Today's dramas are a bit too flashy and cinematic for my taste, but what really gets my goat is the way they try to impose 21st century morals and mannerisms onto past generations. Happily none of that nonsense applied to the very classy Upstairs Downstairs which follows the fortunes of the Bellamy family and their servants from about 1903-1930. U,D cleverly juxtaposed the two 'families'; Richard Bellamy and Hudson were both traditionalists, Lady Marjorie and Mrs Bridges powerful matriarchs, and Elizabeth and Sarah were their rebellious offspring. Other strong characters included the caddish James Bellamy, the sensible Rose and poor, downtrodden Ruby. Cast members and events frequently came and went, but the real strength of Upstairs Downstairs was its historical accuracy and consistently excellent writing, and the show barely suffered at all when Lady Marjorie left at the start of series 3; in fact series 5 is probably my favourite, with the penultimate episode being arguably the best of the entire run. In 2010 the BBC revived Upstairs Downstairs but made all the mistakes i alluded to earlier, and it isn't a patch on the original - but then again very few tv shows are.
