User reviews

Yup, it was the seventies that was the golden age of the miniseries, and it was the British who ruled, with PBS acting as as kind of Prince Regent, offering up such televisual feasts as Upstairs Downstairs, Poldark, and the Duchess of Duke Street.

To people over a certain age, Gemma Jones will be forever remembered as Louisa Trotter, the plucky lower middle class girl, practically sold into service by her selfish mother, who works her way up in the world to become the proprietress of the best gentle-person's hotel in London, the lover of the Prince of Wales, and a legend in her own time.

The Duchess of Duke Street is an artifact of a crossroads of two very special times - the 1960's, when there was a serious interest in the not-too-distant past (the Belle Epoque, the Edwardian Period, the Roaring Twenties, etc.), and the 1980's when the interest in the past had more to do with escapism and romanticism and produced some of the most beautiful visuals in film history. Because of this, The Dutchess is a treat, full of historical detail, with wonderful fictionalizations of Edwardian fact (Prince Edwards practice of taking mistresses for example).

The series paved the way for some of the great miniseries to come - including Brideshead Revisited, the 1980's production of Love in a Cold Climate, Flickers, and To Serve Them All My Days - and ensured that a certain segment of television viewers had grand images of Edwardian London and Art Nouveau imprinted in its memory.

The first recommendation I get is undoubtedly Pride and Prejudice(Collin Firth version),when talking about British TV series, the second probably would be Brideshead Revisited or Fawlty Towers, yet no one recommends The Duchess of Duke Street to me before. It is by sheer luck that I come across this series-and what enjoyment it gives me! how many times it sets me think like I have never thought before! and what a treasure it is!

The first two or three episodes are quite plain, and indeed, dull, I would say; as the story unfolds itself, however, I become quite captivated-I never knew before any female characters from any TV series can be such as Louisa Trotter: she's pretty(quite common among all TV series), but damn headstrong as a bull, and she says 'bloody' as often as a man does, never cares very much about deportment and carriage herself;what strikes me as rarer and harder to find among women is her force-she has passion for cooking, and on no occasion allows any one or anything whatsoever to hinder her from realizing her dream of being the best cook in England. Such a woman is uncommon even in today's world. For how many times have we been dragged away from the path to our true dream by this or that seemingly reasonable excuse! How many people have been regretting in their winter season of life-oh, if only I did! In short, this is quite a thought-provoking series, can be even better than Pride and Prejudice and Brideshead Revisited in a way. A pity to be sure, that The Duchess of Duke Street is not well-known now, well, in America at least.

However I am a bit disappointed that in the later parts of the series, too much is focused on Louisa's relationships-I don't like such a good topic to evolve into a kind of romantic soap opera, there's already too many of them stuffed in the American TV markets-the focus of which really disappoints me, since I do consider the middle of the series very promising. Well, that's the only flaw I find with this series, and that's why I give a 9 star instead of a perfect 10.

I knew nothing about this series when I discovered it on Netflix. The first episode intrigued & charmed me enough to keep watching the entire series.

Based on a real story, this is not a typical period piece. Each episode gets richer in both content & style, with each of the characters developing their own interesting & unexpected story. Gemma Jones is magnificent as Louisa Trotter, but by the end of Series 2, all the other regular characters had found a place in my heart also, including the new 'Fred'! I was sad watching the final episode knowing it would be my last glimpse into the wonderful life at the Bentick & its colorful residents and guests. One surprise was how tantalizing all the food was to look at. Not something you see very often in TV shows or even feature films.

The care that was put into such details was evident in every episode. TV shows of this quality and style are truly rare.

Here's to more from its creators...

~NN

If you loved the BBC mini-series "Upstairs, Downstairs", you will adore "The Duchess Of Duke Street". Produced by some of the same people, with many of the same actors popping up in character roles, it almost feels like a re-visiting of the Bellamy household to some extent. It's the same Victorian-Edwardian time period, similar examinations of the class differences between servants and masters, same colorful, plucky people going through life discussing politics, war, scandals, etc. Gemma Jones as Louisa Trotter is utterly fantastic in her role, showing multi-layers of this Cockney girl's character that are absolutely fascinating to watch. Gemma had the role of a lifetime in Louisa, and she is simply unforgettable. Christopher Cazenove is so handsome as Charlie Hazelmere he just about takes your breath away. He brightens up every scene he is in with his presence, adorable smile and flashing eyes. Joanna David is touching as the tragic and anorexic Margaret. All the secondary characters will touch your heart and leave a lasting impression: Mary, Starr, The Major, and the hysterically funny Mr. Merriman (same actor who played Soames' father in the original "The Forsyte Saga"). This series is definitely worth the money to obtain all 31 episodes in the currently offered two VHS boxed sets. Just wish it were on DVD. After I purchased mine I watched the entire series straight through on one weekend; it was completely addictive. The video prints for Duchess are of much better quality than the ones for Upstairs, Downstairs, which were grainy and off-colored for the most part. Plus another positive: each tape has three episodes blended into one, without being interrupted by end titles and music. This allows for smooth transitions and a more enjoyable viewing experience, almost like watching a movie. Duchess Of Duke Street is a must-have series for all people who love quality British television.

