Upstairs, Downstairs was a 1970s British television series set in a grand Edwardian town house in London and depicting the events of the early twentieth century as they affected the servants ('downstairs') and masters ('upstairs').

The concept of the series was created by Jean Marsh and Eileen Atkins as a comedy, called Behind the Green Baize Door, about two housemaids (to be played by themselves) who worked in a Victorian country house. After approaching a development company in 1969 their ideas were expanded and developed to include the upstairs element and it became a drama known variously as Two Little Maids in Town, Below Stairs, The Servants' Hall, That House in Eaton Square and 165 Eaton Place until becoming Upstairs, Downstairs shortly before going into production.

The series was first offered to Granada Television in Manchester who passed on it as they were working on another period drama (A Family At War) but London Weekend Television liked the concept and in April 1970 commissioned a series of thirteen plays with an option for a second. Because of a technician's strike the first six episodes were shot in black and white; when colour production eventually began, the opening episode was remade in two different versions, which could be shown depending on whether or not stations broadcast the black and white episodes. The original black and white pilot is believed to have been wiped.

The series eventually ran for five seasons totalling 68 episodes. In 1979 a 13-episode spinoff series entitled Thomas and Sarah was made.

The series won many awards, including seven Emmys and a Golden Globe. The theme tune by Alexander Faris won an Ivor Novello award. The complete series has been released on Region 2 DVD, though without any extra features. The black and white episodes, although made first, were released last together with the alternative colour version of the pilot, presumably due to public demand. Thomas and Sarah has also been released in matching packaging. There have been other video and DVD releases around the world with widely varying sound and picture quality, as detailed on the updown.org site (see external link below).

The BBC series The Duchess of Duke Street is widely seen as the BBC's answer to Upstairs, Downstairs, not least because some of the same producers and writers worked on it and it also has a theme tune by Alexander Faris.

Regular cast

• Jean Marsh - Rose Buck
• Gordon Jackson - Angus Hudson
• Christopher Beeny - Edward Barnes
• Angela Baddeley - Mrs. Bridges
• David Langton - Mr. (Later Lord) Richard Bellamy
• Jenny Tomasin - Ruby Finch

External links

• http://www.updown.org.uk/