Upstairs, Downstairs on PBS

The second season of the reboot of Upstairs, Downstairs aired this fall. We taped them all, time is short when school is in session and there certainly is a great deal of television to watch, so we could watch them at our leisure.

My wife's Mom had missed the return and not taped them so we need to watch when she is visiting so playback has been delayed. Last weekend however we were able to watch the first two episodes and I must say that this might be better even than Downton Abbey. As this season takes off we are in the run-up to World War II. The patriarch of the new family is working for the Chamberlain government and is against the policy of appeasement that Chamberlain is pursuing. He, in fact, that by signing this pact, he has put Britain on a course for war sooner rather than later.

Amidst all this the daily lives of the staff downstairs take place. We have cooks in revolt, a head butler trying to run the show but with such a parsimonious demeanor he is not sewing any seeds outside of discontent. The show features a special sensitivity to the Jewish question. A young Jewish girl has come under the guardianship of the family, her Mother having been a member of the staff before she died and with the knowledge of her refugee status a good deal of time is spent examining the plight of the refugees in waiting.

From a historical perspective one can feel nothing but shame at how prejudice and failure to act did more to create the death camps than anything the feigned ignorance of the German populace did. We should never look away from the fact that it was not until Hitler knew that other countries would not take his Jews that he came to his final solution, believing in his warped way that he was only taking the step that those countries which would not allow Jewish refugees were not daring enough to take.

For me the historical angle of this series played out with deep and meaningful characters makes it an incredibly winning combination. As much as I look forward to Downtun Abbey next month the historical angle of World War I was given much shorter shrift than what is being done in Upstairs, Downstairs. For me as strange as it is to say I believe this series sitting on my TIVO may be the superior of the two.

Of course one problem is the similarities, watching I have to refresh my memory to make sure that I am mot intertwining the characters. AFter all just how many serving maids can one keep track of.

A wonderful series, both of these English dramas provide ample reason beyond Big Bird why PBS is a gift all year round.