Tomorrow marks 55 years since the premiere of the original Upstairs, Downstairs - a classic of British TV that no doubt inspired many period dramas since (it’s hard not to compare it to Downton Abbey).
The series first aired on ITV on October 10, 1971, introducing viewers to the wealthy Bellamy family and the servants who kept their London household running. Set at 165 Eaton Place, the story followed both sides of the household through the social changes of the early 20th century, from the Edwardian era through World War I and into the 1920s.
Interestingly, the idea came from actresses Jean Marsh and Eileen Atkins, who originally envisioned a series focused on the lives of domestic servants. Marsh went on to play Rose Buck, one of the household's maids, while Atkins wouldn't appear in the series until its 2010 revival.
In the US, you can watch the original on BritBox, Tubi, Pluto, and Plex. The 2010 revival is available on BritBox, Hulu, and Peacock.
NOW IN-STOCK - We’ve just received a new shipment from the printer, so several books are now back in stock. Use code OCT10 (capital letters) for 10% off orders of 2 or more books:
Everyone Here Should Be Dead: An English Village Adult Coloring Book (inspired by the landscapes of Midsomer Murders)
Dreaming Spires & Dead Dons: A 1960s Oxford Adult Coloring Book (inspired by the settings of Endeavour)
Cassocks & Cobblestones: A 1950s Cotswolds Adult Coloring Book (inspired by Father Brown’s Cotswold setting)
A Disheveled Detective’s Northumberland: Adult Coloring Book (inspired by the landscapes of Vera)
What we’re…
Watching: Small Prophets - This one is odd but lovely. Pearce Quigley (Detectorists) stars as a lonely DIY-store worker who turns to an old alchemical recipe to create prophetic homunculi in the hope of learning what happened to his long-missing girlfriend. Michael Palin plays his father, with Detectorists creator Mackenzie Crook writing, directing, and appearing in the series.
Reading: We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman - This marks the second entry in Osman’s We Solve Murders series, and while I don’t find them nearly as enjoyable as the Thursday Murder Club series, they’re still solid mysteries. The series follows a young woman in private security, her ex-police father-in-law, and a bestselling author as they solve mysteries together - and in the second book, they’re helping out a shady vitamin dealer who thinks someone wants to kill him.
THIS WEEK IN BRITISH TV
On BritBox, a new season of Celebrity Escape to the Country premiered on October 2nd (two episodes at premiere, followed by weekly episodes for the other four). On the 5th, they added War & Peace (2016), and on the 13th, we’ll get season 2 of Ludwig (though you can watch it now if you have Premier).
On Acorn TV, new episodes of Blue Murder Motel and season 3 of Signora Volpe continue on Mondays, along with new episodes of the Graham Norton Show on Thursdays (Graham Norton is also on AMC+). On the 12th, they’ll add the Belgian English-language mystery This is Not a Murder Mystery and the docuseries The Flight Attendant Murders.
PBS Passport and PBS Masterpiece, the final episode of Marble Hall Murders (the follow-up to Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders) will premiere on October 11th, along with the final episode of season 3 of Marlow Murder Club. On the 18th, they’ll be adding season 2 of The Gold and season 2 of Maigret.
On Apple TV+, all episodes of season 4 of Ted Lasso are now available (in case you were waiting to binge). On the 16th, season 6 of Slow Horses premiered, with new episodes continuing weekly through October 21st. On the 7th, Small Prophets premiered.
On MGM+, October 11th brings the premiere of Treasure Island.
On Netflix, October 15th brings the premiere of season 4 of The Diplomat.
On BBC Select (+ BritBox Premier), the 8th brought Suez: 24 Hours that Broke the British Empire, and on the 15th, they’ll be adding season 1 of Humans and season 2 of Fantastic Friends.
“There was a warmth about her. Oh, she had a temper. Her eyes could go quite flinty, but she had that rarest of qualities, the ability to forgive without a hint of rancor. But she never tried to be anything. She was someone you never wanted to hurt.”
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