BoardChiri Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Manthast Absolutely amazing

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Kirandeep Yoder The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

BaileySEA I tread lightly when I anticipated this new series of Upstairs Downstairs. I was delighted that it was a continuation and not a remake. When I saw Rose walking down Belgrave Square towards Eaton Place I didn't tear up like I thought I would, but instead I was swept over by a warm tenderness. The great Jean Marsh (co-creator and whom played Rose in the original) was indeed perfect casting. All in all, it was a warm-hearted quality production. I just thought it could and should have been longer. It was like a cherry on top to the original. It completes a set, so to speak. The whole time I was expecting to hear ghostly voices from the past, but maybe that's just me.

Maya Goldberg Ridiculously fast-paced and painfully one-dimensional characters make this series inevitably forgettable and impersonal. Indeed, the two characters that could upgrade the series to near excellence were "dismissed" after the first season for some unknown reason (that is, Jean Marsh and Eileen Atkins). In fact, the only persuasive character remaining was Adrian Scarborogh, although his splendid performance was held back by the lacking work of the directors. The cinematography is cheesy and unoriginal, the casting predictable, and the editing eats even further into the little talent present in the whole production. The entire thing makes for a robotic chablon of a spectacle.These factors, amongst many others, make 165 Eaton Place the only common denominator between UD 2010 and that from the early 70s.

frenchmonkeys I didn't see the original series so this isn't a comparison.I found this series to be quite compelling, and keenly await the second, though not at all what I expected. There was more consideration of personal stories relating to the horror of fascism in Europe than being a story about the running of an upper class household, but it was utterly compelling. I think that three episodes wasn't enough.Eileen Atkins gave an authoritative role as the lady dowager, but wasn't permitted sufficient screen time to make the role as intriguing as it could have been. The same is true for her secretary, played by Art Malik. Two star performances that were unable to fulfil themselves properly. I hope that the second series addresses this. Adrian Scarborough fitted the role of the butler, Mr Pritchard, with aplomb, and I'd like to see his other credited roles. Like others, I find the score to be more than a little weak, and in addition to the truncated nature of the story being covered in a mere three episodes, and of course, the lack of Maggie Smith, was why this wasn't the success that Downton Abbey is. Hopefully the four episode second series will provide a better score and more chance for characters to develop, because there's a lot here that's worth exploring. In the meantime, I'll be viewing the original Upstairs, Downstairs: I want more, perhaps not in such a rush to tell a long story in a short time.

archied While I agree with most of the author's assessment of the new US/DS, I wanted to comment on a few things mentioned regarding the original series. When Edward came to dinner at 165, he was already King, not the Prince of Wales. Richard Bellamy did not marry his secretary. It was his son, Captain James, who married Richard's secretary, Hazel. Not all of the servants resented Hazel for marrying "above" her class. Rose rather liked the idea and supported Hazel, the new lady of the household. Richard did eventually remarry - to a widow with 2 small children. Also, it was the son, James, who gradually declined following WWI. The brevity of the new series so far (3 episodes) is simply not long enough to adequately develop a character or even to get to know and understand a particular character. Hopefully, there will be more episodes to improve upon what has been started. The personalities do seem to be rather superficial and shallow, almost to the point of being caricatures. But in reality, the shorter and fast-moving productions reflect the preferences and viewing habits of younger audiences. For the rest of us, thank God for Netflix.