2006 Update: there are now DVDs for this series, Series One. Hooray! We're anxiously awaiting a DVD box collection here in the US for Series Two.

In this time of mostly dour TV mediocrity, it is a relief to be able to savor and enjoy the stupefyingly satisfying excellence that Duchess of Duke Street imparts. Truly a classic and a treasure, it has not dated a second and still packs a wallop both dramatically and historically. The cast boasts an amazing array of superb actors, all of whom best, with rare exception, any working TV actor today.

Gemma Jones is so delicious and perfect that she is indelible in the part to anyone who watches. Her energy and conviction carry the show even when she has little to do in some of the episodes. Christopher Cazenove is sexy, charming and touching and should have become a big star.

If one had to give a reason to substantiate the continued existence of television, one need only to turn to this dramatic jewel that is the Duchess of Duke Street.

There was a re-run of this series on Drama TV starting just after the New Year and showing one episode each week day. I was laying in bed ill and saw the first episode was on that day. I remembered it back in the 1970's and I also remembered even though I was only nine years old when the first series aired, I was taken by it but I couldn't remember why. So I watched the first episode and I was hooked....I recorded each episode each week day and watched them in the evenings. The last episode showing last Tuesday.

Gemma Jones is superb in the role. Having seen Gemma Jones being interviewed a few times over the years I was struck how refined and softly spoken she was. Louisa Trotter on the other hand is a handful which is what makes Gemma Jone's ability to act all the more impressive. I have noted a negative reaction to this series in relation to the early storyline where Louisa falls into an affair with the Prince of Wales. However to view this as "disgusting" is to completely misunderstand the era and the class pressures of expectation in society at that time and the outcome had Louisa not agreed to the affair - superb storyline and whilst we can all frown upon such behaviour, none the less it is without doubt accurate to the sort of dalliances that took place in society of that era......blackmail to a degree......but what choice would a woman in that era have when the suffragist movement was but a embryo and there was certainly no "Me Too" movement!!!

The series is enchanting, the characters, whilst possibly stereotypical, delightful and engaging and the writing exceptional. Gemma Jones without doubt carries the series and in my view deserves such credit.......one of the best character actresses of our time.

I remember now why I was so captivated as a young boy watching this, only this time, I understood the plots !! :-) Brilliant.

Even though this series is compared to "Upstairs Downstairs", it stood on its own feet as a first rate drama about an extremely interesting Cockney character going from getting her job in service to becoming the best chief in Britian and running the most famous private hotel in London.

The ENTIRE cast was superb, with Gemma Jones performing the part of a lifetime with power, wit and grace.

For the life of me, I can't understand why BBC chose not to release this on DVD....instead they leased it to Acorn video and the quality is no better than the VHS version the BBC issues years ago. Some of the episode are such lousy visual quality that it's hard to enjoy them.

I own both sets on VHS and was first-in-line to the buy the DVD......but crickey, the quality on the two DVD sets is so mediocre.

Gemma Jones is simply brilliant and unforgettable in this series. It's wonderful to stay with these characters through so many episodes, and the quality never flags. If you haven't seen it, you're in for a treat. In anyone else's hand these stories might seem like melodrama- Gemma et al make every scene utterly convincing. Just a delightful run from start to finish.

In the future, fluff like "Bridget Jones" will seem hopelessly dated (Renee What? Hugh Who?) and will be almost entirely forgotten-except by fans who will rent it just to see another great role from Gemma.

But "The Duchess of Duke Street" is going to live forever, and will be treasured for many generations to come.

Hurrah for The Duchess! Perhaps you Brits will get around to giving the real Ms. Jones her due someday- but in any case she will always be one hell of a Dame to those of us who know and love her work.

And yes, since you mention it, this series *is* better than Upstairs, Downstairs. Got it beat by a mile. :)

Who wouldn't fall in love with the plucky Gemma Jones as she puts a quite contemporary spin on her 1900's "Duchess"? I'm happy to report with my 50" plasma Samsung set to the wide fit screen size the photographic quality is superb even though the colors at times look a little excessive. Fiddle with your settings and I'm sure you'll be pleased. I especially liked the special feature that listed a full staff for one of the English great houses of the period. By my rough estimate it looks like such a house had over two hundred employees to keep every thing up to snuff. When you realize the kitchen staff worked an average of 12- 15 hours daily and seems to spend a great deal of that time doing food processing tasks we take for granted today, you realize how lucky we are to spend so little time on meal preparations.

One of my all time favorite Masterpiece Theatre shows. My only complaint is that it didn't last long enough.

