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Arts & Culture

Masterpiece Classic: Upstairs Downstairs - Part One

(left to right) Eileen Atkins as Lady Maud Holland, Claire Foy as Lady Persie, Nico Mirallegro as Johnny Proude, Art Malik as Amanjit Singh, Ellie Kendrick as Ivy Morris, Neil Jackson as Harry Spargo, Keeley Hawes as Lady Agnes Holland, Ed Stoppard as Sir Hallam Holland, Adrian Scarborough as Mr. Pritchard, Jean Marsh as Rose Buck, and Anne Reid as Mrs. Thackeray in "Upstairs Downstairs"
Courtesy of ©BBC/MASTERPIECE Co-production
(left to right) Eileen Atkins as Lady Maud Holland, Claire Foy as Lady Persie, Nico Mirallegro as Johnny Proude, Art Malik as Amanjit Singh, Ellie Kendrick as Ivy Morris, Neil Jackson as Harry Spargo, Keeley Hawes as Lady Agnes Holland, Ed Stoppard as Sir Hallam Holland, Adrian Scarborough as Mr. Pritchard, Jean Marsh as Rose Buck, and Anne Reid as Mrs. Thackeray in "Upstairs Downstairs"

Airs Sunday, September 30, 2012 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV

The saga continues at 165 Eaton Place with new characters upstairs and down in a three-part sequel to the much-loved MASTERPIECE series from the 1970s titled "Upstairs Downstairs."

Original Series Tribute

Who were your favorite characters from the original "Upstairs Downstairs?" View a slideshow featuring the most beloved characters and relive some of the most iconic scenes.

Meet The Characters

From the masters to the maids, meet the main characters from "Upstairs Downstairs" and get brief biographies on the actors who portray them.

Production Designer Eve Stewart

View Stewart's design sketches and get insights on making over 165 Eaton Place for the new "Upstairs Downstairs."

Jean Marsh returns as Rose with a stellar cast including Dame Eileen Atkins (“Cranford”), Keeley Hawes ("MI-5"), Ed Stoppard (“Any Human Heart”), Claire Foy (“Little Dorrit”) and Ellie Kendrick (“The Diary of Anne Frank”). Set in 1936, the lives of masters and servants have never been so captivating. Laura Linney hosts.

In the first episode, Sir Hallam (Ed Stoppard) and Lady Agnes Holland (Keeley Hawes) move into 165 Eaton Place and hire former parlormaid Rose (Jean Marsh) to assemble a staff. The servants are soon put to the test during a party that threatens to destroy Sir Hallam’s career.

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This episode originally aired in 2011. Part two will follow on Sunday, Sept. 30, 2012 at 10 p.m. , and Part three will at air at 11 p.m.

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Series Preview: Masterpiece Classic: Upstairs Downstairs

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Watch Upstairs Downstairs: Eileen Atkins and Jean Marsh on PBS. See more from MASTERPIECE.

Secrets, scandal & seduction -- it's going to be a busy year for the residents of Eaton Place. Original series co-creators Jean Marsh and Eileen Atkins take you behind-the-scenes and preview "Upstairs Downstairs."
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Watch Keeley Hawes and Ed Stoppard on Inspiration from the Original Upstairs Downstairs on PBS. See more from MASTERPIECE.

Keeley Hawes and Ed Stoppard, stars of the new "Upstairs Downstairs," talk about how the original series served as inspiration for the new one.
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Watch Keeley Hawes and Ed Stoppard on Working with a Monkey on PBS. See more from MASTERPIECE.

"Upstairs Downstairs" has it all: high drama, compelling characters, tumultuous historical events...and a monkey! Watch as Eileen Atkins, Ed Stoppard, and Keeley Hawes affectionately describe their simian costar, Solomon, and find out more about the off-screen lives and history of monkeys. Solomon was actually portrayed by two Rhesus Macaques: Rosie and her understudy/stunt monkey, Poppy. Learn more about Rhesus Macaques and how one might have ended up in a lavish townhouse in 1936.