Jeans Apparel

Reviews

This series is so amazingly captivating, I'm glad I never had the time to see it before. For one thing, I'd never have been able to get through nursing school taking time to watch TV, and for another I'd never have lived through waiting for the next episode. I'm way too much of an immediate needs gratification sort of person!! The setting is a period to which I have become more and more attracted, the two decades between World War I and World War II. Times are changing, but not necessarily for the better, or at least not for everyone. The old guard is losing its hold over society, but those newly rising to power are not necessarily better than those who wielded it before. If anything the old guard, based as it was on a landed aristocracy with a vested interest in England as a property, had reasons to keep things from falling totally apart for the middle and lower classes. Their pride of place came as much from their perceived obligations as from their assets. The rising nouveaux riche are vested in money alone, a portable commodity that can be invested wherever there is profit to be had. Their focus is on who has the most of it; without ties to anything, they take no responsibility for the society that makes their fortunes. Theirs were the ideals upon which our present world and its predicaments are based. The characters of the series are reflections of the changing times. The Upstairs family sees the pater familias, an aristocratic man of conservative principles, losing ground to the younger members of the family who are going through the emotional ravages of World War I. They question everything and challenge many of the basic principles of social behavior, including the roles of women, political power and who should wield it, and the behavior of society during war. Below stairs, too, there is disruption. The younger generation questions the reasons for the demand for "gratitude" for their position of servitude and see the efforts of the butler to prevent their adopting new ideals as repressive and patronizing. They question the need to ask the family they serve for permission to marry, to hold a war job, to question their additional work load without commensurate compensation. Upstairs Downstairs is a world in flux, much like our own, and the efforts of the extended family to adjust to it are absolutely mesmerizing.

Having been a fan of this show since the early 70's, I truly am amazed on how the show still holds up today! Season 4 was not one of my favorite years for the show, although the cast almost stayed the same, with the exeption of a few new one's, it built up to Season 5, the last year for the series. It is still a good show to watch, and a splendid period piece as well.

I did see this series when PBS had Masterpiece Theater. However, I think it is great fun to go back and watch this again. Excellent actors, no blood or gore, and a chance to escape back to the early 1900 life style.

The acclaimed fourth season of UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS focuses on the turbulent years of World War One, with the Bellamy's fighting to keep control of an ever-changing world, shattered asunder..."A Patriotic Offering" - Lady Prudence (Joan Benham) convinces Hazel (Meg Wynn Owen) to take in a family of Belgian refugees, resulting in a major upset for the servants."News From the Front" - Whilst on leave, James (Simon Williams) finds himself drawn into a political situation which might affect his future in the army."The Beastly Hun" - An anti-German feeling sweeps through Eaton Place following the sinking of the Lusitania, with Hudson (Gordon Jackson) spreading scare stories about the local baker and his family, who are discovered to be of German origin. "Women Shall Not Weep" - Edward (Christopher Beeny) and Daisy (Jacqueline Tong) decide to get married before Edward leaves for the draft. Georgina (Lesley-Anne Down) vows to become an army nurse after witnessing the dead and injured soldiers returning to London; while Ruby (Jenny Tomasin) surprises everyone when she announces she is to leave her position to go and work in a munitions factory."Tug of War" - Georgina discovers that nursing isn't all she thought it would be, while James becomes frustrated with his staff-army job."Home Fires" - Rose (Jean Marsh) once again bumps into her former fiance, Australian sheep farmer Gregory Wilmot (Keith Barron) who has joined the army. They decide to get married again, but will Hudson ruin it all?..."If You Were the Only Girl in the World" - At a tea-party for wounded officers, bored Hazel meets a charming young airman, Jack Dyson (Andrew Ray). Slowly, a gentle courtship begins and Hazel experiences her first true romance."The Glorious Dead" - A time of personal tragedy at Eaton Place. Rose receives word about Gregory, whilst Hazel discovers the fate of Jack."Another Year" - A shellshocked Edward returns to Eaton Place, a shadow of his former self. Hazel meets the aquaintance of Mrs Virgina Hamilton (Hannah Gordon), the charming widow of a naval officer. Following an explosion at the munitions factory, Ruby returns to Eaton Place."The Hero's Farewell" - Lady Prudence and her society friends decide to stage a 'historic tableaux' at Eaton Place. The situation turns deadly when a zeppelin raid begins and bombs start falling nearby..."Missing Believed Killed" - James is still missing at the front, and the entire household is thrown into shock. "Facing Fearful Odds" - Virginia once again seeks the help of Richard (David Langton) when her oldest son is about to be court-martialled."Peace Out of Pain" - Richard proposes to Virginia, with whom he has fallen in love, whilst Hazel becomes seriously ill with a deadly strain of the flu virus...Highly-recommended. Most people single out the fourth season of UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS as the strongest out of the entire series. Excellent writing, expert direction as well as top-notch performances from Gordon Jackson, Meg Wynn Owen, Christopher Beeny, Angela Baddeley and Simon Williams.Also featuring Mel Churcher, Raymond Huntley, Barrie Cookson, Christopher Good, Joyce Heron, Celia Imrie, Patricia Macrae, Elma Soiron, Karen Glaser, Cyril Cross, Lala Lloyd, Ian Hoare, Lisa Moss, Edward Underdown, Miles Bennett, Ena Baga, Timothy Peters, Gertan Klauber, Freda Dowie, Robert Swann, Giles Watling, Keith Jayne, Neville Barber, Dennis Blatch, James Woolley, Edward Hammond, Barbara Atkinson, Kevin Moran, Mike Fields, Valerie Lush, Betty England, Betty Romaine, Polly Williams, Richenda Carey, Auriol Smith, John Lyons, Julia Sutton, Robert McBain, Audrey Joyce, Neville Hughes, Richard Owens, Venetia Maxwell, Sarah Twist, Brian Nolan, Kenneth MacDonald, William Ashley, Eileen Way, Helena McCarthy, Graham Leaman, Robin Bailey, Phyllida Law, Fanny Rowe, Alfred Maron, Gareth Hunt, Brian Badcoe, Ann Martin, Richard Reeves, Hilary Minster, Laurence Harrington, Anthony Nash, Peter Whitaker and Anthony Woodruff.4 single-sided, dual-layer discs.

I am new to the world of Upstairs Downstairs, but this (the fourth) season is the best season I've watched so far. For those of you who are new to the world of Upstairs Downstairs, this series is a character driven drama which focuses on the disparate (but yet entwined) lives of the rich Bellamy's and their servants.Character growth, loss, tragedy and triumph are the themes of this season, as the characters are greatly affected by the trials of world war I. I highly recommend this for fans of this time period, or fans of BBC drama. I particularly liked the character arc involving Edward the footman, and the arc involving Hazel Bellamy. This is truly an excellent series, I am sorry that it was ended after the fifth season.

Reviews

This is an excellent addition to my Peter Greenaway library. However, do not buy this as an introduction to his art. His feature films work better as an introduction.