Customer Reviews
Am I the only one who didn't like Sarah? - By: Diane Burke, 25 Aug 2008 
I have to say that I found Pauline Collins' character of Sarah tiresome & annoying until she took on the role of Nursery maid in Season 2. I sort of felt that the way she was the Music Halll performer was being used as some sort of vehicle & also that the way she flitted in & out of the Bellamy household was not reallly the way that servants would have been treated.
I don't have anything against Pauline Collins as an actress in fact, I was sad she didn't win the Oscar for "Shirley Valentine" but the character of Sarah & in parts, also Thomas bored me & I enjoyed the episodes they were not in.
This is just my own opinion & I am sure that other people feel differently but I have to say that these characters were over-acted.
Nicola Pagett was also beginning to look somewhat superfluous in this season after her marriage to the bohemian poet Laurence Kirbridge ended. She seemed to flit from bohemia to society girl with ease & espoused womens' suffrage as it seemed the fashionable thing to do. However, the episode where Rose is imprisoned because she had no money with which to buy her freedom, we are shown in a somewhat sanitised way how they were treated. We are not privy to the conversation between Elizabeth & her friend Ellen. It is only when they go to the home of extremely wealthy & (extremely attractive) Julius Kurekin that we find out what has been happening.
Jean Marsh was excellent in that particular episode & despite being one of the creators, she never reallly over indulged the character of Rose & never wholly focussed on herself
Despite my previous comments about the characters of Thomas & Sarah, I have always enjoyed UpDown as I know that the later episodes don't have them in it.
Continuation of series documenting how life changed... - By: , 20 May 2003 This series produced in the early to mid seventies continues with more episodes from series 2. The acting continues to be magnificent & gripping with interpretations that are not easily forgotten.
The consolidated cast come into their own with classic moments such as Hudson the butler announcing his marriage to the cook Mrs Bridges whilst declaring in court & as a ploy to save her from prison for abducting a baby.
In general these compilations are wonderful, the picture & sound are seventies standard (pretty average) but the sheer sublimeness of the acting makes up for it.
Let's hope that the remaining episodes are released as promised by VCI very soon: "Series 3 Part 1 & 2 are being released in July & Series 4 Part 1&2 & the completed Series 5 are alll being released in August."
