WARNING: COMPLETE SPOILER ALERT FOR BOTH SERIES
Upstairs, Downstairs (1971-1975) Compared to Downton Abbey (2010- present)
SIMILARITIES
In both shows the money is from the mother's side of the family.
In "Upstairs, Downstairs" the son kisses a maid. In "Downton Abbey" the father kisses a maid.
In both shows there is a gay butler. Alfred in "Upstairs, Downstairs" and Thomas in "Downton..."
In "Downton Abbey" the maid, Ethel gets pregnant by a solider. In "Upstairs.." the maid, Mary gets raped by a former employers' son.
The daughter Elizabeth in "Upstairs..." has a very rebellious behavior similar to the daughter Sybil in "Downton.." Sybil fights for women's equality and the right to vote, as does Elizabeth.
In "Upstairs..." Elizabeth marries Lawrence a rebel poet against her family's wishes. In "Downton.." Sybil marries Irish socialist, Tom to her family's dismay.
In both shows they try and contact the dead. In "Upstairs..." by a seance and by Ouija board in "Downton..."
In "Downton.." the cook is in need of glasses as is the nanny in "Upstairs..."
In "Downton..." the head butler, Mr. Carson, once performed on the vaudeville stage as does Sarah the maid in "Upstairs..."
In both shows the masters take a real gamble in the stock market.
In "Downton..." after Sir Robert loses all the family's money, Matthew, saves the estate with money he has inherited in a will. In "Upstairs..." after Lady Marjorie's father dies she learns from his will that she must sell her estate. Their daughter, Elizabeth, buys back the house for them through money she made on the stock market and money from a lover.
In both shows the wealthy Mother-in-Law does not step in to help save her daughter's estate.
Daughters from both shows have an unfortunate one night stand. In "Upstairs..." daughter, Elizabeth gets pregnant as result of a one night fling. In "Downton..." daughter, Mary, has her one time lover die of a heart attack during their sexual encounter.
Each show has an unfortunate labor go wrong. In "Upstairs.." the maid Sarah gets pregnant with the house's son James' baby. She lives but gives birth to a stillborn boy. In "Downton...." Sybil dies while giving birth to her daughter, the family later names her Sybil.
In "Downton..." footman, Thomas, steals wine from the cellar. In "Upstairs..." so does maid, Sarah.
In "Downton..." a snuff-box goes missing, starting questioning between the staff. In "Upstairs..." it is a missing broach.
In "Downton..." the valet, Mr. Bates', has an estranged wife, Vera, who threatens to go to the newspaper with the story of Mary's one night stand. In "Upstairs..." a soldier threatens to publish love letters of Lady Marjorie's that he found on a dead solider.
In "Downton..." Matthew gets wounded in WWI and it leaves him temporary in a wheelchair. He is worried he will be impotent. In "Upstairs..." Elizabeth leaves her husband because he is impotent.
Both shows deal with suicide. In "Downton.." valet, Mr. Bates has an estranged wife that poisons herself. In "Upstairs..." a maid named Emily hangs herself.
In "Downton..." the master's valet, Mr. Bates gets sent to jail for murdering his estranged wife, Vera. Only to have the verdict overturned. In "Upstairs..." parlor maid, Rose, gets sent to jail for being involved in a violent rally for women's rights. She was only there to stop Elizabeth from attending.
Both shows have a footman named Alfred, maids named Gwen and Daisy and a chauffeur named Tom.
In "Downton..." daughter, Edith, gets her column published in the newspaper. In "Upstairs..." Lawrence gets his poem published in the paper.
In both series the staff get a day off for the fair.
In both series the staff get a day off for the fair.
In "Downton..." Sir Robert Crawley's cousin and heir to the estate Sir James Crawley and his son, Patrick, die in the sinking of the Titanic. In "Upstairs..." the woman of the house, Lady Marjorie Bellamy dies aboard it.
In "Downton.." a valet named Henry, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from battles he fought in war. In "Upstairs," butler, Edward, also suffers from shell shock from the same reason.
In "Downton..." the head maid, Ms. Hughes sneaks food to former maid Ethel. In "Upstairs..." head maid, Rose sneaks food to Alfred a former footman.
In "Downton..." the cook, Mrs. Patmore always picks on her assistant, Daisy. In "Upstairs..." the cook Mrs. Bridges always picks on her assistant, Ruby.
Both series include England entering WWI.
In "Downton.." the daughter Sybil becomes a nurse during WWI. In "Upstairs..." the cousin Georgina serves as a nurse.
In "Downton..." Lady Crawley suffers from a miscarriage. In "Upstairs.." Lady Hazel Bellamy and the maid Daisy also suffers from one.
In both series the households open their houses to the victims of WWI.
In both series male members from the family and staff join the armed forces during WWI.
In both shows the son and son-in-law are temporary in a wheelchair after WWI.
Both houses own dogs.
Both series include England entering WWI.
In "Downton.." the daughter Sybil becomes a nurse during WWI. In "Upstairs..." the cousin Georgina serves as a nurse.
In "Downton..." Lady Crawley suffers from a miscarriage. In "Upstairs.." Lady Hazel Bellamy and the maid Daisy also suffers from one.
In both series the households open their houses to the victims of WWI.
In both series male members from the family and staff join the armed forces during WWI.
In both shows the son and son-in-law are temporary in a wheelchair after WWI.
Both houses own dogs.
