Somehow I never really got into this when it played on Masterpiece Theater back in the 70s. However, since I am such a fan of Downton Abbey, I thought I would give it a try. And I am so glad I did. It begins in 1903 when there were still horse drawn carriages and strict rules of decorum, and goes through WWI, the roaring twenties, and into the Great Depression. I found the families very enduring, both upstairs and downstairs, and their struggles very real. You will love the characters: Mrs. Bridges, Ruby, Mr. Hudson, Rose, Edward, Sara, Thomas, Fredrick, and Daisy, and last, but not least, the Bellamy family and their friends.