November 1903: Clemence, young and inexperienced, is hired on a trial basis by Lady Marjorie, who decides Clemence is not an appropriate name for someone in service and changes it to Sarah. Being far too outspoken and having a tendency towards over exaggeration and drama, Sarah struggles to fit in and become accepted by the other servants.
June 1904: An artist, commissioned to paint Lady Marjorie's portrait, takes a shine to Sarah and convinces her to pose for him. The painting, depicting Sarah and her roommate, is a bit racy, and when the Bellamy's see it in a public exhibit, they fire both girls for what they wrongly conclude is "questionable behaviour."
August 1904: Finding themselves alone and having the run of the house, the junior servants indulge in a night of wild partying. When James, the Bellamy's son, show up unexpectedly, the party takes an unusual turn, causing Sarah to reevaluate her life. Unhappy with what she sees, she makes a monumental decision that will alter her course forever.
May 1905: When Elizabeth returns home from abroad, her parents plan her debut into society, but the spirited young girl has little interest. She reluctantly agrees, but at the last moment, has a change of heart and flees. Rose, more like a sister than a servant, steps up and makes the girl see the situation in another light.
December 1905: Elizabeth falls for a young German baron, whom her father is suspicious of. Richard quickly uncovers the Baron's secret, but as it turns out, Baron Klaus von Rimmer is hiding another secret, which Rose accidentally stumbles upon. The events of the evening compel one of the servants to betray not only the family, but the country as well.
October 1906: Mary, the new housemaid confides in Richard that she's pregnant, the result of an assault by a man who drunkenly forced himself on her. Insisting he must bear responsibility, she reveals the man is Myles Radford, the son of Richard's friend (and her previous employer), General Radford. Myles, outraged that Richard has the gall to question his integrity, gets even with a classless move that could have enormous legal, financial, and moral ramifications.
Summer 1906: Captain Hammond, a handsome young friend of James', graciously agrees to escort Lady Marjorie to the opera. Feeling a strong mutual attraction, they quickly realize how compatible they are, despite the age difference, Abuzz with gossip, the servants seem to be the only ones aware of what's going on.
April 1907: Believing destiny brought them together, Emily, the scruffy kitchen maid, falls deeply and hopelessly in love with a footman named William. When his mistress, Mrs. Van Groeben, learns about his relationship with Emily, she angrily orders William to stop seeing her, leaving Emily heartbroken and driven to an act of desperation.
November 1907: Everyone's been concerned about Mrs. Bridges, who's been despondent ever since Emily's suicide, but when they discover she took a baby from his pram when his mother wasn't looking, and brought him home with her, they realize she's suffering from a mental breakdown. Hoping to keep the incident quiet and protect everyone's reputations, the Bellamys return the baby to his parents and offer compensation, but refuse to divulge Mrs. Bridges' identity. The father, furious that they consider themselves above the law, has Mrs. Bridges arrested and during her hearing, Hudson makes an extraordinary gesture he hopes will keep her out of prison.
Autumn 1908: While providing food for the homeless, James and Elizabeth are surprised to run into Sara whose been living on the street. Elizabeth insists on taking her back to Eaton Place where she's given a job as a scullery maid. Sarah immediately reverts back to her old tricks and, claiming to be a medium, causes an uproar when she tries to conjure up the spirit of Emily during a seance.
October 1908: Almost like a bad whodunit, this is an odd, very disjointed story involving a series of thefts, miscommunications, mistaken identities, set-ups, betrayals, and cheating at cards. Everything seems to revolve around Captain Axel Ryttsen of the Swedish Army, who's come to visit James. He's brought his valet with him, a handsome and charismatic man named Torkel Kraft, who uses his charms to deceive Sarah into helping him with a theft he's planning. Captain Ryttsen, oblivious to Kraft's scheme, is only interested in one thing... the card game James has arranged for him. A turn of events during the last few disappointing minutes brings the show to a dissatisfying and abrupt end.
Winter 1908: Elizabeth befriends a bunch of Bohemian-types, but is drawn to two in particular: Evelyn Larkin, a radical Socialist extremist, and her lover, Lawrence Kirbridge, a handsome, free-spirited poet. On the eve of her 21st birthday, with her parents out of town, Lizzy invites the entire group to Eaton Place, and is humiliated when the Bellamys return home unexpectedly and throw everyone out. Anxious to prove she's nothing like her parents, Lizzy is compelled to do something extreme, leading to a falling out with her parents and a harsh discovery about Evelyn.
