Downton Abbey & Upstairs Downstairs (new) Comparison Picspam

[buckbeakbabie]

I love both of these, so very much. I've watched them more times than is healthy, and that was before I started this (kinda epic) picspam. It spiralled away from me a bit. I added some analysis to the pics, because well, I wanted to. VERY image-heavy, and spoilery for all episodes of Downton Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs, with some speculation & mild spoilers about s2 of each. Hope you like!


***

Premise



At the most basic level, both shows are about the lives of a family and their household staff. Because of this, there are bound to be similarities, but I think the different periods the show is set in (pre-WW1 Edwardian era for Downton and the mid-1930s for UD) makes a big difference. As does the type of household - an old moneyed, titled family in their country estate versus a nouveaux riche family (albiet with a baronetcy) living in Town.

Gorgeous Houses





"I've given my life to Downton. I was born here, and I hope to die here. I claim no career beyond the nurture of this house and the estate. It is my third parent and my fourth child." - Lord Grantham

"This house is going to see such life. There'll be lights in every window... bowls of lillies on every surface. - Lady Holland

Downton Abbey and 165 Eaton Place are characters in their own right and the stars of the show in many ways.

Downton is rich in history and the scale of it is awe-inspiring. The library and that entrance hall are so amazingly grand. And Lady Mary's room is just stunning. Downton is so central to the plot - the entail over the house and estate is what sparks Matthew's arrival and much of the conflict for the upstairs characters at least. I love how Lord Grantham talks about it, how proud he is of it.

165 Eaton Place is a beautiful Georgian townhouse (my favourite type of house, ever) that has been sumptuously decorated in 1930s splendour. The bedroom! And that green living/dining room. Not to mention that bright blue entrance hall... The colours are just so vivid and bright and amazing. But it, too, is more than just bricks and mortar. It starts out as a "ghastly old mausoleum," but by the end it's a cosy home to everyone who lives there. Life has been breathed into the house, well and truly. Mrs Buck's relationship with the house is incredibly touching - it seems to breathe new life into her as well.

Amazing Costumes





What is a period drama without amazing costumes? (For the upstairs characters, of course...) I cannot choose between the shows in this regard, both are amazing. And these caps were impossible to choose, especially for Downton. There is so much more of Downton, plus you have five main female characters wearing so many amazing dresses... I had to resist using caps of everything Lady Mary ever wore. Also the same for Lady Persie in UD.

I'm not forgetting the men. They do look incredibly dashing in their period clothes, but I was having enough trouble narrowing down caps for the ladies clothes, so I left them out. Was tempted by the idea of a cap of Lord Grantham's stockings and trousers get up, but I decided against it. Besides, I think the men are covered in the next area, anyway...

Gorgeous men



Eye candy. What show is complete without it? I had trouble narrowing this one down, too. I still feel bad I have no pictures of Hugh Bonneville in here, as he is very, very delicious (even in those stocking things, lol). Anyway. Just a sampling of the yumminess in both of these shows. (I shall wax poetical about Blake Ritson later in the picspam. I'm developing such a crush...)

***

Right. So much for general comparisons. There are a lot of more specific similarities between the shows, too. Of course there'll be staff with the same jobs in both shows, but there are differences. Not only is the staff different in some situations because of the relative sizes of the houses, but because of when it's set. Service had changed a lot in the years between 1912 and 1936. Gwen in Downton is one of a growing number of people who would rather a job that allowed them to have time to themselves in the evening and weekends (what are they, again? :P).

But anyway...

Butlers



"A good servant at all times retains a sense of pride and dignity that relfects the pride and dignity of the family he serves." - Carson

"You've had your orders, now make this household proud." - Pritchard

Every grand house needs a butler, a man in charge, a pillar of pride and respectability. Downton has Carson, and 165 has Pritchard.

I presume Carson has been working for the Crawley family for years, whereas Pritchard, like all the 165 staff, is new. He takes to the role and his new family instantly. He worked on ocean liners and that brings a wealth of knowledge and many amusing lines throughout the series. He may seem to have nerves, such as before the party, but no surprise can really rattle him - not even having to deliver a baby in the bathroom! I love his mostly calm efficiency.

Carson's employment prior to working at Downton is even more colourful - he was on the stage! Though he is ashamed of his former life, and channels all of his energy into his current tasks. He's fair, incredibly loyal to the family and the rest of the staff. His relationship with Lady Mary is adorable. I love that he refused to accept Bates' resignation, and how sweet he was to Mrs Pattmore when her sight got very bad.

