The series accurately represented and mirrored the societal milieu of its time and has been greatly acclaimed for the producers' and authors' meticulous attention to accurate period detail.  Historical  events served as the context for the characters' situations and actions in a narrative that carried them from 1903 Ed­wardian England, through World War I and  the political upheavals of the 1920s, to a conclusion set  soon after the stock market crash in the summer of 1930. Upstairs, Downstairs captured and held a rapt television audience through 68 episodes in Britain and 55 in the United States. It was the most extensive series on Masterpiece Theatre and brought a new and refreshing image of British television to many Americans whose only perception of British programming, not necessarily correct, was of ponderous adaptations of dated British literature. In so doing, the series brought a great many new viewers to PBS and Masterpiece Theatre.

     According to long-time Masterpiece Theatre host Alistair Cooke, quoted in Terrence O'Flaherty's Masterpiece Theatre, "I loved Upstairs, Downstairs. When I first saw it, my reaction was, 'I'll be amazed if this thing doesn't really hit the headlines. It's marvelous. It allows you to identify with the downstairs people while vicariously enjoying the life of the upstairs people."' Followed closely episode by episode, the upstairs and downstairs families became a part of "our" family. The audience genuinely cared about the characters, came to know them intimately, and developed a strong empathy for them.

     The Bellamys and their staff of domestic servants resided in a five-story townhouse at 165 Eaton Place, Belgravia, in London, an address well known to the se-ries' many fans. The upstairs family includes Lord Richard Bellamy (David Langton); his first wife. Lady Marjorie (Rachel Gurney), who dies tragically on the Titanic; their two children, James (Simon  Williams) and Elizahe1h (Nicola Pagel!) ; Richard' s second wife. Virginia (Hannah Gordon); James's wife , Hazel ( Meg Wynn Owen). who dies in a flu epidemic; and Georgina Worsley (Lesley-Anne Down). cousin to James and Elizabeth. Among the most memorable of the downstairs staff are Hudson the butler (Gordon Jackson). Mrs. Bridges the cook (Angela Baddeley), Rose (Jean Marsh). Ruby (Jenny Tomasin), Edward (Christophe1 Beeny). a11d Daisy (Jacqueline Tong). Among the many other characters who appeared in a number of episodes. perhaps Sarah (Pauline Collins). Watkins (John Alderton). Sir Geoffrey the family solicitor (Raymond Huntley). and Lady Pru (Joan Ben­ ham) are the most fondly remembered by viewers. The large cast, only partially noted here, is considered to include some of the best actors from British stage, film, and television. The series earned the respect of professional peers as well as that of the audience. Its cast won numerous awards, both in Britain and the United States, including eight Emmys, Writers Guild of Great Britain Awards, American Drama Critics Circle Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and a Peabody Award. Angela Baddeley received the Commander of the British Empire, awarded in the Queen's 1975 New Year's Honours List. According to Queen Elizabeth II, Upstairs, Downstairs was her favorite program in 1975, and Baddeley's Mrs. Bridges was her favorite character. In addition, Gordon Jackson received the coveted Queen's Order of the British Empire Award.

     The idea for the series came from actresses Jean Marsh (who played the role of house-parlor maid Rose) and Eileen Atkins. The series was developed by John Hawkesworth, whose long and distinguished career in film and television extends from art director on the film The Third Man to producer of the well­ regarded Sherlock Holmes series featuring Jeremy Brett. Upstairs, Downstairs was the first program from LWT to be purchased for Masterpiece Theatre and only the second non-BBC program to be scheduled. Upstairs, Downstairs was one of the first series of its type to be produced on videotape rather than film (though certain scenes, mainly exteriors and location shots, were shot on film). It was one of the first series on Masterpiece Theatre that was not biographical or based on a written work. It was created purely for television. As originally produced for British television, each episode in the series was written in three acts. On Masterpiece Theatre, each episode was shown without interruption.

     Significant confusion was created when the series was shown on U.S. television because 13 of the first 26 episodes produced for British television were not shown. This created a rather bizarre lack of continuity. Six of the first original British episodes had been taped in black and white due to a strike. Masterpiece Theatre only wanted episodes in color and so the first episode ("On Trial") was revised and reshot in color for American television. Of the first 26 original episodes shot for British TV, episodes 2 through 9, 11 and 12, 16, 19, and 20 were not shown on U.S. television. These "lost" episodes were not made available for American viewing until 1989. The original black-and-white version of episode I has never been made available to American television.

     Upstairs, Downstairs was first shown on British television in 197l and continued through four series of 13 episodes each (two Edwardian series, a later prewar series, and a World War I series) and a fifth series of 16 episodes (postwar), making a total of 68 episodes produced and broadcast. A spin-off from the original series, Thomas and Sarah, featured the continued story of Sarah the parlor maid (Pauline Collins) and Thomas Watkins the chauffeur (John Alderton) together after leaving service at 165 Eaton Place. A total of 13 one­ hour episodes were produced by LWT for original broadcast in 1979.

     On Masterpiece Theatre, the original 26 Edwardian period episodes, pared down to 13, were first shown January 6 to March 31, 1974. From November 3, 1974, to January 26, 1975, the post-Edwardian, prewar series of 13 episodes was broadcast. The 13 World War I episodes were shown January 1 to March 28, 1976. The final series of 16 postwar episodes was broadcast January 16 to May 1, 1977 making, in all, 55 episodes shown on Masterpiece Theatre. The 55 episodes were later repeated on Masterpiece Theatre, and selected episodes were shown as a part of a "10th Anniversary Season Festival of Favorites" and as a part of the "Twentieth Anniversary Favorites" series early in 1991. Upstairs, Downstairs was the inspiration for the short-lived CBS television series Beacon Hill, which concerned a well-to-do Boston family and their domestic staff during the 1920s (broadcast fall 1975).

     Upstairs, Downstairs is one of the highest rated programs in the history of PBS. The series has been syndicated to both commercial and noncommercial stations in the United States and is one of the most successful and watched dramatic series in television history. It is estimated that approximately 1 billion people in more than 40 countries have enjoyed Upstairs, Downstairs, and the series is still in active syndication. The entire series has been released on videotape and DVD.