Upstairs, Downstairs: Series 5
Season 5 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of Upstairs, Downstairs Season 4.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Episode Guide
Season 5 Progress Shield
On with the Dance
Sep 7, 1975 · 50 min
It's June 1919 and a jubilant Victory Parade passes 165 Eaton Place -- but with the new family dynamic, what's to become of the beloved Bellamy townhouse?
A Place in the World
Sep 14, 1975 · 50 min
As Britain tries to rebound from the war, James Bellamy runs for political office. Edward and Daisy are struggling financially but realize they have friends who love them at Eaton
Laugh a Little Louder Please
Sep 21, 1975 · 50 min
Georgina and her cohort throw a bacchanal at Eaton Place, with tragic consequences. Miss Treadwell, a governess for the children, joins the household.
The Joy Ride
Sep 28, 1975 · 50 min
When James buys a small airplane, Virginia defies Richard, putting the entire household through quite an ordeal.
Wanted: A Good Home
Oct 5, 1975 · 50 min
Spring 1922: When William goes off to Prep School, Rose gets Alice a new puppy so she won't be lonely, but when Richard and Virginia go on holiday and leave Miss Treadwell in charg
An Old Flame
Oct 12, 1975 · 50 min
James and Lady Diana Newbury behave foolishly, with little regard of how it impacts others. Edward is in trouble with Daisy when he's caught in a lie.
Disillusion
Oct 19, 1975 · 50 min
Spring is in the air and Hudson has found love, but it comes at a price for the household. In the end, the object of his affection makes a sacrifice for him.
Such a Lovely Man
Oct 26, 1975 · 50 min
(Audio commentary available on some DVDs). An influential industrialist showers attention on Virginia, and there's another member of the household being courted—Ruby.
The Nine Days Wonder
Nov 2, 1975 · 50 min
The entire household comes together when a General Strike is called throughout Britain in May 1926
The Understudy
Nov 9, 1975 · 50 min
On the eve of an important dinner party for a French diplomat, Hudson suffers a heart attack.
Alberto
Nov 16, 1975 · 50 min
Frederick considers his future when he feels his talents are largely wasted in the Bellamy household.
Will Ye No Come Back Again?
Nov 23, 1975 · 50 min
Hudson is back in his element when the Bellamys travel to Scotland for their summer holiday.
Joke Over
Nov 30, 1975 · 50 min
After an evening of dissipated behavior and a reckless drive into the countryside, Georgina must appear at a coroner's inquest, when one of the locals is killed.
Noblesse Oblige
Dec 7, 1975 · 50 min
Better the devil you know than the one you don't is the lesson Mrs. Bridges and Ruby learn after a terrible row. Upstairs, Lord Stockbridge proposes to Georgina, but there's a catc
All the King's Horses
Dec 14, 1975 · 50 min
James returns to England, with new found vigor and untold wealth, on the eve of the October 1929 stock market crash.
Whither Shall I Wander?
Dec 21, 1975 · 50 min
After nearly 30 years, the Bellamy saga ends with the sale of 165 Eaton Place and a fresh beginning for every member of the household.