The Duchess of Duke Street was one of the great television series that I looked forward to on Masterpiece Theatre every Sunday night on PBS back in the early days of cable television. It showed how great television could be with this and other TV series like I Claudius, Edward the King, the original All Creatures Great and Small, Upstairs/Downstairs and others. I will never forget Gemma Jones' outstanding performance as Louisa Trotter, the owner and chef extraordinaire of the Bentinck Hotel, along with her staff-Starr, Merriman, Mary, and her favourite tenant The Major. Louisa was a tough taskmaster but she also had a big heart. A fresh bottle of champagne was always on hand whenever she had something special to toast with the other residents of the hotel. The viewer can appreciate the class structure that Louisa, as a working class girl, had to crack through to get to the top of her profession, including her relationship with the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. Her ongoing romantic relationship with Chris Cazenove, as Charlie, is an interesting and often complicated element in the story. The series combines humour, class structure, strong friendships and romance in this great story. John Hawkesworth, the producer of this show and Upstairs/Downstairs, also deserves his share of credit. Thanks again, Masterpiece.

There is still great pleasure to be had from this series. Set in the earlier 1900s in London, it is the story of a young woman who begins as a kitchen hand and, through talent and determination, becomes a great chef and hotelier, (though she refuses to lose her cockney speech).

Louisa Trotter, played by the truly WONDERFUL Gemma Jones, must be one of the most memorable characters in television history. A creature of so many moods - haranguing her staff in the kitchen, deliriously in love, vulgar when she's angry, prickly with her mother, sentimental about her affair with the old King - it's hard to know whether to laugh at her, or cry. But there is one constant about her - her artistry in her profession, and that is always awe-inspiring.

During a long series, relationships between characters can acquire great reality. Louisa's covert affection for her staff, her enduring love for Charlie (Christopher Cazenove), and her deep friendship with the Major (Richard Vernon) - mainly because of the exquisite playing of the cast - have an extraordinary conviction.

I had this on my watch list for a long time and finally decided to give it a try. I am so glad I did. The acting and writing of this production was superb. If you love Downton Abby, Upstairs Downstairs and the like, you will love this production. Mrs. Louisa Trotter is a bossy, sometimes loud and overbearing cook and businesswoman who rises from the bottom to the top. But she is also smart, kind, funny and extremely loyal to her friends, staff and guests of the hotel she runs. She tries to do what she feels is right and sometimes gets it wrong, but her intentions are usually in the right place. She is the epitome of a strong and independent woman in a time when women were supposed to "know their place."

Just binge watched both series of this after not watching it since originally screened and it held up well and I really enjoyed it, but I must comment on Gemma jones acting everything she does from shouting her lines the way she bustles about and her facial expressions just shout out look at me I'm a cockney made good realistic acting it is not and there is absolutely no character development from the 1st to last episode,indeed you could watch the episodes in any order and still enjoy it

I am watching this series simply because I want to find out where it's going. It's hard to watch Mrs. Trotter because I find her so incredibly annoying. Her C3-PO stiff movements are very off-putting, as well as the way she yells her lines in such a heavy cockney accent that I have a hard time understanding her.

I'm just waiting to get to the end of the series so I can move on to something else.

UPDATE: I'm still watching. It has sucked me in to wanting to know how things go. I'm getting used to the brash Mrs. Trotter, though I still don't like her. I don't know the actress who portrays her. Maybe she's completely unlike Mrs. Trotter, in which case she's doing a good job in her portrayal of a disagreeable woman.

Very well done. Gemma Jones is delightful, but lays on the Cockney accent a bit too thick imho...sounding like she should be a grubby gutter snipe, eats with her mouth open, talks with a mouthful, seems to lack any semblance of the social graces required to be noticed by the upper classes unless they were kinks - and many were. Seriously though she's Eliza Doolittle with a great job and a number of male admirers. I guess her performance being as dynamic as it is spices up this culinary soap. Great script, excellent acting, scenery. Nice to find a show that I can watch all the way through without boredom or aggravation. Seems to be a rather realistic view of Victorian British culture. Makes you thank God for modern conveniences!

Gemma Jones carries this incredible piece of work on her more than capable shoulders. She truly IS Louisa Trotter and is totally believable as the indefatigable Victorian/Edwardian independent woman who becomes the "best cook in England". The concept and the writing is superb and the supporting cast are just about perfect. How this never made Gemma a major star on both sides of the Atlantic is a mystery to me. Maybe it was because she was so good, she was never seen as anyone else. She seems to have worked consistently but with never the vehicle to propel her higher up the ladder. Check out John Welsh as Merriman and John Cater as Starr. If anything this series outdoes Upstairs Downstairs in this particular genre, as great as UD was. A special mention for Christopher Cazenove who was never better as he is as Charlie Tyrell.

This extraordinary series, so greatly loved by Britons, deserves a new generation to view and be mesmerized by the wonderful acting, writing, direction, and costumes. It is still compelling 25 years after it was made and still ranks as one of the most superb examples of what truly grand television can be. Most of the show feels as if you are sitting front-row in a theatre with the actors within inches of your seat but occasionally the production ventures outside when, perhaps, it starts waxing a tad towards "drawing room soap opera." Still, trust me, this series, and its stalwartly resilient characters, will become forever etched in your heart, as they have in mine.

When you are finished with this series, it is truly like losing a good friend. You are more than sad to see it go and lament the loss of anything else to watch. (Yes, there's always "Upstairs, Downstairs," but, for my money, the Duchess has more beauty, comedy and heartwrenching drama than the "Upstairs" gang could even contemplate!)