TV Tuesday: Upstairs Downstairs - Season 1; Episode 1 (2010)

 

Upstairs Downstairs - 2010

Coming up next on this edition of TV Tuesday is the first episode of 2010's BBC reboot of a classic television series "Upstairs Downstairs".  Here we find Sir Hallam Holland and his wife Lady Agnes as they and their staff navigate the tumultuous period before the Second World War.

The episode's cast includes Ed Stoppard, Keeley Hawes, Eileen Atkins, Jean Marsh, Claire Foy, Anne Reid, Adrian Scarborough, Art Malik, Neil Jackson, Nico Mirallegro, Ellie Kendrick, Blake Ritson, Anthony Calf, Emma Clifford, and Edward Baker-Duly.

Veteran housekeeper Miss Rose Buck has been approached by Lady Agnes Holland to get No. 165 Eaton Place in London into some sort of shape before she and her husband move in.  Miss Buck is tasked with finding a proper staff and getting things rolling with regards to renovations.

Lady Agnes is definitely unprepared when her mother-in-law Maud arrives and basically takes over the household, making all of the decisions.  She comes with her own secretary and a monkey named Solomon.  "Every morning, as soon as he sees me open my eyes, he applauds me.  I can't tell you how that boosts one's confidence," Maud says of the monkey.

Sir Hallam and Lady Agnes are definitely caught by surprise by old Lady Holland's arrival.  Though, they decide to keep the peace and give her a home with them.

And it won't be all bad.  Maud comes with a gift, a tiara belonging to the Holland family.  Lady Agnes has always aspired to one and proudly tries it on for size.

In quick order, Miss Buck secures a staff and gets the house in order.  There is a footman, a maid, and a cook.  There's also a chauffeur named Spargo.

Downstairs an egg has been discovered.  It is put into a warm, dry place in order to see if it will hatch.

The upstairs and downstairs worlds occasionally collide.  Those upstairs must venture downstairs in order to listen to the king's address on the radio.

The arrival of Agnes's sister, Lady Persie, throws the whole house into chaos.  This spoiled young lady is a bit pretentious, demanding, and prickly.

But for the sake of the household, everyone has to learn to get along together, including Solomon, who sits at the table as a member of the family.

Miss Buck is able to engage the services of a butler, Mr. Pritchard.  He's put to the test when he's got to organize the staff for a cocktail party for the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and, hopefully, King Edward VIII.

The party was organized by Maud.  It was she who invited the King's companion, Mrs. Wallis Simpson, in the hopes that the lady would bring the King to the party.

No one is more surprised than Maud when Mrs. Simpson's companion walks through the door.  It isn't the King.  It's Joachim von Ribbentrop, a key figure in Nazi Germany.  Everyone is shocked and scandalized.

Everyone, that is, except Lady Persie.  She takes to Ribbentrop very quickly.  They spend most of the party together enjoying one another's company.  Eyebrows are raised everywhere.

Lady Agnes is furious with Maud for putting her in the position of having to receive Mrs. Simpson and Ribbentrop.

Later, Maud confides to Miss Buck.  "We have experience, you and I.  We are what that house requires," she tells the housekeeper.

Elsewhere, the egg has hatched downstairs, and the fledgling is ready to leave the nest.

Cast rundown:

   Ed Stoppard................................Sir Hallam Holland

   Keeley Hawes..............................Lady Agnes Holland

   Eileen Atkins...............................Maud, Lady Holland

   Jean Marsh.................................Miss Rose Buck

   Claire Foy....................................Lady Persephone Towyn

   Anne Reid...................................Mrs. Clarice Thackeray

   Adrian Scarborough......................Mr. Warwick Pritchard

   Art Malik.....................................Mr. Amanjit Singh

   Nico Mirallegro.............................Johnny Proude

   Ellie Kendrick...............................Ivy Morris

   Blake Ritson.................................The Duke of Kent

   Anthony Calf................................Anthony Eden

   Emma Clifford..............................Wallis Simpson

   Edward Baker-Duly......................Joachim von Ribbentrop

And that's it for Upstairs Downstairs.  Eileen Atkins, one of the creators of the original show and one of this series' stars, appeared in only the first season.  She disliked the direction the scripts were taking and so decided not to participate in season two.  Her character was killed off.

