I still have all six episodes on my planner to watch but so far only seen half of episode one. Couldnt really get into it. There some weird story about a dead monkey! My friend said the whole series was disappointing so may not bother with it. For me the original series will never be bettered. In time this new version will be forgotten but the original will still be remembered.
I'm a bit disappointed by Heidi Thomas' reaction, to be honest. I adore her work, but feel that her response disrespects the history of the show and the actors, particularly Jean Marsh who loves the show.
If she was too busy, someone else could have taken over. One of the episodes was written by another writer who did a marvellous job, so I'm sure other writers of a similar calibre could be found.
I am also a little sad UD has been dropped - the new series would have been set during WWII so it wouldn't have been that difficult to find good storylines. It could have ended with the house closing down in 1945 and them all going their separate ways - so you had proper closure.
I actually found the last 15 mins of the final UD episode some of the best things I have seen in a UK drama for quite some time. Surely they could have found another writer - who clearly may have been stretched doing both this and Call the Midwife at the same time. But the BBC are getting like a commercial channel - most things get one series and are dropped.
For anyone who is interested the series 2 DVD goes on sale tomorrow - its £12.99.
I still have all six episodes on my planner to watch but so far only seen half of episode one. Couldnt really get into it. There some weird story about a dead monkey! My friend said the whole series was disappointing so may not bother with it. For me the original series will never be bettered. In time this new version will be forgotten but the original will still be remembered.
Ah, the favourite tradition of having strong opinions on something you have not seen ? If I gave up after half of any less than good episode I would never watch anything !! The monkey was a curious tale but the original UD had some poor episodes too, its the nature of TV.
The trouble is that it paled in comparison to the original which was loved around the world. Luckily we can still watch that on ITV3. In years to come, the ITV series will be enjoyed by new generations. The BBC episodes will be long forgotten.
For me, your point is on the money. I didn't like the new series and thought it was mistakenly conceived and improbably plotted. And it was always going to suffer against the original which was a masterpiece.
There was the odd bit that had me glued to the screen, but I thought it was boring/just about watchable for the most part. Then it really started to pick up a bit towards the end of the final episode and I would have really liked to have found out what happens to most of them next. At which point, they've decided to finish it... and so nothing does.
The effect would have been the same if all those weeks had been used as a vehicle for the Duke of Kent to set the scene for The Marcel Marceau Radio Hour.
Upstairs need at least one more season to get us to the end of World War 2.
As Wild at Heart is now going maybe ITV should do the last season.
So that's two Sunday shows I follow gone.
And unless something big comes to ITV Downton is the only thing I watch on ITV except some football (Chelsea, FA Cup Final, Champions League Final, and England if the get past the group stage in football or Rugby World Cup).
DA and USDS shouldn't have to compete. They are no more alike than Corrie and Emmerdale are. Even less so if you're looking for owt, nowt and by 'eck.
I can't see ITV being persuaded to take USDS on though.'Sponsored by Aviva!' is for common sorts like Lord and Lady Grantham - the Duke of Kent is far too posh for that kind of thing
ITV should take it on and hand it over to Julian Fellowes to write. He could have the household evacuating to New York for the duration of the war, but halfway across the Atlantic the cruise liner is torpedoed by a German U-boat, Over six episode, each ending in a cliffhanger, we have to guess who survives out ot the upstairs and downstairs and - oh, er........
DA and USDS shouldn't have to compete. They are no more alike than Corrie and Emmerdale are. Even less so if you're looking for owt, nowt and by 'eck.
I can't see ITV being persuaded to take USDS on though.'Sponsored by Aviva!' is for common sorts like Lord and Lady Grantham - the Duke of Kent is far too posh for that kind of thing
I feel the comparisons is one of the failings of UD. I have greatly enjoyed original UD, the new UD and DA, however the comparisons suggest people think they are the same. They are of a period but that is it. Original UD were created in a style similar to stageplays. New UD is a fairly traditional historical drama. DA is like a period soap. I do not think the writers intended similarity, apart from some background (wars, Titanic etc). The last few episodes of new UD were some of my favourite out of all three, the drama of the conclusion is something neither of the other two would do. Equally, the numerous relationships of DA would not be written in new UD. I do not think ITV will take UD,
I agree mostly with the above, ITV is writing a different genre and BBC is a public broadcaster but can take a different path. The problem with the latter is that they are carried away with the success of Doctor Who and Call the Midwife. They are not seeing the value in mid-rating drama and it is being cut very quickly, sometimes before it has developed. In the US, UD's nine episode history would be less than half the first series, yet there they cut even quicker if they feel it does not work !!!!!!
I feel the comparisons is one of the failings of UD. I have greatly enjoyed original UD, the new UD and DA, however the comparisons suggest people think they are the same. They are of a period but that is it. Original UD were created in a style similar to stageplays. New UD is a fairly traditional historical drama. DA is like a period soap. I do not think the writers intended similarity, apart from some background (wars, Titanic etc). The last few episodes of new UD were some of my favourite out of all three, the drama of the conclusion is something neither of the other two would do. Equally, the numerous relationships of DA would not be written in new UD. I do not think ITV will take UD,
I agree mostly with the above, ITV is writing a different genre and BBC is a public broadcaster but can take a different path. The problem with the latter is that they are carried away with the success of Doctor Who and Call the Midwife. They are not seeing the value in mid-rating drama and it is being cut very quickly, sometimes before it has developed. In the US, UD's nine episode history would be less than half the first series, yet there they cut even quicker if they feel it does not work !!!!!!
Agree with everything in this post, and I quite enjoyed UD. And by definition some shows will always rate better than others.
