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Post by MS on Jun 18, 2012 23:08:57 GMT -5
A Faraway Country About Which We Know Nothing: Season 7 opener. Neither Jean Marsh nor Eileen Atkins appears here. Jean Marsh could not attend filming as she suffered a stroke and a heart attack and had to be hospitalised. Her incapacity is reflected on her character Rose as an explanation for her absence. Eileen Atkins decided not to return as Maud Holland as a result of being dissatisfied with her character’s development. Maud is therefore written to have died off-screen since the previous season. The previous season took place in 1936 and aired in 2010 and the passage of the time in the series reflects the passage of time in the real world with this season which was aired recently this year 2012 taking place in 1938. In place of the late Maud Holland is her half-sister Blanche Mottershead played by Alex Kingston. Just like Alex Kingston’s Doctor Who character River Song, Blanche Mottershead is an archaeologist. Despite the aforementioned changes to the series, A Faraway Country About Which We Know Nothing is an enjoyable opener for season 7 including the secret about Mr Pritchard.
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Post by MS on Jun 24, 2012 15:38:28 GMT -5
The Love That Pays the Price: Season 7, Episode 2. Quite remarkable that a pre-US President John F Kennedy gets to be depicted in this episode in Eaton Place thanks to the fact that he was in Britain in 1938 due to the fact that his father Joseph (also depicted here by William Hope along with Rose Kennedy, Joe’s wife and Jack’s mother) was US Ambassador to Britain at this time. A future US President once gracing his presence at 165 Eaton Place is remarkable indeed. Moving storyline about the refugee children. Also appearances from Lucy Cohu and Miles Richardson, the first of two appearances from the former. Surprised seeing Michael Landes here. Wonder what are the chances of him appearing in another British series say Doctor Who perhaps. Really painful seeing Mrs Thackery living with her nephew and his family.
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Post by MS on Jul 1, 2012 2:22:50 GMT -5
A Perfect Specimen of Womanhood: Season 7, Episode 3. Emilia Fox appears here as Blanche’s lover Portia Alresford. She looks good as a redhead and she is indeed A Perfect Specimen of Womanhood. I really hate Persie for what she has done here. Due to her incapacity during most of the filming of this season, Jean Marsh appears here briefly as Rose in the first of two episodes of this final season.
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Post by MS on Jul 7, 2012 19:34:22 GMT -5
All The Things You Are: Antepenultimate episode. Written by Steve Thompson. Lucy Cohu makes the second and last appearance as Sylvia Fuller. Agnes looks good as a model. Everyone sees a boxing match but the fighting wasn’t limited in the ring. Really disliked both Hallam and Persie here.
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Post by MS on Jul 14, 2012 17:36:21 GMT -5
The Last Waltz: Despite the title this is not quite the last waltz as this is only the penultimate episode. Guest stars Sarah Lancashire. Unfortunately a certain history of Pritchard's which had been revealed before has come back to really hurt him this time around. Amusing the name Admiral Acronym. This was in reference to a real life person but the nickname was something that was made up for the series due to the person's really long name and referring to him in a shorten form. One of the servants dresses up as Robin Hood while another as Maid Marian. The latter evoked reference to Olivia de Haviland who had played her in The Adventures of Robin Hood released in 1938 the year The Last Waltz takes place in. Shocking that Spargo resorted to blackmail in order for him and Beryl to go to the States and quite a shock for Beryl to find out about Spargo and Persie.
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Post by MS on Jul 21, 2012 20:39:21 GMT -5
Somewhere Over The Rainbow: Series finale. The episode title refers to the song from The Wizard of Oz released in 1939 which is when this episode takes place in and the song is played during the episode. As this ultimately became the series finale afterwards it was quite fortunate that Jean Marsh managed to make her last appearance as Rose here. Really had no sympathy with Persie as she falls to her death just as she was about to be arrested. Glad that Spargo return the money. The episode and series ends with an air raid and not bad to finish the series off with and what becomes of the characters during the Second World War is anyone’s guess.
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Post by MS on Jul 29, 2012 1:41:30 GMT -5
Playing Mr Pritchard in the last two seasons was Adrian Scarborough.
His previous credits includes Gosford Park & The King's Speech and both took place in the 1930s just like the last two seasons of Upstairs, Downstairs.
His casting in Upstairs, Downstairs may have something to do with Gosford Park which he was in some years beforehand as that had a upstairs, downstairs-type situation.
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Post by MS on Aug 26, 2012 13:56:34 GMT -5
Playing Mr Pritchard in the last two seasons was Adrian Scarborough. His previous credits includes Gosford Park & The King's Speech and both took place in the 1930s just like the last two seasons of Upstairs, Downstairs. Been having another look at The King's Speech and Scarborough only appeared in the scene that took place in 1925. So he was almost in the 1930s in The King's Speech.
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Post by MS on Jul 28, 2023 3:41:55 GMT -5
Saw the movie The Incredible Sarah (1976) and it featured David Langton and Simon Williams and they had previously played father and son in Upstairs, Downstairs (1971-75) and that series had ended its run on December 21 1975 almost a year before the release of The Incredible Sarah.
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