Pauline Collins

It's 1936, and six years since parlor maid Rose left Eaton Place, fate brings her back as housekeeper to its new owners, Sir Hallam and his wife Lady Agnes. Rose soon finds she has her work cut out as she recruits a new 'downstairs' family to help run the elegance and finery if the 'upstairs' world, it soon becomes apparent there lies a labyrinth of secrets, lies and scandal.

Set in the year preceding World War Two, 165 Eaton Place reopens its doors and welcomes viewers back into the enthralling lives of its inhabitants, both upstairs and down. With both upstairs and downstairs harboring life-changing secrets and the menace of war creeping even closer, the smooth running of Eaton Place threatens to come crashing to a shattering halt.

Set between 1903 and 1909, Series 1 introduces Sir Richard Bellamy and his elegant wife, Marjorie, who reside upstairs with their dissolute son, James, and headstrong daughter, Elizabeth. Living and working downstairs are Hudson, the proper butler; Mrs. Bridges, the garrulous cook; the calm and watchful maid Rose; and many more.

Upstairs: the wealthy, aristocratic Bellamys. Downstairs: their loyal and lively servants. For nearly 30 years, they share a fashionable London townhouse, surviving social change, scandals, and the horrors of the First World War. The most popular British drama series in TV history won 7 Emmys, a Golden Globe, and a Peabody.