Upstairs, Downstairs
BBC-1 | PBS | BBC | BB1 | Release Date: December 26, 2010
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
71
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 26 Critic Reviews
Positive:
19
Mixed:
7
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
San Francisco ChronicleDavid WiegandApr 8, 2011
Season 1 Review: The performances are precise and beautifully detailed, as are the characterizations in Thomas' script. Fans of the original series will see certain echoes in some of the characters in the sequel, but the echoes are faint enough to allow us our memories of, among so many others, Rachel Gurney and David Langton as the Bellamys, Angela Baddeley as the cook and Gordon Jackson as Hudson, who was so much more than just the butler. Read full review
100
Chicago Sun-TimesPaige WiserApr 7, 2011
Season 1 Review: Watching it was just bliss, and those of you who experienced the first five seasons in real time will probably enjoy it even more. Read full review
83
Boston HeraldMark A. PerigardApr 11, 2011
Season 1 Review: There were moments during the first two episodes in which I wondered if the series was doddering along like a blindfolded Miss Marple. Have faith. Each episode swings in unexpected directions. Read full review
80
New York Daily NewsDavid HinckleyOct 8, 2012
Season 2 Review: It's gripping stuff, seamlessly blending the larger tension of the world with the smaller dramas back at 165 Eaton. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalNancy DeWolf SmithOct 5, 2012
Season 2 Review: No sooner has Upstairs veered toward farce than it redeems itself, again and again. Read full review
80
Philadelphia InquirerJonathan StormApr 11, 2011
Season 1 Review: It's just a touch of the veddy, veddy humor that helps make everything so delightful before the world intrudes into Masterpiece Classic's revival of Upstairs Downstairs. Read full review
80
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob OwenApr 8, 2011
Season 1 Review: The new Upstairs gets off to a somewhat slow start in the first of three one-hour installments, but in its second and third episodes the dramatic engines rev as the political climate of the day begins to drive the story. Read full review
80
SalonMatt Zoller SeitzApr 8, 2011
Season 1 Review: These three new episodes, which premiered in Britain last year, are engaging, tasteful and very well-made. Read full review
80
The New York TimesAlessandra StanleyApr 7, 2011
Season 1 Review: Upstairs Downstairs sticks to the rules established by the original and defies the odds by being as good, and in some ways, even better. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyRay RahmanOct 5, 2012
Season 2 Review: The refurbished series isn't as sharp as the '70s original (one of the lead characters is a monkey), and the Hollands aren't as juicy as the Granthams (literally no Turks die during sex), but it's still a whole lot of fun to look at. Read full review
75
People WeeklyTom GliattoApr 5, 2011
Season 1 Review: Set on the eve of the 1936 abdication crisis, it has melodramatic bustle and tender affection for its characters--of all classes. [18 Apr 2011, p.46]
75
Entertainment WeeklyAubry D'ArminioApr 5, 2011
Season 1 Review: The acting is brilliant...But mostly it's just pretty people struggling with personal problems (love, money) and doing old-fashioned things (ironing newspapers) while historical events (George V's death) unfold. Read full review
70
VarietyBrian LowryOct 5, 2012
Season 2 Review: Soapy, well cast and boasting uniformly strong performances, the show's servant-class stories still don't measure up to more regal doings, [but] the series proves enjoyable. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesRobert LloydApr 11, 2011
Season 1 Review: While the narrative never quite coheres into a compelling whole, there are enough independently arresting, unexpectedly moving moments to carry you through, hopping from one to the next like stones in a river, on the way to a strenuously tidy conclusion. Read full review
70
TV Guide MagazineMatt RoushApr 11, 2011
Season 1 Review: With only three hours to develop character and story, it can't help but suffer by comparison to the Emmy-winning '70s series that helped put Masterpiece Theater on the map, as well as to the recent Masterpiece triumph of the similarly themed Downton Abbey. But there are considerable pleasures. Read full review
70
VarietyBrian LowryApr 8, 2011
Season 1 Review: After a slow start, the second and third chapters become pretty absorbing, showcasing a first-rate cast--including original series creators Eileen Atkins and Jean Marsh--and an interesting subplot regarding the growing Nazi threat in 1930s Britain. Read full review
70
Boston GlobeMatthew GilbertApr 7, 2011
Season 1 Review: With only three one-hour episodes, screenwriter Heidi Thomas needed more time to do full justice to the large cast of characters and the many historical and melodramatic story lines she set up. Read full review
67
Boston HeraldMark A. PerigardOct 8, 2012
Season 2 Review: At times, the show careens from black humor to near tragedy and then back again. Read full review
67
NewsdayVerne GayApr 7, 2011
Season 1 Review: This three-parter often lacks finesse and sophistication. The story is rushed or clumsily told, and the tone discordant....Watch for Atkins only. She's brilliant. Read full review
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