Return to Cranford - image gallery

Here are some images from the sequel to Cranford. We revisit Miss Matty and the ladies in the 2-part special which picked up where Cranford left off. While I had higher hopes for the sequel, it was still a worthwhile drama even though it didn't match up to the excellence of the original series. Return to Cranford introduced new characters including Jonathan Pryce, Celia Imrie, Lesley Sharp, Nicholas Le Prevost, Jodie Whittaker, Tom Hiddleston, Michelle Dockery, Matthew McNulty and Rory Kinnear.
Returning actors include: Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton, Julia Mackenzie, Deborah Findlay, Barbara Flynn, Claudie Blakley, Francesca Annis, Alex Etel, Emma Fielding, Jim Carter

Read more about "Return to Cranford"

Thanks to Sharona at Period Films for the great photos! I've resized these to have their width or length be at most 1000 pixels. If you desire larger, visit Sharon's site but please give her credit if used!

Screenwriter Heidi Thomas talks of Upstairs, Downstairs

"And so it came to pass that,

over a miniature cream tea served at 30,000 feet,
I first broached the subject of reviving 'Updown'."

Screenwriter Heidi Thomas expounds on remaking Upstairs, Downstairs:

"In two weeks' time, I will get the Christmas present of a lifetime. Upstairs Downstairs - one of the best-loved television programmes in history - is coming back. I'm so excited, I keep forgetting that I've written it myself. The revived Upstairs Downstairs begins with an empty house - 165 Eaton Place, former home of the Bellamys, has not been lived in for five years.

As Lady Agnes Holland, the new chatelaine, remarks: 'What a ghastly old mausoleum!' She gets the decorators in immediately. Over the course of the three-hour drama, a dozen new characters converge upon the house, and it becomes home to two distinct families..."

Read the entire article at Daily Mail

"Without Jean, we could not have made the sequel.
Jean is Rose, and Rose is Upstairs Downstairs."

"We whisked a glorious Humber limousine from under Madonna's nose
- she'd been after it for a film she was making. "

More information on UpDown

Upstairs, Downstairs: Interview with writer Heidi Thomas

Heidi Thomas discusses her task of writing the screenplay for Upstairs, Downstairs...

Other period dramas penned by her include:

Madame Bovary, I Capture the Castle, Cranford and Ballet Shoes

[Interesting to note that Eileen Atkins has been in more than one of Heidi's scripted dramas - she's acted in Madame Bovary, Cranford, Ballet Shoes and will now be onscreen in Upstairs, Downstairs!]

You're too young to have watched the original series but do you remember anything about it from your childhood?
I was quite young when the series first began, but my parents went out a lot at weekends and we had a lenient babysitter! From the third series onward, I didn't miss a single episode. What struck me most was the masterly depiction of the First World War and its aftermath, all seen through the lens of life at 165 Eaton Place. It was actually hugely educational, and sparked my passion for social history. However, when I rewatched the entire saga as an adult, I was surprised at the risqué nature of many of the storylines. It was all going on in Eaton Place, but I was so innocent that adultery, illegitimacy and homosexuality had all gone completely unnoticed!

Did you have fun creating such rich and lavish characters?
Creating and introducing the new inhabitants of 165 Eaton Place proved an engrossing and rather emotional experience. Like every other fan of the show, I have vivid memories of the Bellamys and their staff, and was aware that there were ghosts to cherish, and dispel. Downstairs, there were obvious roles that needed to be filled – a house like 165 needs a butler, a cook, a maid or two, a footman and perhaps a chauffeur. And that, in turn, demands a family upstairs with high standards and plenty of money.

But I never wanted just to clone the characters that had gone before. From the start, it felt right to have a younger couple at the helm of the house, and Sir Hallam's job at the Foreign Office was an obvious way to bring the tumultuous politics of the 30s centre stage. But the most exciting thing about writing drama is that once the broadest facts are in place, little unforeseen details about the characters start to spring up in a very organic way – for example the fact that Sir Hallam and Lady Agnes have been unable to have children, and so treat her younger sister Lady Persephone as a sort of surrogate child – a plan which hits the rocks at once!

Downstairs, putting the staff together proved rather challenging and piquant, as by 1936 servants were much harder to get hold of, and employers had to take what they could get! So I felt at liberty to put together a team of rather wonderful juveniles and eccentrics, some of whom would rather be anywhere else!

