Upstairs Downstairs returns to Masterpiece...

Or perhaps it's more proper for me to say that Upstairs Downstairs begins for me on Masterpiece Classic this Sunday, since I've never seen an episode of the original show. My mom, however, raves about the original, so as well as eagerly anticipating this program myself I'm looking forward to getting her take on the "reboot" of this Masterpiece classic series.

Here's just a bit about the story from the PBS website:

When the master of 165 Eaton Place, Sir Hallam Holland, carries his wife across the threshold of their new home, Lady Agnes exclaims with pleasure, "What a ghastly old mausoleum!" Neglect has strewn cobwebs everywhere and furred the surfaces with dust. But with a sumptuous renovation and the help of the indomitable housekeeper Rose Buck (Jean Marsh), the iconic address so beloved in the original series Upstairs Downstairs is soon restored to its former glory.

It's 1936, a tumultuous time in Britain, and within the walls of 165 Eaton Place, characters from an orphanage, a damp Welsh castle, the heart of the British Raj and elsewhere together will face a changing world, not just upstairs and downstairs, but side by side. Written by Heidi Thomas (Cranford, Madame Bovary), Upstairs Downstairs stars co-creators of the original series Jean Marsh and Eileen Atkins (Cranford, Bertie and Elizabeth). Also starring are Ed Stoppard (Any Human Heart), Keeley Hawes (Wives and Daughters), and Claire Foy (Little Dorrit).

With a stellar cast and a script by a proven favorite writer of mine, I have high hopes of enjoying this new series - particularly since I don't have any preconceived notions of the original show with which to compare this version to. My only concern, if you want to call it that, is that I enjoyed Downton Abbey SO MUCH the upstairs/downstairs drama of this show will pale by comparison. But I'm hoping that the new time period will help me keep the two series disassociated in my mind. :) And anyways, I love Keeley Hawes - she's one of my favorite actresses, and I'm thrilled she's headlining this show!

Click here to read a helpful breakdown of the characters populating the colorful world of Upstairs Downstairs, or download the .pdf version.

Okay, PREVIEW TIME! Trailer #1 - can I just tell you how much I love the "Feeling Good" background? :)



Trailer #2:



Behind the scenes interviews:



I don't know about you, but I am SO EXCITED! See you on the other side with my review! :)