June 1909: Elizabeth and Lawrence Kirbridge have fallen in love and, refusing to conform to society's rules, announce their plan to live together without marriage, resulting in pressure from all sides. After Lawrence gives in and starts pressuring her too, Lizzie finally succumbs. Meanwhile, Sarah fulfills her dream to perform on the stage when she takes a job in a burlesque show. James shows up and, now that she no longer works for his family, wants to pursue the relationship they've both wanted for nearly six years.
Home from their honeymoon, the Kirbridges settle into their home in Greenwich. Their staff will consist of Rose as maid, on loan from Eaton Place, a crabby Mrs. Fellows as cook, and a Welshman named Thomas Watkins as manservant/everything else. Thomas has an unsettling gaze and seems a bit suspicious, but Rose fancies him anyway. The newlyweds don't seem very happy and their personalities are changing, getting their marriage off to a rocky start. Lawrence displays bouts of immaturity with a nasty, even cruel, demeanor. He prefers to socialize without Elizabeth, sometimes sneaking out after she's in bed, and comes home very late. His behavior is upsetting, giving Lizzie second thoughts about their marriage.
James and Sarah are going strong, but his debts from gambling have him very worried. The news that Sarah is pregnant, causes him to seek counsel from his parents who handle the news surprisingly well. After the Bellamys meet with their attorney, both James and Sarah are summoned to Eaton Place. The Bellamys are going to help them out of their messes, but that help comes at a price.
Things have not improved in the Kirbridge household. It turns out they have yet to consummate their marriage. Lizzie, unaware she's married to a gay man, is miserable and angry, making Lawrence miserable, too. Realizing he cannot fulfill that "need" for her, Lawrence decides to enlist the help of a friend to fulfill those duties for him.
Elizabeth comes home for Christmas without Lawrence. The Bellamys face another family crisis when it is discovered that Elizabeth is expecting a baby.
There is great excitement among the servants when King Edward VII attends a supper party at Eaton Place. During the evening the arrival of an unexpected visitor creates an emergency below stairs.
Thomas is approached by a blackmailer who claims to have love letters from Lady Marjorie to Captain Hammond.
The brothers of both Richard and Hudson are visiting, causing both men to do things they otherwise would not. For Hudson, it means putting on airs, and for Richard, the visit causes him to snoop, an action he considers beneath him.
Elizabeth arrives home with her new daughter whose care is entrusted to the Southwold family nanny, an elderly woman who won't admit she's not up for the task.
After her father dies, Lady Marjorie has her mother, Lady Southwold come to Eaton Place. When a valuable broach goes missing, finger pointing causes a disruption throughout the household. Meanwhile, Thomas' hopes for a career change are dashed when his potential employer tries to impose himself on Sarah.
While her parents are away, Elizabeth gets involved in the suffragette movement. Rose attempts to keep her out of trouble but the situation ends badly, requiring Elizabeth to seek help from Julius Karekin, an influential man she just met.
The Bellamys are in shock when they learn that Eaton Place, which is part of the Southwold estate, must be sold in order to satisfy the terms of the deceased Lord Southwold's will. Adding to their worries is news of Elizabeth's involvement with Julius Karekin, a man they strongly disapprove of, but in the end, the relationship proves very beneficial.
With Sarah expecting his baby, she and Thomas are planning to wed, but concerns that the news might not be well received causes Sarah to claim a stranger is the father. Unaware of the truth, Lady Marjorie thinks Thomas is making a huge mistake and threatens to sack him unless he changes his mind, which he refuses to do. Later, when Thomas informs her they'll be working for a neighbor, Lady Marjorie fears they'll divulge the family secrets and demands Richard do something to ensure that doesn't happen.
Elizabeth, depressed about her own relationship, is less than cordial when James returns home with his fiancee in tow, a woman named Phyllis whom his parents feel is beneath his station. The family is gathered to celebrate Lady Marjorie's birthday, as well as James' homecoming and engagement, when a surprise visitor shows up, changing the mood of the festivities, and the night ends on a somber note when a phone call reveals devastating news.
