Upstairs Downstairs-Series 4 (1974)

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General		Extras
Category	Drama	None
Rating
Year Of Production	1974
Running Time	655:37 (Case: 676)
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Multi Disc Set (4)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Bill Bain Derek Bennett Cyril Coke Lionel Harris
Studio Distributor	Universal Pictures Home Video	Starring	Charlotte Bingham Julian Bond Raymond Bowers Terence Brady Maureen Duffy John Harrison John Hawkesworth Elizabeth Jane Howard Deborah Mortimer Jeremy Paul Alfred Shaughnessy Rosemary Anne Sisson Anthony Skene
Case	?
RPI	$79.95	Music	Alexander Faris Martin Case Barbara Bates

    Season Four is without a doubt the finest of the five seasons of Upstairs Downstairs. There are several factors that contribute to this but probably the greatest of these is the historical backdrop against which this season is set. The start and the end of World War I bracket this season and provide an extremely rich section of history against which we see our characters.

    It brings this section of history, one of the darkest in modern history, to life as we follow through the effects of the war on the many characters. It also makes it somewhat more personal - if you have been following along in the previous seasons you cannot help but become attached to some of the characters and this adds great impact to what you are viewing. We see the impact on the three main sections of the British society of the times. Richard Bellamy takes us through the impact on the parliament and also though the impact a parent feels when their child goes off to war. James Bellamy gives us an insight into the life of an officer in the British military. One of the most fascinating transformations is that experienced by the young Miss Georgina when she finds herself transported from the ballrooms of the aristocratic upper class to a field hospital in France in the middle of some of the most bloody fighting that was seen in that war. The wife's part is shown from a number of perspectives of both upper and lower classes. Downstairs there is the tension of seeing some of their number join the war effort directly and also the impact of the jobs that were either created (war munitions factories) or opened to women for the first time as all the men were overseas.

Some lighter moments are built around Mrs Bridges' discovery of the 'war diet' and the need to be creative in the kitchen in these hard times. The social commentary does not cease and some of the stories that revolve either around refugees from the continent or from the plight of English nationals of German descent are particularly hard hitting.

    This was one of the most turbulent times in British history - all the rules governing society were under strain in one form or another. On the battlefield class was broken down, and back home there were jobs for any woman that wanted one - in fact, there were advertising campaigns telling women that this was their patriotic duty. I wouldn't wonder if the war did more for women's rights than the previous suffragette movements and other political organisations. There are also moments that make you shudder, such as one rich woman complaining that she was short of servants because the government introduced conscription and took her best people. Again, the social turmoil adds to the backdrop and rich tapestry that makes up this season.

    All of the transformations are played wonderfully well by their respective actors and it was nearly impossible to simply watch one episode on a particular night as each led into the other and was such riveting viewing that you simply had to watch just one more. This is British period drama produced by the BBC at its very finest.

A Patriotic Offering (49:24) The menu title for this episode is wrong - it incorrectly titles it "A Patriot Offering". Lady Prudence imposes on the Bellamys to take in a family of refugees, one of the large number streaming in from the continent, in this case from Belgium. Of course she promises that only the better class of refugee will be sent to them. This turns out not to be true and as we learn about these refugees and their plight we start to understand just what this war is going to be like.

News from the Front (50:45) James is home on leave from the war and describes the terrible conditions, in particular the woeful lack of support that the British army is receiving in the field. This is a little indiscreet as those at the dinner party are all members or supporters of the 'loyal opposition' and just looking for ammunition to use against the government. This lands James in lots of hot water.

The Beastly Hun (51:23) The terrible treatment of British nationals that just happen to have recent German ancestry is shown in this episode along with the anti-German propaganda that was being circulated in England at this time.

Women Shall Not Weep (49:56) The changes in British society are brought to prominence in this episode as Ruby announces her resignation so that she can work in a munitions factor (at a far better wage than she is receiving now) while Georgina starts her journey as a volunteer nurse. At the same time there is a lighter note, though tinged with worry over the war, injected by a wedding.

Tug of War (49:22) James is again on leave but this time he is frustrated by his behind the lines staff job. Hazel does a wonderful job portraying the tension created by wishing James happy as opposed to him being safe behind the lines.

Home Fires (51:12) Our intrepid and egalitarian Aussie makes a reappearance fresh from the battle of Gallipoli. He is in a confused state thanks to the war and wishes to see Rose again but is unsure just where to take the relationship.

If You Were The Only Girl In The World (50:37) Hazel is attracted to a young pilot she meets at a tea party for wounded officers. She spends the rest of his leave with him. Hazel has always felt a little out of place in her position within the upper society in which she has found herself - some of the attraction to this dashing young pilot is that they come from a similar background.

The Glorious Dead (50:22) We move on to some of the strongest and most harrowing episodes of this season as death strikes at the loved ones of those living at the Bellamy residence.

Another Year (51:02) Even those that return physically in one piece will carry the scars of the war for a very long time. Edward returns home suffering badly from shell shock.

The Hero's Farewell (49:49) Perhaps the producers of the show were a little worried about the level of drama in the episodes surrounding this one. A more light-hearted episode outlining an attempt to produce an 'historical tableaux' - a series of static skits with costumed members portraying a scene from history as a fundraiser for the Red Cross. While light-hearted, the war again intrudes when the Bellamy residence is involved in a bomb raid.

Missing Believed Killed (50:19) Hazel and Richard are suffering the dreaded unknown after the receipt of a telegram, one of the most feared types of messages during the war as it usually came from the war department signalling a death. In this case, James is missing in action, presumed dead.

Facing Fearful Odds (50:31) Virginia Hamilton approaches Richard directly for aid in setting up a fund to help the families of naval personnel that have been killed in the war. He is rather short with her until he is hauled over the coals by his superiors. After warming to her he discovers that her son is up for courtmartial. We see here the treatment of near children that are being used as soldiers or in this case naval officers.

Peace out of Pain (50:54) The Great War, the war to end all wars, is drawing to a close and a sigh of relief sounds throughout the land. Unfortunately, there is one other great historical event that intrudes on this year in history. The great flu pandemic called the 'Spanish Flu' strikes, killing somewhere between 20 and 100 million people across the globe, and one person in the Bellamy residence.

Video

    Presented at its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio, the image quality is of the same order of magnitude as the previous season.

    Sharpness is acceptable for close-ups but fades rapidly on longer shots. There is quite a bit of low level noise present. Shadow detail is workable but could be better in places.

    Colours are lacking saturation overall but this is only to be expected. The colours are also affected by the low level noise triggered by the video signal noise present in the source material.

    While the MPEG artefacts continue, unless you are sensitive to blocking they are not as noticeable as the occasional tearing in the video image, most probably a videotape error from the source material. These occur on average about every 5 minutes.

    There are no subtitles on these discs.

    All four discs are RSDL discs and there are mid-episode layer changes on three of them (those with three episodes); Disc 1: 29:35, Disc 3: 19:56 and Disc 4: 30:28. All are well placed and not intrusive.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    Dialogue quality is good as is the audio sync.

    Music only accompanies the opening and closing credits.

    The surrounds and subwoofer were not used by this series.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Menu

    Content across the regions appears identical. The R4 version remains the pick as R1 reviews report transfer problems.

    Absolutely riveting viewing, fantastic stories, great acting and a lesson on one of the most interesting periods of modern history. Combine this with an excellent social commentary and that makes this series compulsory viewing for those that enjoy period dramas.

    The video is affected by age and source material limitations.

    The audio is good.

    There are no extras.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall