Much better than "Downton Abbey"?

I think the plot was more interesting and the characters a lot deeper, while "Downton Abbey" is a bit "soapy" compared to "Upstairs, Downstairs".

I also watched this in the 70s and was a great fan back then. I watched Downton Abbey faithfully and have rewatched it several times. Now I am rewatching Upstairs Downstairs. I'm midway into series 1 and I have to admit that I am somewhat disappointed. It is not as engaging as I recall and I much prefer Downton Abbey.

I agree with you. DA is more soapy and less thought-provoking. I enjoyed it for what it was and endeavoured not to compare it to UD, which is my favourite show of all time, along with the West Wing and Mad Men.

DA has the venerable Dame Maggie Smith in it, which alone makes it worth watching in my opinion :-)

Yes it is.

Yes. Cora Crowley, the Countess of Granthem, as played by the lovely Elizabeth McGovern, had only two facial expressions - which were similar - both scrunched up as if she needed glasses. McGovern was also very poorly served by the hair and make-up artists. I do not believe the intention of the producers was to give the Countess such a horrid and dowdy appearance. I watched the show as long as I could; I enjoyed the costumes and accessories, the inside of "Downtown Abbey" (although I think the outer shell is almost obscene in its ugliness) the kitchen and yesteryear's way of food preparation, and discovering more of how an estate was run: even though the estate system was at its twilight.

I had wanted to see the original Upstairs Downstairs for over thirty years. Thank goodness for internet streaming because I found the show. UD is as great as I remembered. Including everything I liked about Downtown, UD also has superb acting talent, writers who keep me interested with well-written scripts, great directors, etc., etc. Perhaps I am a chauvinist, but this show isn't dated, other than the opening sequence. I originally saw UD on PBS - I believe most Americans at that time did as well - and I do miss the opening sequence with host Alistair Cooke.

"Think you'll ever get me out of your blood?" "Maybe not but love has got to stop short of suicide!"

Up/Down's war episodes are simply brilliant, IMO. There's a scene between James, home from the front on leave, and Hazel in which he tells her that the reality of the deaths of soldiers - with officers, himself included, repeatedly and per policy writing lies in letters to next-of-kin about their having been quick and painless - and the true state of the British military is nothing but whitewashed and glamorized propaganda; a total con. We see an ugly and bigoted side of Hudson, and of the "good people" of the neighborhood, and the "charity" of women such as Lady Prudence and her ilk is shown to be a farce performed at arm's length, while Hazel and Georgina really rise to the occasion. Very
powerful and enlightening stuff.

I liked Upstairs fownstars when it was on in the 70s, and i think on the whole it was better than Downton Abbey. I hwve never re-wqtched it though because the ending was so sad. But I think the downstairs characters in particular were superb. The main reason for wqtching Downton Abbey is maggie Smith, who is always entertaining, but generally it is not as good.

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