Upstairs, Downstairs was a BAFTA and Emmy award-winning British drama set in a large townhouse in Edwardian London that depicted the lives of the servants "downstairs" and their masters "upstairs". It ran on ITV for five series from 1971 to 1975.
Upstairs, Downstairs attempted to portray life in a high-status house set against the events of early 20th century. Great events are featured prominently in the episodes but minor or gradual changes are noted as well. It stands as a document of the social and technological changes that occurred between 1903 and 1930. The lives of the servants are integral to the story.
In one episode Hazel Bellamy notes that although upstairs, they are a family, downstairs they are also a family; Mr. Hudson and Mrs. Bridges are the mother and father, Rose, the eldest daughter who lost her man at the front, Edward, the son who has married Daisy who stays with the family while he is at war and Ruby, the youngest child who needs protecting.
The series follows the lives of both the family and the servants in the London townhouse at 165 Eaton Place. Richard Bellamy, the head of the household, is a member of Parliament, and his wife a member of the titled aristocracy. Belowstairs, Hudson, the Scottish butler directs and guides the other servants about their tasks and (sometimes) their proper place. Real-life events from 1903-1930 are incorporated into the stories of the Bellamy household. Written by Kathy Li
