A Place in the World (Upstairs, Downstairs)
"A Place in the World" is the second episode of the fifth and final series of the period drama Upstairs, Downstairs. It first aired on 14 September 1975 on ITV.
| "A Place in the World" | |
|---|---|
| Upstairs, Downstairs episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 2 |
| Directed by | Christopher Hodson |
| Written by | Jeremy Paul |
| Production code | 2 |
| Original air date | 14 September 1975 |
| Episode chronology | |
| List of episodes | |
Background edit
A Place in the World was recorded in the studio on 23 and 24 January 1975, with the location footage having been filmed in Rotherhithe, London on 20 January.
Cast edit
- Gordon Jackson - Hudson
- Angela Baddeley - Mrs Bridges
- David Langton - Richard Bellamy
- Raymond Huntley - Sir Geoffrey Dillon
- Hannah Gordon - Virginia Bellamy
- Simon Williams - James Bellamy
- Christopher Beeny - Edward
- Karen Dotrice - Lily
- Gareth Hunt - Frederick
- Jenny Tomasin - Ruby
- Jacqueline Tong - Daisy
- Michael Logan - Arthur Knowles
- Ann Mitchell - Militant Woman
- Jay Neill - First Heckler
- Jack Le White - Second Heckler
- Derek Martin - Third Heckler
- Una Brandon-Jones - Mother
- Brian Nolan - Fourth Heckler
Plot edit
It is February 1920, and James writes a letter to The Times about the unemployment of former soldiers. Sir Geoffrey then tells James that Conservative Central Office were impressed and, after a bit of persuading, James agrees to stand in a forthcoming by-election for Parliament. The seat is Rotherhithe East, a safe Labour seat in the London Docklands. After initially ignoring his father's help, James is persuaded by Virginia to allow Richard to help him in the campaign. Richard and Virginia attend a campaign rally James is holding the day before the election, but James is verbally attacked by some members of the audience and the hall then descends into chaos. In the election, the Labour candidate gets 18,928 votes and James gets 7,369 votes. While Conservative Central Office is pleased with James' performance, James is disappointed and says he will not stand for Parliament again. However, he is pleased when Hudson tells him he reduced the Labour majority by 639 votes.
Meanwhile, Edward and Daisy visit downstairs. They are visibly experiencing financial hardship and Daisy has had a miscarriage. They leave in embarrassment after Edward argues with Mr Hudson when their poverty becomes clear. Soon after, Frederick delivers a pair of shoes to Daisy from Mrs Bridges, and Edward is enraged when she accepts them. In the meantime, Hudson has suggested to Virginia that she employ the couple. Daisy leaps at the chance when Virginia offers them jobs and the flat that goes above the garage; Edward accepts less enthusiastically. Edward becomes chauffeur and valet to James on a wage of £40 year, while Daisy replaces Rose as head parlourmaid on a wage of £35 a year. Rose, who is away from London following the death of her aunt, is to become Lady Bellamy's lady's maid.
Reception edit
James Murray reviewed A Place in the World for The Daily Express. He praised writer Jeremy Paul for injecting a "remarkable degree of insight". Murray said that "the confrontation made electrifying television" and the episode "rich and faultless". It ended his review by commenting that he could not see how LWT would be able "to snuff out the lives of the marvellous characters of Eaton Place" at the end of this series.
References edit
- Richard Marson, "Inside UpDown - The Story of Upstairs, Downstairs", Kaleidoscope Publishing, 2005
- - Upstairs, Downstairs Fansite