The BEST episodes of Upstairs, Downstairs season 5

Every episode of Upstairs, Downstairs season 5, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Upstairs, Downstairs season 5!

Covering a span of 27 years (1903-1930), Upstairs, Downstairs follows the lives of the wealthy Bellamy family residing upstairs at 165 Eaton Place, London, as well as the lives of those employed in their service living downstairs. Richard Bellamy, the son of a poor parson, is married to Lady Marjorie, the daughter of the wealthy Earl and Countess of Southwold, whose family money provides for the Bellamy's lavish lifestyle. As an influential member of the Conservative party, the Earl secures a seat in Parliament for Richard, with the expectation that he will support conservative policies. He tries his best to please his wife's family but, being a Liberal at heart, Richard finds it's not always that easy. These political and financial differences are a reoccurring source of contention for the Bellamys. On the surface, the lives of the family living upstairs couldn't seem more different than those of the servants living below but, strangely enough, through the years their lives often intersect, becoming increasingly entwined as time goes by. The addition of real-life events, like the tragic sinking of the RMS Titanic and the horrors of World War I, incorporated into the storylines add a touch of authenticity and realism to the show.

Last Updated: 12/1/2024Network: ITV1Status: Ended
Whither Shall I Wander?
star
9.23
66 votes

#1 - Whither Shall I Wander?

Season 5 - Episode 16 - Aired 12/21/1975

(Audio commentary available on some DVDs). 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.

Directors: Bill Bain
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All the King's Horses
star
9.18
65 votes

#2 - All the King's Horses

Season 5 - Episode 15 - Aired 12/14/1975

(Audio commentary available on some DVDs). The Wall Street crash hits Eaton Place. October, 1929. After making a killing on Wall Street, James returns to England with his spirits renewed. His homecoming is a joyous one for the Bellamys, despite Richard's doubts as to the soundness of his son's speculations. Indeed, his fears are prophetical; the stock-market crash wipes out James and Rose, who invested her savings on the strength of James' advice. Enraged, Richard berates James over this and past failures, opening old and still painful wounds.

Directors: Simon Langton
Writer: Jeremy Paul
Watch Now:Amazon
Noblesse Oblige
star
8.79
63 votes

#3 - Noblesse Oblige

Season 5 - Episode 14 - Aired 12/7/1975

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 catch.

Directors: Cyril Coke
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The Understudy
star
8.76
63 votes

#4 - The Understudy

Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/9/1975

On the eve of an important dinner party for a French diplomat, Hudson suffers a heart attack.

Directors: James Ormerod
Writer: Jeremy Paul
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Will Ye No Come Back Again?
star
8.71
63 votes

#5 - Will Ye No Come Back Again?

Season 5 - Episode 12 - Aired 11/23/1975

Hudson is back in his element when the Bellamys travel to Scotland for their summer holiday.

Directors: Bill Bain
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On with the Dance
star
8.62
92 votes

#6 - On with the Dance

Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/7/1975

Eaton Place is enveloped with uncertainty. Edward and Daisy have moved on and been replaced with Frederick Norton, James' servant from the war, and Lily. The newlyweds, Richard and Virginia, and her children, Alica and William, have plans to move into their own home. There's not enough work to keep everyone busy and the house is far too large for James to live there alone, so he decides it's time to sell the house and gives the servants a month's notice.

Directors: Bill Bain
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The Joy Ride
star
8.56
90 votes

#7 - The Joy Ride

Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/28/1975

When James buys a small airplane, Virginia defies Richard, putting the entire household through quite an ordeal.

Directors: Bill Bain
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The Nine Days Wonder
star
8.36
64 votes

#8 - The Nine Days Wonder

Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/2/1975

The entire household comes together when a General Strike is called throughout Britain in May 1926

Directors: Simon Langton
Writer: Jeremy Paul
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A Place in the World
star
8.24
91 votes

#9 - A Place in the World

Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/14/1975

After James' Letter to the Editor garners strong public approval. the conservative Tory party, hoping to cash in on his moment of popularity, invite him to run for Parliament as a Tory. James accepts but everyone soon realizes that his progressive views for moving the country forward are not aligned with the party views which want to go back to the way things were before the war. Meanwhile, Edward and Daisy are struggling financially but realize they have friends who love them at Eaton Place.

Writer: Jeremy Paul
Watch Now:Amazon
Wanted: A Good Home
star
8.18
87 votes

#10 - Wanted: A Good Home

Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/5/1975

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 charge, the entire staff lines up against her when she tries to dispose of the "filthy creature".

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Disillusion
star
7.96
91 votes

#11 - Disillusion

Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/19/1975

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.

Directors: Bill Bain
Watch Now:Amazon
Alberto
star
7.94
65 votes

#12 - Alberto

Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/16/1975

Frederick considers his future when he feels his talents are largely wasted in the Bellamy household.

Watch Now:Amazon
Such a Lovely Man
star
7.94
64 votes

#13 - Such a Lovely Man

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 10/26/1975

(Audio commentary available on some DVDs). An influential industrialist showers attention on Virginia, and there's another member of the household being courted, Ruby.

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Laugh a Little Louder Please
star
7.90
91 votes

#14 - Laugh a Little Louder Please

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/21/1975

Georgina and her cohort throw a bacchanal at Eaton Place, with tragic consequences. Miss Treadwell, a governess for the children, joins the household.

Directors: Derek Bennett
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Joke Over
star
7.84
38 votes

#15 - Joke Over

Season 5 - Episode 13 - Aired 11/30/1975

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.

Directors: Bill Bain
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An Old Flame
star
7.03
88 votes

#16 - An Old Flame

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/12/1975

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.

Directors: Derek Bennett
Watch Now:Amazon