With ITV making a killing with Downton Abbey II: Return of the Valet in the run up to Christmas, the Beeb have been forced to up the ante in the period drama stakes. And up the stakes they have. Most of us didn’t even see the runaway baby train that was Call The Midwife coming until it was too late and with that series finishing on Sunday, the Beeb are keen to strengthen their hold on Sunday night viewing by rolling out the new series of Upstairs Downstairs a couple of minutes later. To ensure a smooth passage, both shows are written by the same woman, Heidi Thomas. We rejoin the inhabitants of 165 Eaton Place in 1938 and even history novices among you will know that the Second World War is about to go down. Where did they get that idea from? Here’s a taster of the first episode ‘A Far Away Country About Which We Know Nothing’, in which Alex Kingston rocks up and causes a stir..
Upstairs Downstairs Series 2 starts on Sunday 19th February at 9pm on BBC1.
