700’s, full of beautiful people. And a big BIG country house.) Poldark seems to have just disappeared from public consciousness, never mentioned, and it was really special. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141/5 "2012-02-17T17:02:01Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Another good one – _[The House of Elliot](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_elliot)_, about two sisters who become fashion designers in '20s London. Some stunning costumes in that. > > Warning: it ends \*very \*abruptly – apparently there was a major set fire a few episodes before the end of the third season, and since they hadn’t been renewed, they just … stopped … with a couple of big plot points dangling. Really?! I loved those ornate costumes. Imagine them making a living, turning out endless lacey/sequined/bugle-beaded gowns for the society dowagers to wear at their endless social occasions. A new dress for every occasion! How very One Percent-ish, sparing no expense. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141/6 "2012-02-17T17:15:22Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > I watched all of these back in the day, except Brideshead Revisited. I enjoyed them all immensely, as I enjoy Downton Abbey. But nothing - NOTHING - can top Upstairs, Downstairs. Downton Abbey is to U.D. as a Dove bar is to a 5 lb. box of Godiva chocolates. Even my husband watched it with me, and he never watched anything on TV except football. He was SO upset when (a major character) committed suicide near the end, and we were both in tears when we watched the very last episode, with Rose going through the empty house… > > Not the same era, but anyone ever watch Poldark on PBS? (That was an entrancing show, a rich man-poor man historical soap set in the 1700’s, full of beautiful people. And a big BIG country house.) Poldark seems to have just disappeared from public consciousness, never mentioned, and it was really special. I saw that back in the day, though I remember the books better (though I’d never have read the books if not for the show, natch). Just went looking for some old images of the show. Wow, they had really '70s hair. I always thought the name Demelza was kind of cool. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141/7 "2012-02-17T17:21:03Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > NOTHING - can top Upstairs, Downstairs. S’trewth, it \*is \*the gold standard. They got the hair and (lack of) makeup and the clothes just right–the only thing wrong was that the actresses all had early-'70s meth-whore skinny eyebrows. I guess period eyebrow merkins were not in the budget. One of my favorite minor characters on \*U/D \*was the great Lady Pru, played by Joan Benham–I wished that \*she \*had been Richard’s second wife, and not that rather middle-class Virginia Hamilton. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141/8 "2012-02-17T17:30:43Z")
**Bulletin:** Coming to PBS this March–[The Story of the Costume Drama; The Greatest Stories Ever Told.](http://www.britscene.com/2012/02/learn-about-history-of-costume-drama-march-on-pbs/31850) > [@salinqmind](#): > > I watched all of these back in the day, except Brideshead Revisited. I enjoyed them all immensely, as I enjoy Downton Abbey. But nothing - NOTHING - can top Upstairs, Downstairs. Downton Abbey is to U.D. as a Dove bar is to a 5 lb. box of Godiva chocolates. Even my husband watched it with me, and he never watched anything on TV except football. He was SO upset when (a major character) committed suicide near the end, and we were both in tears when we watched the very last episode, with Rose going through the empty house… > > Not the same era, but anyone ever watch Poldark on PBS? (That was an entrancing show, a rich man-poor man historical soap set in the 1700’s, full of beautiful people. And a big BIG country house.) Poldark seems to have just disappeared from public consciousness, never mentioned, and it was really special. I never saw _Poldark_, but it’s currently streaming on Netflix. As is _Bramwell_–about a female physician in Victorian England. Netflix Streamers I’ve seen include _Wives & Daughters_–with Francesca Annis as the stepmother & Iain Glenn as a cad & bounder. A younger Ms Annis plays _Lillie_–Lillie Langtry in Mauve Decade London (& later). Only the first series of _Upstairs/Downstairs_ is streaming but I remember the original with pleasure. You really got to know those people over the years… And\* Brideshead Revisited\* might be worth buying–it’s a camp masterpiece. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141/9 "2012-02-17T17:36:05Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > **Bulletin:** Coming to PBS this March–[The Story of the Costume Drama; The Greatest Stories Ever Told.](http://www.britscene.com/2012/02/learn-about-history-of-costume-drama-march-on-pbs/31850) _Ohhhh!_ \* faints dead away \* That also reminded me of _Edward and Mrs. Simpson_ and _Lillie_, two favorites I have not seen since they first aired. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141/10 "2012-02-17T17:48:04Z")
Watching Downton Abbey, I’ve been constantly comparing it unfavorably to Upstairs, Downstairs. I’ve also been rewatching the original 1960s Forsyte Saga lately, and comparing it to the 2002 remake with a similar opinion. There is something about those early, cheaply produced BBC period dramas that the later shows lack. The newer shows have bigger budgets, sharper editing, and look far more polished, but they don’t somehow seem to go as deep. I think it’s something in the writing, a complexity of characterization or points of view that makes you forget entirely about the flimsy sets. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141/11 "2012-02-17T17:55:06Z")