It's two years later and Eaton Place has seen many changes. Richard is writing his late father-in-law's biography, assisted by Miss Hazel Forrest, his typist. James has been working in London ever since Phyllis broke off their engagement, and Miss Forrest has caught his eye. Daring to venture across the class boundaries once again, James invites her to dine with him, much to the chagrin of Hudson who finds this impropriety upsetting and when he's unable to hide his feelings, it provokes a confrontation with James. Lady Marjorie is looking forward to visiting Elizabeth who now lives in America. Her brother, Lord Hugo Southwold, and his new wife, Marion, are also going, as well as her maid, Roberts, who is giddy with excitement that she gets to sail on the maiden voyage of that magnificent new ship, the Titanic!
When none of the family members are listed among the Titanic survivors, they must be presumed dead and the entire household goes into mourning. When routine household tasks begin to fall through the cracks, Hazel steps up to help whenever she sees a need. Her thoughtful effort is lost on the servants who feel like she's imposing herself into their lives and trying to take Lady Marjorie's place. It also causes concern for her parents who seem to think the Bellamys will soon have Hazel mopping floors. Everyone is stunned when an unexpected visitor arrives.
James attends a weekend hunting party where some guests attempt to set him up with his childhood chum, Lady Diana Russell, even though his best friend, Bunny, wants to marry her. Hudson accompanies James and steps up to lend a helping hand when the head butler, who appears to be suffering from Alzheimer's, falls short in his duties. He's later offered a job when the mistress of the house takes note of his capabilities.
James has been secretly courting Hazel Forrest, and soon discovers she's a master at hiding secrets because she's been hiding a really big one from him.
Alfred, the Bellamy's former footman from a few years ago, shows up on the doorstep, cold, wet, and hungry, with no where else to go. Although his behavior is erratic, Rose lets him in to eat and stay the night in a storage room. When he's discovered the next morning, Alfred panics and the situation quickly falls apart.
Richard and a lovely widowed countess greatly enjoy each others company, but when they discover neither of them has financial stability, they enjoy one last lovely day before parting. The new maid, Gwyneth, an odd but very capable girl, becomes obsessed with Richard.
Acting on a tip from a friend, Richard quadruples his stock market investment in a matter of weeks. When it turns out that the company he invested in just landed a government contract, he's accused of insider trading. Richard denies learning about it in Parliament, but refuses to divulge the name of his friend, and when Hazel and Hudson go behind his back to determine his friend's identity, Richard is furious.
Hazel feels out of her element when she accompanies James on a hunting weekend and spends the evening watching Diana throw herself at him. When James refuses to allow her to participate in the hunt, Hazel defies him with the urging of Diana, who then proceeds to play a cruel stunt by putting Hazel on an untamed horse she's unable to handle. James is embarrassed and angry over Hazel's defiance and lack of horsemanship, causing an argument. Later, when Cochy implies James is sleeping with Diana, Hazel, who's already nursing a wounded ego, packs it in and heads back to London. Meanwhile, a flirtatious maid asks Edward to come to her room later that night, and on his way there, Edward is shocked to see one of the gentlemen entering the room of one of the married ladies.
Lady Southwold and Georgina Worsley, her 18 year-old step-granddaughter (the step-daughter of her late son, Hugo) are spending the holidays at Eaton Place and Georgina quickly befriends the new maid, Daisy Peel, also 18. When she learns that Daisy is homesick and hasn't seen her family in three years, Georgina hatches a plan to take Daisy to see them but things don't go as planned.
At the pub with some friends, Edward shares stories about the recent weekend hunting party he attended with James and Hazel, and inadvertently opens a huge can of worms.
A chance meeting on a bus leads to a proposal of marriage for Rose and a chance to make a new life in Australia.
The summer brings a stifling heatwave, causing passions, emotions, and tempers to run hot. Georgina is staying at Eaton Place for the summer and has "come out" in society as a young debutante, Rose is regretting her decision regarding Gregory Wilmot, Hazel is recovering from her miscarriage, and James is letting his eye wander in an inappropriate and very dangerous direction.
On the verge of war, Mrs Bridges receives a marriage proposal but the gentleman quickly loses favor in her eyes. Edward and Daisy declare their love, as do Georgina and Billy, while James and Hazel's relationship hangs on by a thread. When Britain declares war on Germany, James is recalled to the military.
Gordon Jackson on Russell Harty Plus.
Jean Marsh on Russell Harty.