And, of course, the great thrill was to bring back the iconic character of Rose Buck. None of this would have been possible without Jean Marsh. Jean IS Rose, and Rose IS Upstairs Downstairs. Rose is now in her 60s, and not as robust as she was – but work is bred in her bones and she will keep on till she drops. I found this profoundly affecting, and sort of had my arm around Rose throughout the writing process. She is at once a unique and universal character – a principled, proud, sometimes vinegary spinster, who feels things deeply and never gives up. I loved Rose; I love her now. I hope it shows.

The series is set in a very tumultuous period. Your scripts very much reflect the external events of 1936 and how these events affect the residents of 165 Eaton Pl. You must have done some extensive research before and during your writing of the episodes?

I am passionate about history, especially when it is about the world 'writ small' – hingeing upon all the details of ordinary people's lives and experiences. I have a large collection of magazines, ephemera and housekeeping manuals, dating from 1803 to 1939, and these are always my first port of call when starting work on a period piece. Of course, the bigger points of history require heavyweight research, and for Upstairs Downstairs I spent some time in serious reading, again using many books from my own library. I do have my own researcher, Joanna, who can ferret out the most extraordinarily obscure pieces of information at short notice eg 'Help! I need a 1936 brand name for a really posh gas cooker!'

Once the writing of the scripts is underway, script editor Liz Kilgarrif double-checks every detail, and can source things like the precise wording of a radio broadcast on a specific date in the story. We also engaged a historical consultant, Juliet Butler, to make sure we had an academic overview.

What do you think it is about Upstairs Downstairs that people love so much? Is it the relationships, the characters, the storylines?
I think the lasting power of Upstairs Downstairs is rooted in its intimacy – it is about a very close-knit group of people who depend on one another for all things, but could not be more different. There are clashes of personality upstairs as well as down, but none of the individuals involved could last a day alone. To my mind, that is the very stuff of life, and we can all relate to it – but the world these characters inhabit is very different to ours, and the drama is therefore seasoned with escapism.

There is also a very strong message of equality in Upstairs Downstairs, which is often overlooked. Because the drama treats both rich and poor with an even hand, it says to the viewer 'Whether you drip with jewels and are swathed in furs, or are wrapped in a pinny and scrub until you hands bleed, your story really, really matters'. It respects and celebrates every aspect of human experience, and that is a powerful thing.

Did you have to change anything about the format of Upstairs Downstairs to tailor it for today's TV watching audience?
We were extremely keen to reference the tone and style of the original, and conferred closely with the series co-creators Jean Marsh and Eileen Atkins, and original producer John Witney, in order to make sure we got this right. This is a sequel, not a remake, or a rehash, and we wanted to preserve as much of the magic as we could. A great deal of the power of the original stemmed from the fact that so much of the drama was sparked by, and played out within, the walls of 165. We set strict limits on the amount of time we spent outside the house, and made sure that any exterior scenes – such as the spectacular recreation of the Cable Street riots – were justified.

It is all about finding a balance, however. In the original series, there was a tendency towards very long scenes that might feel slightly theatrical and slow to a modern audience, so we recalibrated this slightly, whilst striving to keep the drama detailed and satisfying. We also make use of incidental music, which wasn't a feature in the original series, and the sumptuous attention to visual detail is also new.

Do you think this new series will attract a new generation of Upstairs Downstairs fans?
Fans of the original are guaranteed a warm welcome, but there is a huge amount in it for newcomers too. We start with the arrival of brand new owners, and everything feels very fresh and vibrant. Eaton Place in 1936 has a real sweep and glamour – there are fabulous frocks, intense friendships, doomed love and, underneath it all, the cut and thrust of a very dangerous time in politics. Our characters range from Ivy the parlourmaid, aged 15 and reared in Barnardo's to Maud, Lady Holland – doyenne of the Raj and well into her 70s. The old series had fans of all ages and from all walks of life, and the sequel looks set to attract the same.

As an ensemble, do the cast work well?
Upstairs Downstairs is only partly about class; it is very much about family, and the way in which we relate to the people around us. So from the start, it was not just the individuals that were important, but the way they would connect with one another. And the actors really did gel, from the moment they first sat down and read the scripts together. Although I found it very funny, when – halfway through filming – I discovered that all the 'Upstairs' characters were in one hotel and all the 'Downstairs' characters were in another.

