Rating: 
Summary: the saga continues
Review: The second season of UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS continues the saga of the Bellamy family of Eaton Place; their loves, losses and everyday life.At the end of the first season, young Elizabeth Bellamy (played by Nicola Pagett) was publicly humiliated at the hands of political activist Evelin Larkin (Georgia Brown), before marrying the handsome Lawrence Kirbridge (Ian Ogilvy) in a lavish ceremony... Season 2 includes the following episodes - "The New Man" - Elizabeth and Lawrence return from their honeymoon in Europe, and set up housekeeping in Greenwich. Rose (Jean Marsh) is on hand to make sure Elizabeth is well looked-after, but all is not well in their marriage. "A Pair of Exiles" - The erstwhile Sarah (Pauline Collins) confesses to her lover James Bellamy (Simon Williams) that she is carrying his baby. Sarah is then shipped off to Lady Marjorie's estate at Southwold for her confinement... "Married Love" - Elizabeth is angry and hurt that her marriage to Lawrence is still unconsummated, so Lawrence orgainises a discreet tryst between her and his publisher, Sir Edwin Patridge (Charles Gray). "Whom God Hath Joined.." - Elizabeth demands a divorce from Lawrence, but discovers that she is pregnant with Edwin's child. "Guest of Honour" - King Edward VII (played by Lockwood West) dines with the Bellamy family in this special episode, and Sarah makes a dramatic return to Eaton Place. "The Property of a Lady" - Thomas (John Alderton) and Sarah resort to drastic measures in order to help Lady Marjorie (Rachel Gurney) and the explosion of a secret from the past. This episode refers to events that took place in the season 1 episode "Magic Casements". "Your Obedient Servant" - Hudson (Gordon Jackson) has to think quickly when his brother and sister-in-law come to visit from India. Richard Bellamy (David Langton) endures a visit from his pompous elder brother (John Nettleton). "Out of the Everywhere" - Elizabeth gives birth to Edwin's child, and Nanny Webster (Daphne Heard) is sent up from Southwold to look after it. "An Object of Value" - When Lady Southwold (played by Cathleen Nesbitt) comes to visit, the servants get into an uproar when her antique brooch goes missing. "A Special Mischief" - Rose suffers a horrifying ordeal when she is mistakenly arrested as a suffragette. Elizabeth meets Julius Karekin (Donald Burton). "The Fruits of Love" - A sudden financial crisis threatens the Bellamy's gilded world, and Julius Karekin offers a solution for the future of Elizabeth. "The Wages of Sin" - Sarah is pregnant again, and this time Thomas is the father, though he cleverly avoids the blame and exploits the situation to his own advantage. "A Family Gathering" - Elizabeth breaks off her relationship, James returns from India with a new fiancee, Phyllis Kingman (played by Delia Lindsay), and Lady Marjorie's birthday celebration is interrupted by Thomas and Sarah. King Edward dies and the Bellamys all join together to mourn his passing. (This is the final episode for Elizabeth, Thomas and Sarah). Also starring Angela Baddeley, Patsy Smart, Christopher Beeny, Jenny Tomasin, Joan Benham and Dorothy Frere.
Rating: 
Summary: Defective DVDs in this series
Review: The third DVD in Series 1, was defective.
Now I find that the second DVD in Series 2 is also defective.
I wonder how many others I'll find defective in the five seasons I purchased.
Not at any price should such poor quality merchandise be sold, and I resent A&Es continuing to produce these defective DVDs.
Rating: 
Summary: Wondeful series horribly mastered
Review: This is a disgrace! This is a wonderful and unique series in television history mastered so poorly as to be nearly unwatchable. The second episode of the first volume actually jitters for the entire 50 minute length. A major step down from the well done first season set. If you don't care about artifacting and display quality, by all means buy a copy. But if you were looking for an even mediocre visual quality presentation, skip it. I pray they don't screw up Season 3 this badly!!!!!! A&E Home video should be ashamed of themselves for peddling such a dreadful presentation.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent British Drama
Review: This is a very good series. The period of Post Victorian England is well done. One of the few dramas that require a second, even a third viewing.
Rating:
Summary: --We all know our place...--
Review: This is the second season of Britain's award-winning Drama Series. The setting is London in the early 1900s. The House at 165 Eaton Place is headed by Lord and Lady Bellamy, who have their share of troubles with their adult children. -Below- are the faithful staff lead by Hudson, the butler and Mrs. Bridges, the head of the kitchen staff.
The opener shows the Bellamy's recently married daughter returning from a lengthy honeymoon. It is apparent that marital bliss has escaped the young bride's cheeks. A lay-about husband who spends lots yet earns nothing poses the greatest problem. Meanwhile young James Bellamy manages to run up an enormous gambling debt and gets a former servant turned show girl -in trouble-. That's just the -goosip- of the two opening episodes!
This series gained a worldwide following. Brutally honest in its depiction of the difference in classes, repeatedly refered to as -we all know our place-, we also see how the -haves- went over and beyond their call of duty to help out the -workers- and less fortunate people. At the same time, often more emphasis was placed on -honor- and -avoiding a scandal- than on human decency. Now nearly 100 years in the past, we would never accept the conditions many common people were expected to contend with.
This is frist rate drams and sure to please viewers, especially those who are partial to Post-Victorian life in England. I enjoyed watching this series in it's first run as a pre-teen, and I appreciate it even more as an adult.*****
Rating:
Summary: DVD transfer unacceptable.
Review: Unfortunately some of the material included in this series is almost unwatchable due to very poor picture and sound transfer. This was not the case in the commercial video release of the same material or in the cable TV screening shown recently here in Australia. The first series DVD transfer was not excellent, but it was better than this. I'd love to know what the British DVD transfer (only series 1 to date) is like in comparison. UPDATE 2004: The Australian DVD release of Series 2 has excellent picture and sound.
Rating:
Summary: DVD transfer unacceptable.
Review: Unfortunately some of the material included in this series is almost unwatchable due to very poor picture and sound transfer. This was not the case in the commercial video release of the same material or in the cable TV screening shown recently here in Australia. The first series DVD transfer was not excellent, but it was better than this. I'd love to know what the British DVD transfer (only series 1 to date) is like in comparison. UPDATE 2004: The Australian DVD release of Series 2 has excellent picture and sound.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous Classic TV
Review: When television was reaching for the stars this series which lasted 5 years was like a rocketship in the anals of entertainment. Thirty years later it is still totally absorbing, sophisticated, and fun to watch. It is a classic that my husband and I re-visited recently over a period of several months. If you missed Upstairs Downstairs in the '70's don't miss it now if you can help it. A combination of a British soap opera, classical drama and comedy, we got totally involved in the family upstairs, and the second family of servants, downstairs. It's a hoot.
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