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A Kid In King Arthur's Court (1995)

 

A Kid In King Arthur's Court - 1995

Coming up next is 1995's "A Kid In King Arthur's Court", a retelling of the classic story by Mark Twain that we covered yesterday.  In this version, a young man from the 1990s travels back in time to King Arthur's Camelot, where he helps the old king regain his hold on the throne.

The film's cast includes Thomas Ian Nicholas, Joss Ackland, Art Malik, Paloma Baeza, Kate Winslet, Daniel Craig, and Ron Moody.

In Camelot, the sword Excalibur sits unused and gathering dust on a shelf.  The kingdom is in dire straits, and the sorcerer Merlin appears from beyond the grave to summon a great knight from across time to help the kingdom in its time of need.

Enter Calvin Fuller of Reseda (the "Bowling Capital of the World").  He comes to Camelot by way of an earthquake which splits the ground in two.  He falls through the large chasm and lands right in the kingdom of Arthurian legend.

Needless to say, he's not very happy when he realizes that he's been transplanted from the twentieth century into ancient times.

He almost immediately makes an enemy of King Arthur's closest advisor, Lord Belasco.  Belasco wants Calvin gone and fears his meddling in matters which don't concern him.

Calvin impresses King Arthur and his two daughters enough that he's invited to dine with them, though he's not exactly thrilled with the food on offer.

His influence is quickly felt in Camelot.  He introduces roller blades to Arthur's youngest daughter, Princess Katey, on whom he develops a crush.

He also shows Camelot his version of the Big Mac, though Princess Katey is quite concerned with his use of "poisonous love apples" (tomatoes).

He has a bicycle constructed, the first Camelot has ever seen, and spends some more quality time with Katey.

Another of his introductions is bubble gum.  King Arthur struggles with the concept of this particular "food".

During his time in Camelot, Calvin is able to see what is really going on outside the castle walls.  Arthur is hated by his subjects, because Lord Belasco has been cheating and stealing from them for years.  Belasco has also kidnapped Katey in an effort to get what he really wants: Arthur's eldest daughter Sarah and to be Arthur's successor.

While traveling incognito to rescue Katey, Arthur makes a bit of a blunder.  Calvin has to step in and make sure their cover is not blown.  "Look, Your Majesty.  I don't want to insult you or anything, but are you nuts?  This isn't the castle, where everyone kisses your butt.  This is the real, in-your-face, car-jacking, drive-by-shooting, kill-you-for-your-Reeboks street life!"

Arthur looks at him quizzically and asks, "What language art thou speaking, boy?"

Eventually, they rescue Katey.  On their way back to Camelot, Arthur decides to reward Calvin for all that he has shown him and taught him.  "Let all who witness this know: it does not take a sword and a stone to make a hero," he says as he knights him with the sword Excalibur.

As a side note, one of the ways that Belasco tries to take over the kingdom is his wooing of Princess Sarah.  Alone in the garden one day, he goes to her and says, "You are the most exquisite flower in this garden, Princess."  She quickly replies, "There is one major difference between the garden flowers and myself, Lord Belasco.  A rose will prick you, but I will do far worse."  Her continual dismissal of his offers of marriage get under his skin, and they prompt his kidnapping of Katey.

Sarah has her own man in mind, Master Kane, who trains great knights.  Through some crafty maneuvering, Sarah is rewarded with the right to choose her husband by her father.

With his mission accomplished and Camelot saved in the end, Calvin bids farewell to Arthur and Katey and is returned home to Reseda by Merlin.

However, upon arrival, he is pleasantly surprised to find out that he did not return to Reseda alone.

Cast rundown:

   Thomas Ian Nicholas.............................Calvin Fuller

   Joss Ackland.........................................King Arthur

   Art Malik..............................................Lord Belasco

   Paloma Baeza.......................................Princess Katey

   Kate Winslet.........................................Princess Sarah

   Daniel Craig..........................................Master Kane

   Ron Moody...........................................Merlin

And that's it for A Kid In King Arthur's Court.  The movie was panned by critics when it was released, but the subsequent major stardom of Kate Winslet and Daniel Craig brought it more attention.  The film was successful enough for Disney to launch a sequel direct to video.  In it, Calvin Fuller is brought back in time to help Ali Baba save Aladdin's kingdom from an evil prince.

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