Cheap Upstairs Downstairs - The Complete Series Megaset (DVD) (Angela Baddeley, David Langton, Gordon Jackson) Price

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Customer Reviews of Upstairs Downstairs - The Complete Series Megaset

A Breathtaking Saga of True Life Returns!!!
I rejoice in the technological development of DVDs which provides the perfect format for the celebrated release, in one complete box set, of one of the finest series that has ever graced, or will ever grace, TV! <
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>This British series is truly in a "class" by itself. It's characters are unforgettable, the acting inspired and the backdrop evocative - Edwardian England from 1904 into the 1930s. <
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>The story evolves around the aristocractic Bellamy family "Upstairs" at 165 Eaton Place, London, and their servants "Downstairs," but it is not a soap opera. It is as genuine, real and honest as any period production, or for that matter, any production, that I have ever seen. <
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>The characters grapple with the same struggles that we continue to confront in mordern-day America: love, loss, coming of age, morality, prejudice, death, economics, social responsibility, unwed mothers, change, freedom and the search for life's ultimate meaning - concluding with the horrendous effects of a World War and its devastating aftermath. <
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>The "master" of the house, Sir Richard Bellamy, played with genuine heart by David Langton, is in Parliament thanks to the enormous political influence of the family of his well-bred wife, Lady Marjorie Southwold Bellamy, played with aplumb and surprising depth by Rachel Gurney. <
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>We come to know the couple and their problems, as we witness a doomed love affair by Marjorie with an artist that she forsakes to save her mariage and which underscores the power of duty in English society. Richard learns of the affair but doesn't address it directly with his wife, whom he resolutely adores, but instead stands by her as she grieves for the one true love she has chosen to give up. Marjorie's life is cut short (the actress left the show after two seasons) after a fateful voyage on the Titanic. <
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>The Bellamy's house parlormaid Rose Buck is portrayed by Jean Marsh, who created the show and starred throughout the series. Rose is compassionate, tough and as real a "person" as if she had actually been alive. <
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>Other tremendous characters of this brilliant ensamble cast include the butler, Angus Hudson, portrayed by the late, great Gordon Jackson, the Bellamy's cook, Mrs. Kate Bridges, played by the late Angela Baddeley, and the Bellamy's son, James Bellamy, played by the gifted Simon Williams. <
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>It is Hudson who not only keeps the house running smoothly, but is also the keeper of English social propriety and tradition, objecting to modernization and the merging of social classes. Hudson desperately tries to hold onto the society he knew and loved, but international events conspire to change the very fibre of British culture. <
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>But, it is through the character of James Bellamy that these historical events are played out. Initially, a "useless" member of the young nobility, James was restless and lived primarily for himself and leisure pursuits. Uncontrollably, he is swept up in the tide that became World War I and changed England, as well as the World, forever. <
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>James becomes an officer and sees combat and the horrors of war. James eventually returns to Eaton Place after the war ends, but is unable to cope with his "new" life or reclaim his "old" one, so he ends it by his own hand in the former safety of the family estate. <
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>As the series ends, the Edwardian age of English innocence and "fun" has also truly suffered a fatally self-inflicted wound. So, it is fitting that after James' suicide it is the nostalgic Hudson who, with a tear in his eye, closes the house -- and thereby symbolically, the era -- forever. <
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>These are only a few of the characters and events that become real in the series, which ran through 68 riviting episodes. <
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>This unflinching look at history as well as a truly timeless, engaging family saga is not to be missed. The series was originally broadcast on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre, and was introduced each week by the late popular historian, Allistair Cooke. <
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Television's Finest Hours
I remember looking forward to Sunday nights in the 1970's, when Upstairs, Downstairs was Masterpiece Theater's offering, introduced by the divine Alistair Cooke. When this DVD set arrived, I hoped that at least it could recreate the Edwardian world for me, as it did 30+ years ago. I was wrong. It is so much better than I remember. With the perspective and experience of thirty years coloring the viewing, the foibles and triumphs of the two families upstairs and down are so much more compelling now. With the underlying theme that the house must run smoothly no matter what is going on in the inside or outside world, the dependence of the two families on each other is beautifully portrayed. The period details, down to the china patterns and the paint colors are exquisite, and the characterizations the actors bring to their parts, made possible by the very fine writing, superb. <
> From the first episode when Lady Marjorie hires Sarah "On Trial" and gently but firmly establishes Sarah's position in the household, through the elegance and grandeur of the Edwardian era, "There's no one to touch you, Mrs. Bridges, when it comes to lamb," the exigencies of WWI, when poor shell-shocked Edward the footman is cared for by Lord Bellamy; to the bittersweet end, when Lord Bellamy's diatribe when James loses Rose's inheritance in the stock market crash of 1929, causes a tragedy; the delicate balance between upstairs and down is fascinating and amazing to watch. The pride the servants take in the successes of the upstairs family, which their support makes possible, and the avuncular care with which the Bellamys "look after" the servants ("I hate to see servants humiliated," says Georgina, when unexpectedly confronted with Frederick in an embarassing situation) make this series particularly fascinating to Americans, for whom this way of life has never existed. <
> Despite bombs falling, housemaids giving birth in the attic, party guests committing suicide outside the nursery, various forms of heartbreak occuring both upstairs and down, it's reassuring to know that at 165 Eaton Place, dinner will always be served by an impeccably clad butler on impeccably polished silver, and that tea in the servant's hall will always be accompanied by one of Mrs. Bridges' delicious cakes (when she's not in a snit about being made to go to a lecture on wartime cookery). <
> No, the quality of the DVDs is not the best, but given a choice between owning it, with all its glitches and jumps--and not having it available at all--I'll take it. There are no problems distracting enough to make it unwatchable. This remarkable series has stood the test of time and truly shines. The fine writing, splendid acting and authentic sets involve the viewer in the stories to the extent that the minor jumps and glitches are unimportant. My only complaint is that Alistair Cooke's wonderful introductions are not included.

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Overpriced and overated ...... Viewer should expect more....
OK so the BBC in the 1970 decided to produce a long runnig series of the lives and loves of the decadent Edwardian rich, only problem, most of the unions in the production studios were on strike. So, do they wait to start work on the series when all the techs are back OR do they just go ahead and film the thing in B&W with poor sound etc etc .... <
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>Yup you guessed it .. they started the series in B&W cause the execs at BBC never really expected this series to take off. <
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>This may have been very good and well back in the 1970's but they should have explained it to the buyers of the DVD set that the first few DVD's of this box set are in B&W and really really bad production... It took me a while checking my equipment and the disks to realize what they did .. menu in colour and movie in B&W ... thanks! <
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>I sort of expected the DVD set to improve after disk three when it switched to colour but, trust me you could clearly see a substandard production of the 1970's .... I guess for the purists they did nothing to fix the production with today's modern sound, video enhancement programs/computers ... What you saw is what you got .... <
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>OK so I am really bugged out because I bought the box sets of 'The Forsythe Saga' and of 'Horatio Hornblower' series that were produced and published by the same BBC and A&E people, so you can probably understand why I was so so disappointed with this 'megaset' ..... <
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>The three star rating on this set is certainly deserved by the writing, scriting, casting and most certainly the acting ... the directors and the producers though should be punished....