Only reason for 9 rating the last series-they should have aged other characters as well as James.I also think they should probably have stayed in the Edwardian era but that's another matter. Otherwise-finest drama series ever made by ITV. I'd last to have had sixth series-say the fifth including Hudson dying of a sudden heart attack,Georgina marrying earlier and maybe having an affair with the Prince of Wales, William and Alice growing up-say William expelled from Eton for the usual reason and taken up by James, end series with death of Richard.Sixth series occupying thirties with James Lord Bellamy-end with his being killed and house destroyed in BVlitz.

The best of the best but I can only give it a 9. I'd rate Upstairs Downstairs a 10 if not for the awful acting abilities of Meg Wynn Owen. I haven't seen any of her other work but her portrayal of Hazel is bewildering. I wonder if the character is supposed to be so odd in her halting speech and mannerisms.

We watched all five series back to back and what a wonderful experience it was. One really got to know some of the characters and could see where the story was going (although there were definitely some sad surprises).No wonder this was so highly rated and so highly watched during its release days.You get a really good sense of what life was like in service, and the type of people that did well in that role. A totally different lifestyle to what we are used to today and certainly not one that I would enjoy.Its sad that many of the actors in this series have now passed away.

Probably the best TV series ever! For someone Anglophile like me it is the perfect time machine to enter a typical household of the Victorian/Edwardian era. Although it shows an "upper class" household, the focus is on the "downstairs" personnel. The problems and stories of the kitchen maidens, footmen etc are much more colorful and sympathetic than the actions of "her ladyship" and Lord Bellamy upstairs. Nevertheless absolutely all characters are designed thoroughly, sympathetic and authentic. Furthermore this series shows a sort of real "theater" which has left TV long time ago and will never appear again! Long close-ups which show the affection of every actor, long dialogs with full sentences and - long pauses between them to enable the actors and the viewer to reflect everything. In addition the fine set design, the costumes, the "funny stuff" around, for example an early - hand-crafted! - vacuum-cleaner! Another extraordinary fact is the combination of fictional characters with real history: Everything finds its way into the story, the death of Queen Victoria, the Titanic Disaster, WW I, the Spanish Influenza, Wall Street and so on. A period of nearly 30 years is described, and with the last episode you are crying, just because you wish to know how everything will continue... But, that was a lack of this absolutely brilliant series: The main characters hardly age during the decades! Butler Hudson and cook Mrs. Bridges for example are already "old people" in the first episode, playing 1901. In the last episode - 1929 - they have not changed in any way, they even plan to "start a new life", running a small guest-house. After having seen it in German TV, where several episodes are not shown, I bought the complete DVD edition and can only recommend this to everyone!