The house on Eaton Place
| Television series | |
|---|---|
| German title | The house on Eaton Place |
| Original title | Upstairs, downstairs |
| Country of production | Great Britain |
| original language | English |
| Year (s) | 1971-1975 |
| length | 50 minutes |
| Episodes | 68 in 5 seasons |
| genre | drama |
| idea | Jean Marsh , Eileen Atkins |
| production | John Hawkesworth |
| music | Alexander Faris |
| First broadcast | October 10, 1971 on ITV |
| German-language first broadcast |
July 12, 1975 on ZDF |
| occupation | |
| |
The English series Das Haus am Eaton Place (original title: Upstairs, Downstairs ) was one of the most successful series on English, American and German television . The series, produced from 1971 to 1975, describes the life of the Bellamy family in London and their servants between 1903 and 1930.
Producers and authors placed great emphasis on attention to detail and a realistic depiction of the employees and the family during production. Historical events formed the basis on which the various experiences of the characters were told. The time span ranged from King Edward VII of England to the First World War and the political upheaval of the 1920s to the stock market crash in autumn 1929. The plot of the series ends in the summer of 1930.
In December 2010, BBC One aired a three-part sequel to the series. The story continues with the entry of diplomat Sir Hallam Holland and his wife Lady Agnes into the house on Eaton Place in 1936.
In February and March 2012 the BBC showed a six-part sequel to the series (English title Return to the House at Eaton Place ). It is set in the period just before World War II .
action
The Bellamys and their domestic servants lived in a five-story townhouse at 165 Eaton Place, Belgravia , London , in the early 1900s . The Bellamy family consists of Richard Bellamy ( David Langton ), his first wife Marjorie, who dies in the sinking of the Titanic , and their two children, James and Elizabeth. Richard's second wife Virginia, James' wife Hazel, who died from the Spanish flu (1918–1920), and Georgina Worsley ( Lesley-Anne Down ), the cousin of James and Elizabeth, later live in the household .
The most famous domestic servants are Angus Hudson, the butler , played by Gordon Jackson , Mrs. Kate Bridges, the cook , played by Angela Baddeley , Rose Buck, the house maid , played by Jean Marsh , the kitchen maid Ruby Finch, played by Jenny Tomasin , the servant Edward Barnes, played by Christopher Beeny , and the maid, Daisy Peel, played by Jacqueline Tong , who later married Edward.
background
The house on Eaton Place was five seasons or 68 episodes long. The idea for the series comes from the actresses Jean Marsh (house maid Rose) and Eileen Atkins , the series was developed by John Hawkesworth . The house on Eaton Place was one of the first series to be videotaped, although many of the exterior shots were made on conventional film. The first six episodes were only shot in black and white due to a technician's strike. When color production was possible again during the shooting of the first season, the pilot film was produced again in color, in two versions. One of them was extended by an important detail from episode three ( Board Wages : chambermaid Sarah leaves the house) - in the event that a broadcaster refused to show episodes two to six, which are still only available in black and white.
The cast were some of the UK's most renowned actors and the series became a huge hit with both critics and viewers worldwide. Numerous prizes, including eight Emmys , have been awarded to the series. Queen Elizabeth II stated in 1975 that this was her favorite series and that the cook “Mrs. Bridges "please.
All interior shots of "The House on Eaton Place" were shot in the studios of London Weekend Television. This is where the servants' and master's wing sets were built. The actual room layout of the houses on Eaton Place is very different from what is suggested in the series. A corresponding house at Eaton Place at number 65 was used for the exterior shots. In order to protect the privacy of the residents at the time, the series became house number 165. The production team wrote an additional "1" on the facade of the house. before the number 65.
German version
In Germany, only 52 episodes of the 68 produced were broadcast. All episodes were also shortened to meet the length of 43 minutes requested by ZDF . In the original, the episodes were usually 50 minutes long.
One of the episodes not shown is I Dies from Love . The episode takes place in 1907 when Lady Van Groeben returned from South Africa. The Irish kitchen helper Aoibhinn (translated "beautiful shine"), played by Evin Crowley , is only called Emily in the house on Eaton Place. She falls in love with William, played by Tom Marshall , Lady Van Groeben's personal servant. William returns their love and they want to get married. However, the employers forbid the relationship. Because Aoibhinn (Emily) is madly in love with William, she hangs herself in her attic. In this episode, Aoibhinn (Emily) always sings the old folk song The Butcher's Boy , the melody of which is also taken up by the film music and spans the arc to the end of the episode and even forms the title of the same I Dies from Love . As in Why is the door locked? (Why is Her Door Locked?) Is referred to Emily's fate, according to the German dubbing, she ran off with her lover. Is again in the wake A voice from the past (A Voice From The Past) reference is made to Emily's death (played by as Sarah Moffat Pauline Collins ) as a medium outputs and the spirit of the deceased Aoibhinn (Emily) as part of necromancy in call a spiritualistic meeting with all servants. Mrs. Kate Bridges, played by Angela Baddeley , cries and begs Emily to forgive her. She had viewed Emily as a daughter she never had. When Emily commits suicide, Mrs. Bridges feels responsible for always berating Emily. She feels guilty and tortures herself with self-blame.
At the unshown episodes include Roses Dove ( Rose's Pigeon ) and Adequate marriage ( A Suitable Marriage ), in which the Baron Klaus von Rimmer (played by Horst Janson ) and his manservant Alfred Harris (played by George Innes ) a homosexual relationship to lead. This is the only time a German appears (Horst Janson).
The release of the series on DVD in Germany, which began in October 2006, only includes the episodes that were broadcast on ZDF at the time. The cut version was also retained. The missing scenes are to be selected as a "bonus". In April 2012, the label Fernsehjuwelen released the entire first three seasons, including the scenes cut by ZDF and the episodes never shown in Germany before, on DVD. In June 2012, the release of the remaining two seasons followed.
Novels for the TV series (novelization)
In England from 1972 to 1975 a novel for the TV series was published by Sphere Books Ltd., London, for each season, with the last season filling two novels. The German edition was published by Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag:
The house on Eaton Place - portrait of an English family
- Volume 1: Portrait of a family (English Upstairs, Downstairs or The Secrets of an Edwardian Household ) by John Hawkesworth (1920-2003) (rororo paperback 1937).
- Volume 2: The women of the Bellamys ( In My Lady's Chamber ) by John Hawkesworth (rororo paperback 1938).
- Volume 3: The Years of Change by Mollie Hardwick (1916–2003) (rororo-Taschenbuch 1939).
Volumes 1–3 were also published as a bound edition in one volume under the title Das Haus am Eaton Place by Schneekluth-Verlag, Cologne ( ISBN 3-7951-0317-7 ).
- Volume 4: For King and Fatherland ( The War To End Wars ) by Mollie Hardwick (rororo-paperback 1952, ISBN 3-499-11952-8 ).
- Volume 5: Dornen im Siegerkranz ( On With The Dance ) by Michael Hardwick (rororo-Taschenbuch 4160, ISBN 3-499-1-4160-4 ).
- Volume 6: Endings and Beginnings by Michael Hardwick (rororo-Taschenbuch 4194, ISBN 3-499-14194-9 ).
Web links
- Upstairs, Downstairs in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The house on Eaton Place at Fernsehserien.de
- The English homepage for the series
- Episode guide (German)
- List of episodes at Episoden.tv ( memento from April 18, 2013 in the web archive archive.today )