Unable to communicate with the Belgian refugees they're expected to look after has left the staff feeling put out, frustrated, and angry. They want the refugees to leave but, after hearing their tragic stories, things change and they're sorry to see them go. Meanwhile, Edward is caught in the middle between those who love him and want him to be safe, and everyone else who make him feel guilty for not enlisting; but after hearing the refugees' stories, he decides to do what he thinks is right, and Daisy is not pleased.
After James talks about an appalling lack of ammunition, Geoffrey Dillon leaks it to the press for political gain. Pleased with the results, a grateful Dillon pulls strings to get James a promotion and a cushy job, but James doesn't want it. Hoping he'll intervene, James goes to his CO who shows him the story and, citing his discovery that James is the leak, refuses to help, turning the desk job into a punishment of sorts. Meanwhile, Edward and Daisy become engaged.
The bitter anti-German sentiment generated by the sinking of the Lusitania causes the Bellamy servants to consider their own attitudes when a local tradesman of German descent is attacked, along with his family. Hazel discovers that Hudson has been spreading scare stories around the servants' hall and displaying an exaggerated hatred of Germans.
Daisy and Edward get married right before he ships off to France. Georgina goes to the train station to see a couple of friends off and sees the horrors of war firsthand. She's so moved by what she witnesses that she applies for a volunteer nursing program. On another note, James has been writing her letters in secret. Ruby surprises everyone with a surprise announcement.~
James is home on leave and finds the rest of the family busy with war work. He's so unhappy with his current position on staff, so Hazel makes a sacrifice on his behalf. Georgina finds that nursing is more demanding and less glamorous than she imagined. Most of the housework at Eaton Place now falls on Daisy after Rose obtains a part-time job.
Angela Baddeley on Russell Harty.
The reappearance of Gregory Wilmot throws Rose into a tailspin. Lady Prudence butts heads with Helen over a tea party for wounded officers.
Hazel has a little fling with Lt. Jack Dyson, whom she met at the tea party for wounded officers, and is seen by one of her lady acquaintances. James and Georgina meet in France and share a moment of passion.
Sadly, perhaps inevitably, a double dose of tragic news arrives for those at Eaton Place.
This difficult year finally comes to bumpy close. Helen and Richard meet Mrs. Charles Hamilton who wants Richard to help get her pet project off the ground. Edward is home on leave but all is not well. A bombing in London brings a familiar face back to Eaton Place.
Lady Prudence commandeers the Bellamy drawing room for a worthy cause. Another London bombing, another close call, and another tragedy is heaped upon the tattered nerves of those at Eaton Place.
Grasping at straws, the Bellamy family continue to search for any information to indicate James is still alive, but when Trooper Frederick Norton, James' servant, arrives to deliver James' personal belongings, Hazel loses all hope.
Virginia Hamilton returns to Eaton Place, seeking Richard's advice for her son who is facing a court martial. Meanwhile, Edward is scheduled to go back to France, and James is wallowing in self-pity.
Rose receives excellent news, James is depressed about his slow recovery, Richard is courting Virginia, and the Great War is winding down to a victorious conclusion, but there's still one more casualty to be claimed.
Eaton Place is enveloped with uncertainty. Edward and Daisy have moved on and been replaced with Frederick Norton, James' servant from the war, and Lily. The newlyweds, Richard and Virginia, and her children, Alica and William, have plans to move into their own home. There's not enough work to keep everyone busy and the house is far too large for James to live there alone, so he decides it's time to sell the house and gives the servants a month's notice.
After James' Letter to the Editor garners strong public approval. the conservative Tory party, hoping to cash in on his moment of popularity, invite him to run for Parliament as a Tory. James accepts but everyone soon realizes that his progressive views for moving the country forward are not aligned with the party views which want to go back to the way things were before the war. Meanwhile, Edward and Daisy are struggling financially but realize they have friends who love them at Eaton Place.
Georgina and her cohort throw a bacchanal at Eaton Place, with tragic consequences. Miss Treadwell, a governess for the children, joins the household.
When James buys a small airplane, Virginia defies Richard, putting the entire household through quite an ordeal.
Spring 1922: When William goes off to Prep School, Rose gets Alice a new puppy so she won't be lonely, but when Richard and Virginia go on holiday and leave Miss Treadwell in charge, the entire staff lines up against her when she tries to dispose of the "filthy creature".
James and Lady Diana Newbury behave foolishly, with little regard of how it impacts others. Edward is in trouble with Daisy when he's caught in a lie.