Head Housekeepers In Charge



Thomas: There is such a thing as free speech.
Mrs. Hughes: Not when I'm in charge!

"We have experience, you and I. We are what that house requires." - Maud, Lady Holland, to Mrs Buck

These ladies are fierce. Mrs Hughes rules the female staff downstairs in a stern yet gentle way. I love the scene where she's sweet to William when he's playing. The episode where she considers what might have been if she married her former beau is so touching. Ultimately, she's happy with what she chose.

Mrs. Buck is truly the heart of UD, as she has been since the original series. Since the Bellamys have moved on, she's been helping people find domestic staff. She really takes over the house from the moment Lady Agnes mentions the address. It takes the rest of the episode for her to officially become the housekeeper, but really, no one else could do the job as well as she does.

Cooks



"Might I remind you that we are preparing dinner for your future employer? And if goes wrong, I'll be telling them why!" - Mrs. Pattmore

"You keep out of my third shelf down." - Mrs Thackery

Ah, the cooks. Perfectionists and so very bossy! Mrs Pattmore is much louder and bossier than Mrs Thackery. I'm sure Daisy would prefer Mrs Thackery's dry wit! But she's fussy too - wants to work for the right kind of people (aristocracy, with a basement kitchen and all the latest mod-cons including refrigeration). I loved how happy she was when she got to have her picture taken by Cecil Beaton.

And poor Mrs Pattmore, so proud of what she does and having to hide her sight problems for so long. Very glad that she got that sorted out, and thanks to Mrs Bird, now has some control over her store cupboard!

Adorable Footmen



William: She hopes, one day, that I might be first footman. Or even get to be...
Lady Mary: Carson had better watch out!

"Left, right, left, right - one foot in front of the other, Johnny!" - Mrs Buck, to Johnny

I'm not going to talk about Thomas here, because this is about adorable footmen. So, William and Johnny.

Look at them! They are just too damn cute. William just makes me want to squish him as tight as I can. He loves his family and he's so easygoing and helpful. And he's so cute when he's all moony over Daisy! I'm going insane already about s2 and that whole WW1 thing - Dan Stevens tweets about mud and I'm picturing Ypres or the Somme or something equally horrible. I'm worried for all the Downton men, but William - the thought of sweet, adorable, innocent William being exposed to the horror of the Front just breaks my heart.

Luckily, UD ended in 1936, so hopefully I've got one more season before I need to worry about Johnny going off to war. (if they do a time jump I will not survive it...) Johnny isn't as innocent as William, anyway. He's not tough, exactly, but it seems like maybe he tries to be. It never works out for the poor lad, though. He gets put on probation after a fight at home, then because what should just have been a punch went horribly wrong, borstal. He's back at the end though, and hopefully will get to start over and do things right.

Adorable Youngest Member Of Staff



Anna: Daisy? Whatever are you doing there, crouching in the dark?
Daisy: You weren't here and I didn't like to touch the curtains with my dirty hands.
Gwen: Quite right, too.
Anna: Why didn't you put the lights on?
Daisy: I daredn't.

"You reckon they come snooping? (nods to nail polish) I put that there deliberate. In case they think they got me beat!" - Ivy

Ivy and Daisy, despite looking alike and having plant-themed names are not similar at ALL. They also do different jobs - Ivy is a housemaid, Daisy is a scullery maid.

They are both adorable, though. Daisy is mousy and sweet and perpetually scared that Mrs Pattmore is going to bake her in some sort of pie. Because of her nature O'Brien and Thomas take advantage of her several times - manipulating her to tell Lady Edith about what she saw of the Mr Pamuk incident, and getting her to lie to implicate Mr Bates. But she realised that she'd done wrong and did the right thing in the end. Bless.

Ivy, on the other hand, appears all tough and brassy, but underneath she's scared and lonely. She grew up in an orphanage, and because of this really wants a family. She finds one in Eaton place, bonding with Rachel when she arrives. Later she's fiercely protective of Lotta, looking after her and trying to save her from being taken to a home like the one she was raised in. She also helps Johnny out when he leaves borstal. She's louder and complains a lot more than Daisy, but she really is a sweetheart underneath it all.

***

And now onto the members of the family. Not as many overt similarities here, but there are definitely some.

Adorable Married Couples



Lord Grantham: Have you been happy? Really, have I made you happy?
Lady Grantham: Yes. That is, since you fell in love with me. Which, if I remember correctly was about a year after we were married.
Lord Grantham: Not a year. Not as long as that.

