Radio Times

Review by:

Jane Rackham

Touted as a modern take on Upstairs, Downstairs (please, it’s time to give that description a rest now) this new series takes us behind the closed heavy oak doors of Chatsworth House in Derbyshire to peek at the daily life of the British aristocracy and the 500 staff who maintain this stately home. The house is magnificent (it was the fictional home of Mr Darcy in the 2005 film of Pride and Prejudice), but really it’s the characters that hook you in.

Farm shop manager Andre barely stops to take a breath, tidying the loos and tasting new cheeses; meanwhile, new head guide Heather, 24, bustles about beaming at everyone, politely telling visitors not to touch the artefacts. We start in winter when the house is closed in order to have a “deep clean”. Apart from anything else that means dusting 17,500 library books.

About this programme

1/3. A year in the life of the owners and staff of Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, building a picture of this real-life Downton Abbey for the 21st century. Cameras enter the estate at the busiest time of the season, as the stately home is being prepared to open to the public. Everyone has a role to play - even the Duke and Duchess are mucking in, helping to pick up litter around the grounds. Meanwhile, Heather Redmond begins her probation as head guide in charge of a 60-strong team, many of whom worked at Chatsworth before she was born, farm-shop manager Andre Birkett finds something unexpected in the toilet, and farm manager Ian Turner tours the estate as lambing season begins.

Cast and crew

Cast

Narrator

Max Beesley

Crew

Executive Producer

Alexander Gardiner

Executive Producer

Andrew Nicholson

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