Upstairs Downstairs

“It's been shut up so long I'm surprised the lock isn't full of cobwebs,” the new owner says of 165 Eaton Place; but it's not long before diplomat Sir Hallam Holland (Ed Stoppard) and Lady Agnes (Keeley Hawes) infuse new life into the “ghastly old mausoleum” that was once the Bellamy townhouse. Who says you can't go home again? Devotees of the quintessential Masterpiece Theatre series that ran for five lavish seasons in the 1970s will welcome the return of Jean Marsh as Rose, the former housekeeper whom Lady Agnes hires to staff the home she and her husband move into in 1936. Again, there's fine drama among the upstairs elite and the downstairs servants, with scandals and secrets, political upheaval, and a sense of foreboding as war looms. The ensemble rises to the occasion: Eileen Atkins, who co-created but did not appear in the original, makes up for lost time as Maud, Lady Agnes' intrusive mother-in-law; and Claire Foy shines as Lady Persephone, Agnes' sister, who finds herself enthralled by the budding fascist party. Memorable characters down below include Pritchard (Adrian Scarborough), the high-strung butler; and salty head cook Mrs. Thackeray (Anne Reid). As one would expect, this period production is impeccably mounted and acted, and newcomers will be happy to note familiarity with the original is not necessary to comfortably follow along here. DVD extras include a “making-of” featurette. Recommended. (D. Liebenson)