Upstairs Downstairs...

[megcleary]

Any opinions?

What did Rachel die of?

Asthma, I think MrsCurly.

I loved the original programme - it's one of my all time favourite tv programmes.

You can get a box set of all the series on eBay at much less than the £200 retail but I bet they've gone up as a result of this revival.

I quite enjoyed this mini-series but, of course, they didn't have time to really get into any kind of depth.

I think one of the best episodes from the original series was when Rose was arrested with Lady Elizabeth (was that the daughter - can't remember embarassingly) during the Suffragette movement. The episode showed the force feeding by nasal tube when the women went on hunger strike in prison. Had quite a bit impact on me as a child...

Asthma attack

Crammed an awful lot in. Do we know for sure there is going to be a series?

Ooooh! I loved it!!! I also loved the Sunday evenings in the 70's for it too :)

The only thing that had me a bit were the black and white bollards and the paving slabs in Eton Place.

Oh, and I doooooo miss Mr 'Udson :(

A helpful spod fan on the Doctor Who forum points out to me that Jean Marsh is beaten by Katy Manning, who returned as Jo Grant after 37 years!

I really enjoyed it and hope there will be a series - Sunday night in the Larkrise slot maybe.(Never saw the original although do remember mum and dad watching avidly).

I thought that the writers have the build up to war just right.

Bear in mind that no one knew exactly what was happening in Germany at the time (Nazi propoganda was widespread) they have Lady Agnes' "send Lotte back" attitude just right.

Plus how many women who have been pregnant are honestly able to say that they would have been willing to take in an unrelated orphaned refugee child dumped on the household when they are halfway+ through a pregnancy? Again, the attitude is spot on.

I do think they have been trying to cram too much in to too small a time frame though. 2 more episodes would have been better.

Loved it.
Bawled my eyes out last night when Hallam found his sister.
The clothes are fantastic and the performances are great - Eileen Atkins and Adrian Scarborough in particular.
Agree the Lady Persie character was very irritating.
Downton Abbey was great as well of course.

"Bear in mind that no one knew exactly what was happening in Germany at the time (Nazi propoganda was widespread) they have Lady Agnes' "send Lotte back" attitude just right."

Well perhaps, but then why did she think that Rachel had lost her job & left the country?

"the toffs wouldn't have known or cared where Rachel had come from or why, surely?"

Perhaps-I think it was in the beginning that Lady Agnes was interviewing.

Rachel kept her background hidden as much as she could. It would have started back in 1933 when the Nazi Party came to power. Jewish people who wanted to remain alive, let alone free, did what they could to avoid being registered or got out of the country. As far as anyone in the house was aware, she was exactly who she claimed to be- a servant who had come from Germany and who was willing to work for the terms offered.

The only reason anyone found out about Lotte was when Rachel took Mr Amanjit with her to visit her.

"Rachel arrived later though didn't she, after the footman had been dismissed"

Yes, I think she did.

Although Mr Amanjit knew her background-but would probably have said nothing.

It was all quite dysfunctional, wasn´t it?

The old gal just taking Lotte away, Lady Persie having late night visitors in his house & him not knowing.

Shame they didn´t call the baby Warwick-or at least have it as a middle name.

Oh and wasn't Mr Amanjit lovely ~ I could have taken him home

I just love Art Malik - so noble! (confusion between actor and character here) - I do like Art Malik though.

Same here hatty. Actually, I was so taken with Mr Amanjit that I failed to realise it was Art Malik. I love him too!

This felt too small and just telly doing a period story, but actually it was about as good as an episode of Waterloo Road.

Downton was sublime and like a film, much more special.

I didn't even cry at the end of UD, I wasn't convinced by any of it.

I'd never even heard of Downton Abbey. Would I have liked it?!

Downton was soooooo fabulous and witty and made UD looked like total rubbish.

"The beauty of the first series is that famous people were referred to but never actually seen. (I don't think we actually saw King Edward VII when he came to dinner in the original, but I may be wrong)."

Sorry whatshallmynamebe but you are wrong! We did see King Edward V11 when he came to dinner. Though in many ways the main story of that episode was the ex-maid Sarah returning unexpectedly about to give birth to the Bellamy's first grandchild.

oxocube That episode stands as one of my favourites but also I like the one in the last series with the horrible governess.

I did enjoy this version more than I expected to. I think they probably had to cram a lot in to round the story lines off in 3 episodes but I hope they do more.