This was an enjoyable novelization of the BBC series' first season, the story of the upper and lower classes of Eaton Place, circa 1900. I had seen much of the television production, back in the 1970's, and was already familiar with the characters. However, I believe this book could also be appreciated by someone who'd not watched one installment of the original television show. ( )

Upstairs Downstairs is the novelisation of the iconic LWT series from the 1970s; this is the first book in the set and focuses on series 1, which seems to cover the period 1901-07/08.

Series producer John Hawksworth essentially uses the scripts from most of the first series to make up the novel, although there are couple of notable exceptions, which makes for a bit of a gap in the running story threads when compared to the televised version. There's some attempt to flesh-out the characters, but by-and-large the book suffers from the same problems that most novels of original television series do, namely there's a surfeit of dialogue and very little description of the characters' inner world. This means that motivations for key actions are sometimes difficult to understand, and it often feels as though each chapter is merely a series of set piece action points, with little in the way of overall plot to link it all together. I found the habit of individual characters coincidently turning up at vital moments a bit irritating, but as I say, this reflects the drama's origins as a TV production; without a major re-write it would have been tricky for Hawksworth to get the book to flow smoothly and seamlessly.

There are also a few inconsistencies and errors, for example, at one point we are told that Richard Bellamy has been in politics for over 50 years, but this would have been chronologically impossible unless he'd become an MP at the age of five! Still, this is a quick, escapist read that will bring back many happy memories of one of British television's finest ever dramas.

© Koplowitz 2013 ( )

Upstairs Downstairs is the story of the fictional Bellamy family, an upper-class Edwardian family, and their servants.

This book is based on the television series that aired in the 1970's.

Even though I don't recall ever seeing the series, there were no real surprises. Both the Bellamys and their servants were locked rigidly into their class roles. There were inevitable rebellions from both classes, while most accepted their lot without complaint, and some even thrived in that system.

I watched the sequel that aired back in April, and it got me in the mood to read this book. I quite enjoyed it, even though books based on television series or movies are almost never well-written, and this was no exception. ( )

Easy listening.

These CDs were enjoyable, easy listening, perfect for car journeys and not too riské for young childrens' ears.
I wish I had seen more of the original series, shown at a time when I was living away from home with no TV access.

Joan Marsh was an excellent narrator - she spoke very clearly and I don't think missed a single word. I initially found her very BBC accent a little difficult to get used to but once the characters overtook the narration it ceased to be a problem.

The action unfolds, as the title suggestes, both in the living areas of the wealthy ownwers, Lady and Mr Bellamy, and below ground amongst their servants. All sorts of intrigue takes place on both levels and although you probably won't keep driving round and round the ring road just to get to the end, it is very entertaining.

This reading is certainly interesting historically, but it was the characters that kept me listening. I was also gratified that Sarah, who disappeared early on, reappeared for her story to be wrapped up. The whole thing is an elegant time-warp soap and I would happily listen to a sequel. ( )