The sets are exquisite. What emotions did you experience when you first stepped on to them?
Never mind the sets – I cried when I saw the model! Set designer Eve Stewart likes to start with a doll's house style mock-up of the eventual design, and when I saw it I suddenly realised that yes – this was really going to happen. Upstairs Downstairs was really coming back. When finished, the sets literally took my breath away – everything was built on such a huge scale, and yet there was so much detail. They are also incredibly solid. I must confess that once or twice I sneaked into the entrance hall when nobody was looking and ran up and down the stairs pretending it was my house. I'd quite like to live there actually. We should rent it out for weekend parties!

Interview from BBC Press

photo of Heidi: BAFTA / Richard Kendal

More information on UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS

Upstairs, Downstairs (2010)

Character descriptions

&
cast interviews

"Set in 1936, this lavish three-part serial sees diplomat Sir Hallam Holland (Ed Stoppard) move into the iconic townhouse along with his wife, Lady Agnes (Keeley Hawes). With the help of former parlourmaid Rose Buck (Jean Marsh), they launch a new whole new era for the sumptuous home at the heart of Upstairs Downstairs.

As Lady Agnes remarks: "This house is going to see such life!"But storm clouds are gathering in Europe, and servants are no longer biddable and cheap. The Hollands' first year at Eaton Place does not unfold as either Lady Agnes or Rose anticipates.

The drama that results sets exquisite domestic detail against a sweeping historical backdrop. There may be two families living in 165 – one upstairs and one down – but their fates are intimately linked. Touching, funny, romantic and savage, the revived Upstairs Downstairs is set to enrapture a whole new audience."

To air BBC One: December 26, 27 and 28, 2010

To air on PBS Masterpiece: April 10, 17 and 24, 2011

Source: BBC Press

Jean Marsh (shown in original series), cast promo pic, Claire Foy on set

MORE INFO:
> Video: watch 3 preview clips from episode 1 (new)
> Video: view scenes in BBC's Christmas trailer
> Promo photos for Radio Times (new)
> Daily Mail: article by screenwriter HEIDI THOMAS (new)
> Daily Mail: Downton It Ain't (new)
> first photos of some of the cast in costume
> more photos from the set, BBC press release
> site dedicated to original series of Upstairs, Downstairs
> Daily Mail: photos of cast, similarities to Downton Abbey
> Telegraph: first article about casting of series
> Telegraph: Jean Marsh article Dec 16
>Ian Wylie: Dec 16 Preview and Q&A
> Interview: Eve Stewart, production designer
> Episode 1 Synopsis
> Episode 1 selected screencaps
> Screencaps for Episode 1
> Screencaps for Episode 2
> Screencaps for Episode 3
> More articles on UpDown (new)

> Interview with screenwriter HEIDI THOMAS

~ UPSTAIRS ~

Sir Hallam Holland, played by Ed Stoppard: The Master
Diplomat Sir Hallam appears to have everything. In his mid-30s, he has risen rapidly through the ranks of the Foreign Office, and has recently inherited not just 165 Eaton Place but a considerable fortune and a baronetcy. After a lonely childhood spent in boarding schools, he also has found deep love and solace with his wife Lady Agnes. However, he must also find room in his heart, and his home, for his formidable mother Maud, Lady Holland. The events of 1936 will challenge and change him in ways he could not have foreseen.
Read interview


Lady Agnes Holland, played by Keeley Hawes: The Chatelaine
The eldest daughter of the 12th Earl Towyn, Lady Agnes was reared in a very damp castle in Wales. Beautiful and aristocratic, she has never been well off. Despite financial hardship, and their failure to have children, her marriage to Sir Hallam has been happy and devoted. The sudden rush of new money thrills her, and she is determined to put her husband, and her home, at the heart of London high society. But even as her dreams come true, Lady Agnes is forced to digest unpalatable truths, and fight to preserve the things she holds most dear.
Read interview


Maud, Lady Holland, played by Dame Eileen Atkins: The Dowager
Maud, Lady Holland is Sir Hallam's mother, and one of the women who helped to build the Raj. A fiercely intelligent and complex woman, she spent her whole adult life in support of her husband, the late Sir Greville Holland, seeing him rise to the very top of the Indian Civil Service. Newly widowed, she returns to England to write her memoirs, and secretly hopes to build a new relationship with her grown-up son. But thirty years of distance are not easily undone, and there will be shocks and heartache along the way.
Read interview


Lady Persie Towyn, played by Claire Foy: The Debutante
Lady Persephone Towyn is the 20-year-old sister of Lady Agnes. Ravishing but gauche, she has been marooned in Wales due to lack of family funds – a situation Lady Agnes is delighted to reverse. But Lady Persie's lack of education, and the stimulation of the London scene, make for a highly combustible mix.
Read interview