Spring is in the air and Hudson has found love, but it comes at a price for the household. In the end, the object of his affection makes a sacrifice for him.
(Audio commentary available on some DVDs). An influential industrialist showers attention on Virginia, and there's another member of the household being courted, Ruby.
The entire household comes together when a General Strike is called throughout Britain in May 1926
On the eve of an important dinner party for a French diplomat, Hudson suffers a heart attack.
Frederick considers his future when he feels his talents are largely wasted in the Bellamy household.
Hudson is back in his element when the Bellamys travel to Scotland for their summer holiday.
After an evening of dissipated behavior and a reckless drive into the countryside, Georgina must appear at a coroner's inquest, when one of the locals is killed.
Better the devil you know than the one you don't is the lesson Mrs. Bridges and Ruby learn after a terrible row. Upstairs, Lord Stockbridge proposes to Georgina, but there's a catch.
(Audio commentary available on some DVDs). The Wall Street crash hits Eaton Place. October, 1929. After making a killing on Wall Street, James returns to England with his spirits renewed. His homecoming is a joyous one for the Bellamys, despite Richard's doubts as to the soundness of his son's speculations. Indeed, his fears are prophetical; the stock-market crash wipes out James and Rose, who invested her savings on the strength of James' advice. Enraged, Richard berates James over this and past failures, opening old and still painful wounds.
(Audio commentary available on some DVDs). After nearly 30 years, the Bellamy saga ends with the sale of 165 Eaton Place and a fresh beginning for every member of the household.
Presented by Gareth Hunt, 25 years later. Upstairs, Downstairs Remembered takes an affectionate look back on the series as cast and production members share their stories and memories. These interviews were filmed in the rooms in the Duke of York's Territorial Army barracks, off the King's Road in London. This location provided the perfect backdrop for these interviews as it was often used for rehearsing the episodes.
This documentary features episode commentaries by Jean Marsh (Rose), Evin Crowley (Emily), George Innes (Alfred), Simon Williams (James), and writers Fay Weldon, Terence Brady, Charlotte Bingham, Jeremy Paul, and Rosemary Anne Sisson,
This documentary features episode commentaries by Nicola Pagett (Elizabeth), Jean Marsh (Rose), Ian Ogilvy (Lawrence), Simon Williams (James), writers Rosemary Anne Sisson and Jeremy Paul, and co-creator and script editor Alfred Shaughnessy.
This documentary features episode commentaries by Meg Wynn Owen (Hazel), Simon Williams (James), Jean Marsh (Rose), George Innes (Alfred), Jacqueline Tong (Daisy), writers Rosemary Anne Sisson and Jeremy Paul, and director Christopher Hodson.
This documentary features episode commentaries by Jean Marsh (Rose), Jacqueline Tong (Daisy), Christopher Beeny (Edward), Meg Wynn Owen (Hazel), Simon Williams (James), writer Rosemary Anne Sisson, and director Christopher Hodson.
This documentary features episode commentaries by Karen Dotrice (Lily), Jenny Tomasin (Ruby), Simon Williams (James), Jean Marsh (Rose), writers Rosemary Anne Sisson and Jeremy Paul, and director Simon Langton.
Rather than being the linear/chronological account of the making of the series that Upstairs, Downstairs Remembered (above) was, After Upstairs, Downstairs reflects its more popularist prime-time slot by being more of a grab bag of reminiscences about the show and it doesn't really seek to portray the genesis of the original series in any great detail. In keeping with the umbrella theme of the After... set of programmes, it concentrates a lot more on what the actors got up to after the show had finished for good in 1975. Included here are memories of Gordon Jackson and Angela Baddeley, but sadly David Langton isn't even mentioned once, which is a shame given he was such a lynchpin of the original series.
Hosted by Patsy Kensit With: Lesley-Anne Down, Jean Marsh, George Innes, Christopher Beeny, Evin Crowley, Simon Williams, Jacqueline Tong, Meg Wynn Owen and Gareth Hunt
Episode S01E01 was re edited with different scenes to enable the black and white episodes to be excluded from the USA run, giving story continuity straight from S01E01 to S01E07.
Interview with Alexander Faris, the composer for Upstairs, Downstairs.
Conversation with actors Simon Williams and Alfred Shaughnessy
Russell Harty visits the set of 165 Eaton Place