Looking at baby Hector
Lord Holland: I never knew a day so full of unimaginable things.
Lady Holland: I imagined this

Aww! How sweet. Both couples are so adorable, I cannot even... Cora and Robert are still sweet and loving after 26 years of marriage. Her pregnancy is clear evidence that they still have things going on in the bedroom department (as is the fact that they sleep in the same room, a fact Mary clearly didn't want to learn!). And he is so sweet with her after she loses the baby. :(

Agnes and Hallam are also sweet, but they're earlier in their marriage than the Granthams. They're not exactly newlyweds, but his career until now has brought him all over, and 165 is their first proper home. Hallam is adorable and insists on carrying her over the threshold when they first arrive. His job, his mother and her worry over her pregnancy all put stress on their marriage, but in the end they're a strong couple who are capable of surviving it all.

Sisters



"No one ever warns you about bringing up daughters. You think it's going to be like 'Little Women,' instead they're at each other's throats from dawn 'till dusk." - Lady Grantham

"Agnes thinks she's rescued me. But I don't want to be rescued. The minute I say 'Hurrah, I'm saved!' I admit just how very horrible my life so far has been." - Lady Persephone Towyn

Ah, sisters... I have three, and I love the way the sibling relationships are shown in the shows. Particularly Downton - Lady Grantham's quote is spot on. And Lady Edith epitomises the middle child syndrome - keep expecting her to pull a Jan Brady - 'It's always Mary, Mary, MARY!'. I do have some sympathy for her, but I think she crossed a line when she tattled on Mary, so I do think she deserved payback. She is so sweet with Strallan, though. I feel bad for them both. I love how Mary is so worried about Sybil when she's ill, and how Sybil insists on knowing what her sisters are gossiping about.

The Towyn sisters are very different. There's clearly an age difference, and Lady Agnes wants to do the best she can for her sister, especially given their family's financial situation and the fact that their mother died when she was born. But Lady Persie is sick of society and the rules and the strictures it's applied to her, so Agnes' help is almost insulting to her. It's another reminder that she doesn't have any freedom. She leaves for Berlin at the end, returning the gift Agnes had given her. (How free she'll feel in Nazi Germany is a question that remains to be answered...) It'll be interesting to see how Agnes deals with her departure. She seemed okay-ish, but she was so wrapped up in the birth of baby Hector that I imagine she hadn't dealt with it yet.

BAMF Matriarchs



"I didn't run Downton for thirty years to see it go, lock stock and barrell to some stranger from God knows where." - Violet, Dowager Countess

Lady Holland: 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.
Lady Agnes: A monkey applauds you every morning?

What can one say about Violet and Maud? They are just incredibly badass. Violet is played by the iconic Maggie Smith, and since everyone who has ever spoken about the show has raved about her, there isn't a whole lot I can add. Her lines are the most memorable by far, and her clashes with Mrs. Crawley are fantastic to watch.

One thing Maud has that Violet does not is Solomon, the infamous monkey. I wonder would Violet like that? He may cause too much havoc for her, she's very proper and has her rules, whereas Maud delights in her eccentricity. She's lived abroad for 30 years and has returned with a colourful wardrobe and plans to write her memoirs (one part of which involves her arriving somewhere on an elephant. She is truly epic). She loved her husband a great deal, and misses him dearly - which is probably why she returned to England to be close to her son. She doesn't wholly approve of his wife, much like Violet. I can't decide who has the worst end of the stick when it comes to mother-in-laws - Cora or Agnes. I'm going to say Agnes, as no matter how much Violet makes her opinions known, Cora doesn't have to actually live with her and her attempts to control how the house is run. Though, one imagines that Violet didn't just retreat to the Dowager Cottage and give up any influence over the running of Downton the day her husband died. Hopefully Agnes and Maud can settle into a relationship like that of Cora and Violet eventually. They even seemed friendly in episode seven. Kind of.

***

Okay, now for the plot similarities. I'm going to start with the most obvious one, which I've split into two sections:

Political Chauffeurs



Lady Sybil: It seems rather unlikely - a revoluntionary chauffeur.
Branson: Maybe. But I'm a socialist, not a revolutionary. And I won't always be a chauffeur.

(On Sir Oswald Mosley)
Lady Persie: Have you ever been to hear him speak?
Spargo: Twice. Now, when I read his other speeches, I can hear his voice in my head.

I didn't put Branson and Spargo in the household section, because I think they fit better here. It is the most obvious similarity, beyond of course the premise of each series. Both chauffeurs are political, but having said that there are some clear differences between the nature of their beliefs and how they express them.