Was never a big fan of _Upstairs Downstairs_ except that I loved Jean Marsh. About all I really remember from it is Mr. 'Udson railing against “the beastly Hun.” Never saw _Brideshead Revisited_ at all. But I loved loved loved _Duchess of Duke Street_. Loved the characters. Loved the theme music. (Even when they played the sad version at the end of episodes with a downer ending.) Loved watching the food being prepared. Great series. ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141/12 "2012-02-17T18:23:54Z")
Huge DoDS fan here - as I’ve mentioned before, seeing it back when I was a teen-ager really started me on my love of food and cooking. Ditto Flickers. I came to be a fan of most things British because in Gainesville in 1979, if you didn’t have cable, you were limited to Wink Martindale’s game show, or PBS. I chose PBS and have always been the better for it. UT ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141/13 "2012-02-17T19:12:43Z")
Eve, I’ll be over at 4. Do you have PG Tips? If not, I’ll bring some. 😉 I adored _Upstairs Downstairs_ and had a major crush on Richard Bellamy. I so wanted him and Hazel to get together, after James… _you know_. ---
**Author:** ![Jaymosch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaymosch/32/2820_2.png) [@Jaymosch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaymosch)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141/14 "2012-02-17T19:17:05Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > _Ohhhh!_ \* faints dead away \* That also reminded me of _Edward and Mrs. Simpson_ and _Lillie_, two favorites I have not seen since they first aired. I watched both of these on Netflix streaming recently, and I believe they are still available for those so inclined. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141/15 "2012-02-17T20:18:04Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I adored _Upstairs Downstairs_ and had a major crush on Richard Bellamy. I so wanted him and Hazel to get together, after James… _you know_. Well, \*that \*would have been difficult, what with Hazel’s unfortunate bout of the 'flu. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141/16 "2012-02-17T21:35:59Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > S’trewth, it \*is \*the gold standard. They got the hair and (lack of) makeup and the clothes just right–the only thing wrong was that the actresses all had early-'70s meth-whore skinny eyebrows. I guess period eyebrow merkins were not in the budget. > > One of my favorite minor characters on \*U/D \*was the great Lady Pru, played by Joan Benham–I wished that \*she \*had been Richard’s second wife, and not that rather middle-class Virginia Hamilton. I thought the second Mrs. Bellamy looked a lot like Jackie Kennedy. If she was middle-class, perhaps that was appropriate as she and Richard were so downsized at the end of the show that they were middle class then. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141/17 "2012-02-17T22:12:25Z")
I love _The Duchess of Duke Street_ too! I watched all the episodes on their first run in the U.S. on PBS, attracted firstly by the cooking scenes and then I got hooked on the acting and the characters. I like spotting actors from this series in British movies. Anyone see the Major in _A Hard Day’s Night_? The stodgy stiff upper lip guy that the Beatles annoy in the train carriage right at the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141/18 "2012-02-18T00:33:25Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > I like spotting actors from this series in British movies. Anyone see the Major in _A Hard Day’s Night_? The stodgy stiff upper lip guy that the Beatles annoy in the train carriage right at the beginning. And he was only ~40 when he played that stuffy old codger. David Langton (Mr. Bellamy) is also in _A Hard Day’s Night_. There’s a scene where the Beatles are in a dressing room before their TV show, where a serious actor is also preparing for his performance in some other show. He’s only there for a minute or two, but it’s definitely him. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141/19 "2012-02-18T02:09:13Z")
> [@Miss\_Mapp](#): > > David Langton (Mr. Bellamy) is also in _A Hard Day’s Night_. Simon Williams–who played James, David Langton’s son, in _U/D_–was interviewed ages later and said that as the series went on and he was “aged” with unconvincing grey sideburns, his “father,” David Langton, kept darkening his hair to look younger, so by the end of the series James and his father appeared to be the same age. Of course, Rose was about 40 when the series started in 1901, and only about 35 when it ended in 1930. ---
**Author:** ![PrettyVacant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/49beb7/32.png) [@PrettyVacant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PrettyVacant)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141/20 "2012-02-18T08:25:21Z")
A stroll down memory lane: > **[The 10 best costume dramas](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/gallery/2011/jan/09/ten-best-costume-dramas)** > > Andrew Anthony's choice of television's finest period pieces. Bonnets optional... I’m a little surprised the 1981 Brideshead isn’t mentioned as often as it might be… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-duchess-of-upstairs-downstairs-revisited/613141.md?page=2)