Four iconic British TV series — two from the seventies, two from the nineties. A little long in the tooth perhaps and lacking some of the bouncy lushness of a Bridgerton or Downton Abbey, but I like to think that these shows have a classic meets retro vibes feel that’s all their own.
~The House of Eliot Sisters Evie and Beatrice, brought up by a stick-in-the-mud father who gave them little in the way of niceties and education (their mother died giving birth to Evie) despite being an affluent physician, find themselves in dire straits when he dies. Turns out that he incurred many debts (there’s a story there) leaving his daughters with next to nothing. As both are handy with a needle and thread they begin to sew clothes to keep themselves afloat. To add some drama to their downfall they have a social climbing snob of an aunt with a pompous son (who just happens to be Evie’s guardian) to contend with. But the sisters struggle valiantly on against the world–and occasionally each other–until, with much pomp and circumstance, the House of Eliot is born. This is a rather soapy but glorious romp through the exquisite fashion and fabulous settings of the roaring 1920’s. It’s not all fun and games though — politics, social issues and crackly relationships have their roles to play as well. The House of Eliot may not be Oscar worthy, but it’s deliciously entertaining and completely addictive. Bonus: it may bring on the urge to open some bubbly, roll back the carpet and kick up your heels.
~Bramwell In 1895 Eleanor Bramwell is a pioneering female doctor working at the East London Hospital. In the opening scenes we see Dr. Bramwell attending the operation of a woman who is having her ovaries removed, because, well, she’s a little down in the dumps with melancholia and the men of the time thought that ovary removal was the perfect solution. Dr. Bramwell may be horrified at such a procedure but there is much clapping and jeering amongst the men in attendance. Later on she fights for the rights of a friend given syphilis by her husband which, ultimately, gets her fired from her job at the hospital and a dressing down from the arrogant chief of staff, Sir Herbert Hamilton, who is also pleased to assure her that the female brain — being smaller and weaker and all — is not suited to scientific matters anyway. Her father meanwhile, is a prominent physician who would love for her to join his practice but Eleanor is determined to help the poor, so when a sympathetic benefactor promises funding, Dr. Bramwell opens the Thrift Street Clinic in the slums of the East End. Working class Scot, Dr. Marsham, and the rather bossy and prissy Nurse Carr, join her in confronting all manner of dreadful issues while engaging in some rather gruesome doctoring. And Eleanor manages it all with aplomb, despite the enormity of her leg o’ mutton sleeves.
~Upstairs, Downstairs Before there was Downton Abbey there was Upstairs, Downstairs, the much beloved show which began in 1971 with half a dozen black and white episodes before switching to colour. According to the history books, it floundered on shelves for a while after being filmed (because someone of the time decided that no-one would be interested in watching a period piece let alone one that involved the servants) before going on to become a huge success. Mrs Bridges the cook, Hudson the butler, Rose and Sarah are amongst those downstairs who serve the upstairs Bellamys at 165 Eaton Place in fashionable Belgravia. Over the course of five series the show goes from 1903-1930, with events of the time —Titanic, WWI etc — finding their way into the Bellamy household along with plenty of social issues and such drama as throwing a dinner party for the future King of England. The story lines tend to be more sedate and less polished than Downtown but some might say it’s better off for it. The show was resurrected in 2010 with a new family moving into the empty house in the thirties. It’s well worth a look, but it was cancelled after two seasons due to low ratings. Unfortunately, despite its gloss and stellar cast it all fell a bit flat.
~The Duchess of Duke Street Larger than life Louisa Leyton has big dreams to become an excellent chef in 1890’s London. And with her cockney accent, bold as brass attitude and take no prisoners approach she stands a pretty good chance of rising through the ranks, despite her gender. And rise she does — from kitchen skivvy to cook under the tutelage of a snobbish Frenchman. She proceeds to make a name for herself, cooking for royalty and eventually owning an hotel. But the road is a bumpy one, littered with personal challenges, scandals, pompous aristocrats and lascivious men. Made by the creator of Upstairs, Downstairs the series has a strong pedigree and it was also based on a real life person by the name of Rosa Lewis, who apparently was no less of a character herself than Louisa. But while all the colourful drama is fun, my favorite bits are of the cooking in the kitchen–what the kitchen staff endured to produce those gloriously elaborate meals without the benefit of modern technology is truly miraculous.