Branson is a socialist who believes in women's rights and (presumably) Home Rule for Ireland. And Spargo is, well, a facist. Which is not as lovely and nice as Branson's noble idealism. He causes visible distress to Rachel when he appears in his Blackshirt uniform, and refuses to back down. He's definitely got a touch of anti-Semitism in him, by the way he says 'you can tell just by looking at her' when she first arrives. He isn't completely without redemption, as I'll talk about later, but he does in that situation cause distress. Branson on the other hand is very respectful even to those who he doesn't agree with - he is loyal to Lord Grantham and admits that he's a good man, even if he does not approve of the class system that his employer epitomises. He also cares a great deal for Lady Sybil, but more on that in the next section...

Chauffeur/Lady relationship



"Be careful, my lad. Or you'll end up with no job and a broken heart." - Mrs Hughes, to Branson.

"Do you ever wonder how we dare? When the walls are almost made of glass? We should sneak up to my room. We're much more likely to get caught." - Lady Persie

On the surface, this seems like a glaring similarity. I've seen it mentioned in an article about the so-called feud between the two series (which is, of course, largely rubbish). Yes, both shows involve romantic tension between the political chauffeur and the youngest member of the family. But beyond their occupation and status, the characters are completely different. And so, therefore, are the relationships.

Both chauffeurs are in some way the reason the Ladies get involved in politics. But how it happens is radically different. Branson overhears a comment suggesting that Lady Sybil is interested in Suffrage and then gives her brochures, encouraging her interest and involvement. However, when it comes to her safety, Branson is very keen to sheild her from the dangers of the riots and demonstrations. Spargo doesn't encourage Lady Persie's interest at first, it's her that works out where he's going and demands to be taken along. In the end, both Sybil and Persie end up going against the wishes of their drivers. I get the impression Persie went that first time for a bit of fun, because she didn't want to go to the opera and she thought this might be entertaining. Afterwards she was taken in and fully believed in all of Mosley's principles. Even more than Spargo, in the end. Also, she clearly had a thing for Spargo and used his interest in politics as a way to get closer to him at first. But Sybil definitely went to the count because she was passionate about it. Branson didn't even know he was taking her there. She does care about him, as evidenced by how she defended him to her father after she was injured.

The relationships are fundamentally different. Persie and Spargo's relationship is sexual but not very serious, and I got the impression that she was just doing it to be rebellious and scandalous. Especially when she goes on about being caught. Spargo realises this too, which has a lot to do with him ending it. It's physical more than anything else, and when it ends she moves on to Ribbentrop. But Sybil and Branson... They're only at the beginning of something, if anything is going to happen at all. They're sweet together and great friends, and he's clearly fancied her from the beginning even if he hasn't admitted it yet. They care about each other, that much is obvious. They'd make a wonderful couple, and the scandal and the drama that would ensue would be something they'd weather and try their best to ignore, rather than something that made the whole thing sexier and more fun.

... okay that was long. Ahem. Anyway. Moving on...

Visiting Dukes



"So his Grace turned out to be graceless..." - Mrs Hughes, on Duke of Crowborough

"It's a rum sort of chapter, all of this. Fathers shuffling off this mortal coil; babies appearing... we're old men, old chap!" - HRH Duke of Kent

Both series have a Duke calling on the family. Downton's Duke of Crowborough is a minor character, who isn't very nice, really. Glad his visit was short. (I'll talk more about him and his storyline in the next section.)

But HRH the Duke of Kent. Oh, how I love him! Here comes the Blake Ritson flailing. I LOVE HIM. He's so sweet and adorable and as the Duke he's so sad and feels so powerless in the face of everything that's happening in his family (the death of his father, his oldest brother being a bit of a twat, his middle brother having to become King, etc...) But he seems so lovely, and he has some fantastic lines, and I shall also be talking about him in the next section.

(But first, an aside. The last few period dramas I watched were the BBC's recent Emma where Blake Ritson played Mr Elton; and ITV's Mansfield Park, where he played Edmund. So if I'm honest, it felt so strange watching Downton and not seeing him in it. He needs to be in s2, I have decided. I don't care who he plays, but I do think he'd look dashing in WW1 uniform. BUT HE CANNOT DIE. Ahem. Anyway. It's almost sad that for obvious reasons he can't be a relative of the Crawley's, because I was watching a thing on Highclere, where they film Downton, and this is a portrait of, I think, the Second Earl of Carnarvon that hangs in the dining room:



IT IS BLAKE RITSON. It's quite spooky. Anyway, he can't be a relation because Matthew's storyline wouldn't make sense. Maybe there could be a flashback and he could be Patrick? I like that idea... okay, sorry, back to the picspam.)

