There’s nothing more cosy than a star-studded period drama about the scandalous goings-on in a high-society home where the walls have ears.
But if you’ve already binged your way through Belgravia, The Forsyte Saga and The Gilded Age, then you’re in luck, as Netflix has just added a hidden gem that ended before its time.
BBC show Upstairs Downstairs, which came out between 2010 and 2012, was a reboot of the 1970s ITV show of the same name, which delivers exactly what it says on the tin.
Set in the iconic London townhouse, 165 Eaton Place, in the 1930s, we see how the lives of the landed gentry and the working class intertwine in all its messy glory.
The show featured several major British actors, including Keeley Hawes, Claire Foy, Alex Kingston and Ed Stoppard, as well as Jean Marsh reprising her role as Rose Buck.
Get personalised updates on all things Netflix
Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro’s TV Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we’ll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you.
Whether you’ve watched it before or are enjoying it for the first time, it’s already made quite the impression on the streaming service, already at number seven in the charts.
Unfortunately, its run was short-lived at the time, getting cancelled after only two seasons due to dwindling viewing figures, with the show being dwarfed by rivals like Downton Abbey, according to The Guardian at the time.
Its premature end on the small screen has been a sore point for fans, but hasn’t diminished their enjoyment nonetheless.
‘I found this serious over ten years after the fact but enjoyed it immensely. I am a huge fan of period dramas, and this one was done incredibly well. The writing and acting were superb. My only real complaint is that it came to an end way too soon…
‘It should have been given the chance and seasons it very much deserved!’ fufairytoo said on IMDb.
Bobby9976 said it was ‘one of the best British TV series ever seen’ while hunkystud agreed it was ‘a shame it only had two seasons’.
‘Upstairs Downstairs sticks to the rules established by the original and defies the odds by being as good, and in some ways, even better,’ New York Times said in a review.
Although only 9 episodes long, it’s an easy binge for those wanting to dip into the period drama world. And, hey, if you really love, then you have the 1970s original to add to your repertoire as well.
Upstairs Downstairs is now streaming on Netflix.