Fabulous stuff from feisty, mischievous Pauline Collins as she poses for a famous painter, tells off Head of Household Lord Bellamy (David Langton), and snogs son James (Simon Williams), before her French Exit. Langton was nicknamed 'Mr Fluff MP' for his mistakes, which he would tend to blame on a mis-placed ashtray or something!
Stern authority from Gordon Jackson and Angela Baddeley.
Marsh and Atkins were on holiday in France, wanted more of it, and conceived of the idea to make money. They had both had poor backgrounds in London and both had had a parent in service, and saw photos of Edwardian households with huge staff, and that's how the idea was born.
Key people were Stella Richman, who commissioned the show for LWT, John Hawkseworth, who produced all five series, and Alfred Shaughnessy, the script-editor, who guided every screenplay and often made major changes. Each episode benefitted from a ten day rehearsal period. Most episodes were filmed with four cameras, in a way in which they were reluctant to stop takes, giving it that 'filmed play' feeling. The actual filming usually took place in one afternoon (the morning being a dress rehearsal). It was union action that caused six of the episodes to be filmed in black and white.
Rachel Gurney (Lady Bellamy), Nicola Paggett makes a great impression as Elizabeth, and there's a great scene where Rose really tells her off proper. George Innes is the rather creepy footman. Evin Crowley is the maid.
As the season goes on we meet new footman Christopher Beeny, lawyer Raymond Huntley and family friend Joan Benham.
'Brief Encounter' episode uses Wagner's Tristan & Isolde memorably. Really didn't remember these stories, one featuring pregnant maid Susan Penhaligon. Sad story of Emily's romance, rejection and suicide is unexpectedly moving - her sweet singing, and Angela Baddeley's response contributing factors. Then Sarah comes back.. But what her involvement is in 'The Swedish Tiger' we're unsure as the episode left us totally baffled... Series ends with James and her having affair (she's become a stage performer), and Elizabeth marrying posh poet Ian Ogilvy!
Starts in 1903 and then each episode is approximately six months apart. The opening episode was refilmed at the end in colour.
Background info from Richard Marson's 'Inside Updown: The Story of Upstairs, Downstairs' (2001) in which we learn the fascinating tidbit that young Jean Marsh was one of the dancers in The Red Shoes! She will be 90 in July; Pauline Collins is 83, Simon Williams 77, as is Evin Crowley (who was also in Ryan's Daughter).
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