~ DOWNSTAIRS ~

Miss Rose Buck, played by Jean Marsh: The Housekeeper
Rose Buck was the upper house parlourmaid at Eaton Place for almost forty years. Since 1932 she has eked out a living running a domestic employment agency – but a twist of fate brings Lady Agnes to her door. Initially engaged purely to recruit the servants for the Hollands, Rose soon proves herself indispensible to the running of the house. A business deal becomes an emotional adventure, and Rose returns, in triumph, as a permanent member of the staff of 165.
Read interview


Mr Pritchard, played by Adrian Scarborough: The Butler
Warwick Pritchard is sleek, discreet and quite beautifully spoken – but Rose has distinct reservations at first. Mr Pritchard comes to 165 Eaton Place after a lengthy career on the Cunard cruise ships, and has a reference from film star Errol Flynn. Teetotal and highly strung, his exacting façade conceals deep kindness and real integrity. As the downstairs family settles in, he gradually becomes the moral centre of the household – though he still has a few surprises up his sleeve.
Read interview


Mrs Thackeray, played by Anne Reid: The Cook
Clarice Thackeray is a widow. Passionate about her work, she expects the highest standards of herself and others. She follows the workings of high society through the pages of the Tatler, and even cuts out pictures of the family upstairs. Romantic and affectionate by nature, she is also nosey, judgemental and a monumental snob.
Read interview


Mr Amanjit, played by Art Malik: The Secretary
Educated, gentle, and imposing, Amanjit Singh comes to Eaton Place as secretary to Maud, Lady Holland. Having been in her service in India for many years, he is devoted to her welfare. Occupying a position that is neither upstairs nor down, he is at first a shadowy and isolated figure. However, he rose to his current position from very humble origins, and longs to be included in the servants' social world. Once he manages to break the ice, he becomes a welcome and respected member of their tribe.
Read interview


Harry Spargo, played by Neil Jackson: The Chauffeur
Good-looking and cocksure, Harry Spargo enjoys his position with Hollands, but resents the social system that keeps him there. He enjoys a cautious camaraderie with Sir Hallam, but this is put to the test by the events of 1936. His passionate nature and desire for easy fulfilment will take him into dark pastures, politically and emotionally.
Read interview


Ivy Morris, played by Ellie Kendrick: The Housemaid
Orphaned Ivy Morris comes to 165 from a Barnardo's home, where she was trained as a domestic servant. Just 15 years old, she is spirited, wilful, and likes red nail varnish and singing in the bath. Rose only hires her out of desperation, and has a hard time wrangling disobedience and tantrums. But Ivy, who has never had a proper home, knows she has found one in 165. She would never willingly risk her newfound security – but her hunger for love leads her, and others, into danger.
Read interview


Johnny Proude, played by Nico Mirallegro: The Footman
Aged 16, Johnny Proude was born in a mining village near Nottingham. He launches a career in domestic service in an effort to escape a life spent down the pit. Charming and hard-working, he is popular with the other servants – especially Ivy – but comes to 165 with a troubling secret that, once revealed, will shatter the whole household.
Read interview


Rachel Perlmutter, played by Helen Bradbury: The Parlourmaid
Rachel Perlmutter is a German-Jewish refugee who comes to 165 as the new parlourmaid, in May 1936. Reserved and sophisticated, Rachel knows little about basic household chores, but is determined to make the best of her circumstances. An unexpected friendship with Mr Amanjit has lasting consequences for both of them.

~ Other characters ~

HRH The Duke of Kent, played by Blake Ritson
Kent is new King Edward VIII's youngest brother, and Sir Hallam's closest friend. They shared some wild nights out when they were younger, but both have now settled into domesticity. As the Abdication scandal rises to a rolling boil, Kent leans on Sir Hallam for support – and 165 Eaton Place finds itself at the heart of a national crisis.



Joachim von Ribbentrop, played by Edward Baker-Duly
A German diplomat who answers directly to Hitler, Ribbentrop is out to solicit the British establishment. Charismatic and manipulative, Ribbentrop's flirtation with Lady Persie has significant repercussions for 165.





Anthony Eden, played by Anthony Calf
The Foreign Secretary, with whom Sir Hallam works closely at the Foreign Office. His personal opinions often run counter to the government policy of the day, and Sir Hallam finds his own political assumptions challenged.




Wallis Simpson, played by Emma Clifford
- the foreign visitor causing a stir will be the glamorous Wallis Simpson, the American divorcée for whom King Edward VIII abdicated.

Source: BBC Press