Slash



"I want to be with you." - Thomas, to Duke of Crowborough

(two, because I ship it like burning)
"Love. It is a bugger of a thing. - Lord Holland to HRH Duke of Kent
~
Duke: I was passing by your door, and I required a cigarette...
Lord Holland: You do talk a lot of rot. Come upstairs.

Slaaaaaaaaaaash. Obviously, it's more overt in Downton, but I enjoy it a lot more in UD. It's because of all of the people in the show to be gay, they picked Thomas. The Evol One. And not even the Evol One that gets a bit of redemption in the end. No. Just Evol. And Gay. And that makes me very uncomfortable. I know they probably don't mean it in a 'those gays, can't trust them' way, but it feels a little bit like it. Especially because his scheming in episode one is all related to him being gay. IDK. I don't even know if he really did care for the Duke and his rejection hurt which is why he tried the blackmail, or if he just wanted to use him to get away from Downton and move on in his career. Anyway. Can't enjoy the slash in this show for that reason, and because I really do think that Thomas is painted as a despicable human being in every way. He could have been given a lot more depth, but he wasn't. And, also, the Duke is a fortune hunting dick who hurts Lady Mary. And the other person who showed hints of homosexuality - Pamuk, who definitely flirted a little with Thomas to get that blackmail material - ALSO hurt Lady Mary. Just leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth, is all.

So, on to UD. It's very much subtextual, slash-goggle stuff, but I think the way the Duke (haha, gay Dukes everywhere!) looks at Hallam clearly shows he's madly in love with him. I think in their younger days they had a fling, and really love each other. They are both married, very happily in Hallam's case (I stand by my thinking Hallam & Agnes are adorable) but there's something there. Especially on the Duke's side. He seeks out Hallam's company when he needs a break from his grieving family, and he asks for his help to delay the inevitable leak of the story about his oldest brother. And he calls him in tears after the abdication. Poor bb Duke. *squishes him* I really hope we see more of him in s2 and not just because I am madly in love with Blake Ritson in period clothing. Though I am. SO SUE ME.

Visiting Bastards



"Let me come to you tonight, please." - Mr. Pamuk

"Joachim von Ribbentrop doesn't drift anywhere." - Sir Eden on Herr Ribbentrop

Mr. Pamuk is a vile creature who rapes Lady Mary (because it was rape, end of discussion) and then dies in her bed, adding to the horribleness of the entire situation. I have a massive speil in me about Mary and how she breaks my heart with it all, but I won't go into that here. Just that he needed to DIAF, far away from Downton where he wouldn't cause any trouble for anyone.

And Ribbentrop ... well, he's Ribbentrop, so a horrible human being. It's arguable whether or not he takes advantage of Lady Persie, but I really can't defend him in any way.

Redemption



"Sarah O'Brien, this is not who you are." - O'Brien

"I've seen the result of those beliefs, in this house. I have to live with that." - Spargo

Every show needs villians, and though visitors provided the conflict plenty of times (see above), there were also members of the household that caused trouble for others. Thomas, O'Brien, Lady Persie and Spargo all fell into this category, but O'Brien and Spargo had redeemed themselves somewhat by the end of the series.

Daisy in episode seven, while apologising for how she acted when she was infatuated with Thomas, says she was under 'an evil spell.' O'Brien, who for most of the series was Thomas' co-conspirator, may just have been under that same spell. She becomes paranoid that Lady Grantham is about to fire her because of how she's acted towards Bates. Instead of taking responsibility for her own actions, she lashes out against her boss and puts Lady Grantham (and her unborn son) in danger. She realises at this point that she has crossed a line, but it's too late. She does seem genuinely remorseful afterwards, taking excellent care of Lady Grantham. Hopefully she can grow from this, and become a better person.

Spargo's reasons for joining the British Union of Facists are never given. He seems dedicated, attending rallys and speeches and is unapologetic about wearing the uniform in public. But following Rachel's death, and after spending time with Lotta he regrets his past actions. At the end, when he's taking Lady Persie away, he doesn't hesitate. He, too, knows he's done wrong, and he's trying to make up for it.

***

So... there you go! This was lots of fun to put together. It took quite a long time, but I really enjoyed it. Helping to kill the time until new episodes of each show air.

Credit is due to the source of my screencaps: most of the Downton ones came from here, and most of the the UD ones came from here. Thanks!
Obviously, please don't reuse these images without credit, I spent a lot of time editing them. Thank you. :)