However the answer for the BBC is to commission more of its own original drama which makes the issue of comparison with other series less of a problem - (UD was being compared the original and DA!) - maybe that is the conclusion it has come to.
theres a link in the story to a twitter petition.
BBC wales must be slightly hacked off after moving the USDS set to the new studios in Cardiff they made quite a thing of it on BBCwales that it was located there with DW
ITV should take it on and hand it over to Julian Fellowes to write. He could have the household evacuating to New York for the duration of the war, but halfway across the Atlantic the cruise liner is torpedoed by a German U-boat, Over six episode, each ending in a cliffhanger, we have to guess who survives out ot the upstairs and downstairs and - oh, er........
Good God no! Julian Fellowes has to be one of he most over-rated writers ever.
Good God no! Julian Fellowes has to be one of he most over-rated writers ever.
Hearing his interview with This morning.And seeing how it did the guy must be cringing.He really thought it would be as good as DA.
I do wish though someone else would take it up.Sky are looking to invest Millions into Sky Atlantic theres no way the show should be dropped.Yes the script wasnt as sharp as the shows over the Christmas period but if rewrites were ordered because Jean Marsh fell ill its very unfair of the BBC not to take that into account.
I believe that she threw herself from the landing overlooking the entrance hall. It was really shocking actually.
Whoops only just seen this thread/post
Thanks for the reply. Sounds shocking! I really liked the Persie I am going to order series 1/2 DVDs I think. I liked some of the episodes I managed to see.
Comments
I am also a little sad UD has been dropped - the new series would have been set during WWII so it wouldn't have been that difficult to find good storylines. It could have ended with the house closing down in 1945 and them all going their separate ways - so you had proper closure.
I actually found the last 15 mins of the final UD episode some of the best things I have seen in a UK drama for quite some time. Surely they could have found another writer - who clearly may have been stretched doing both this and Call the Midwife at the same time. But the BBC are getting like a commercial channel - most things get one series and are dropped.
For anyone who is interested the series 2 DVD goes on sale tomorrow - its £12.99.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Upstairs-Downstairs-Series-2-DVD/dp/B007A1S0L8
Ah, the favourite tradition of having strong opinions on something you have not seen ?
Danny Cohen - previously with Channel 4 and Head of E4. Foisted Fonejacker and other shite on us...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Cohen
Zaf whoever - came from ITV2
MArk Thompson - came in from Channel 4 after heading it during the Big Brother period...
No WONDER there's the big "purchaser-broadcaster" vibe as opposed to the Cotton/Grade/Dyke period...
What a *stupid* decision...
For me, your point is on the money. I didn't like the new series and thought it was mistakenly conceived and improbably plotted. And it was always going to suffer against the original which was a masterpiece.
The effect would have been the same if all those weeks had been used as a vehicle for the Duke of Kent to set the scene for The Marcel Marceau Radio Hour.
If ITV have any sense they will enter discussions with Jean Marsh and Eileen Atkins and take it back to ITV where it began life.
To compete with DA? I don't think so.
As Wild at Heart is now going maybe ITV should do the last season.
So that's two Sunday shows I follow gone.
And unless something big comes to ITV Downton is the only thing I watch on ITV except some football (Chelsea, FA Cup Final, Champions League Final, and England if the get past the group stage in football or Rugby World Cup).
If ITV aired both DA and USDS they could be on at different times of the year so would not have to compete .
I can't see ITV being persuaded to take USDS on though.'Sponsored by Aviva!' is for common sorts like Lord and Lady Grantham - the Duke of Kent is far too posh for that kind of thing
They would still be seen to be competing, with UD being the poor relation.
And that also ignores the issue regarding the availability of the ,main writer.
I feel the comparisons is one of the failings of UD. I have greatly enjoyed original UD, the new UD and DA, however the comparisons suggest people think they are the same. They are of a period but that is it. Original UD were created in a style similar to stageplays. New UD is a fairly traditional historical drama. DA is like a period soap. I do not think the writers intended similarity, apart from some background (wars, Titanic etc). The last few episodes of new UD were some of my favourite out of all three, the drama of the conclusion is something neither of the other two would do. Equally, the numerous relationships of DA would not be written in new UD. I do not think ITV will take UD,
I agree mostly with the above, ITV is writing a different genre and BBC is a public broadcaster but can take a different path. The problem with the latter is that they are carried away with the success of Doctor Who and Call the Midwife. They are not seeing the value in mid-rating drama and it is being cut very quickly, sometimes before it has developed. In the US, UD's nine episode history would be less than half the first series, yet there they cut even quicker if they feel it does not work !!!!!!
Agree with everything in this post, and I quite enjoyed UD. And by definition some shows will always rate better than others.
However the answer for the BBC is to commission more of its own original drama which makes the issue of comparison with other series less of a problem - (UD was being compared the original and DA!) - maybe that is the conclusion it has come to.
theres a link in the story to a twitter petition.
BBC wales must be slightly hacked off after moving the USDS set to the new studios in Cardiff they made quite a thing of it on BBCwales that it was located there with DW
Good God no! Julian Fellowes has to be one of he most over-rated writers ever.
Hearing his interview with This morning.And seeing how it did the guy must be cringing.He really thought it would be as good as DA.
I do wish though someone else would take it up.Sky are looking to invest Millions into Sky Atlantic theres no way the show should be dropped.Yes the script wasnt as sharp as the shows over the Christmas period but if rewrites were ordered because Jean Marsh fell ill its very unfair of the BBC not to take that into account.
I believe that she threw herself from the landing overlooking the entrance hall. It was really shocking actually.
Whoops only just seen this thread/post
Thanks for the reply. Sounds shocking! I really liked the Persie