231LikesI definitely plan to try it. I loved Upstairs, Downstairs as well as The Forsyte Saga (the original, not the remake). The cast alone is enough to draw me in.Originally Posted by BritLit;4140765;
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I definitely plan to try it. I loved Upstairs, Downstairs as well as The Forsyte Saga (the original, not the remake). The cast alone is enough to draw me in.
Masterpiece | Downton Abbey | PBS
Airing January 9, 16, 23 & 30, 2011 on PBS. Check local listings.
Did anyone else watch the first episode of the new "Upstairs, Downstairs" last night on PBS?
I saw the original series (it dates from the late 70s, I believe) for the first time when PBS re-ran it in the late 80s/early 90s. Much more recently, my husband and I rented the whole series from Netflix and enjoyed seeing it all again over a period of several months.
I was afraid to hope for much out of the new series -- you know how sequels tend to be, especially many years after the original. But I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it was of the same general quality as the original. In case anyone's wondering, it is not a remake.
You may recall that at the end of the original series, the house at 165 Eaton Place was to be sold. The new episodes start in 1936 with a new king (Edward VI) taking the throne upon the death of his father, and a new family in the house. The Rose character, played by the same actress (Jean Marsh), continues her involvement with the house. It was great to see Rose again, like catching up with an old friend many years later.
I think there are just two more episodes. Anyone interested who missed it can see last night's installment at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/upstairsdownstairs/index.html.
I watched it and enjoyed it very much. It was great to see Jean Marsh again and I love Eileen Atkins. I do miss the late Gordon Jackson and was pleased to see them make reference to Hudson a couple of times. If it continues this way, it will be must-see tv for me, just as the original was. I'm really looking forward to seeing how they all deal with the new king's abdication to marry Wallace Simpson.
Yeah, I loved Hudson, too. The new butler is nowhere near as appealing. But they have a nice little story going about a wild, flirtaceous housemaid and the young footman, and they hint at a romance between the chauffeur and the young sister of the lady of the house. (Like a reverse of James Bellamy and Sarah the maid... )
See my post above. It's my understanding that you can watch the full episodes on pbs.org. They said the episode from last night would be available on 04/11 -- that's today.
I was a big fan of the original series and watched it over and over. I think the new mini-series looks good also. Still miss many of the deceased original series actors. Sigh. Mrs. Bridges, Mr. Hudson, etc.
It's been fun over the years to occassionally see some of the still-living actors in other shows. But it all happened so many years ago that I don't see them often. I thought Jean Marsh looked good for 74 years old.
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