In 1927, Lord Meldrum is a wealthy widower who owns a rubber factory. He lives with his brother Teddy, mother-in-law Lady Lavender, and daughters Poppy and Cissy. Meldrum is having an affair with Lady Agatha, wife of his rival Sir Ralph. He is trying to persuade Teddy to marry socialite Madge Cartwright, but Teddy fancies servant girls more than the upper-class ladies, so he's reluctant to marry Madge. Poppy is a flapper who often flirts with servant James. She's very different from her sister Cissy in appearance as well as attitude. Cissy fancies women more than men, wears men's clothes, and is a member of the workers' movement and a workers' political party. Lady Lavender is extravagant, owns a parrot, and likes to throw food at servants. The servants live downstairs: Mrs. Lipton, the cook; James, a snobbish servant; Henry, the youngest servant, who usually gets clipped behind the ear by James or Mrs. Lipton. The butler Stokes was the last to join the servants, with his daughter Ivy, the maid. He is shady and despises the rich. During WWI, he and James were in the trenches with Teddy and saved his life, so Stokes gets the position of butler upon his arrival at the house. The lowest-ranked of the servants is poor washing lady Mabel; she doesn't live with the Meldrums.
Aired: Jan 13, 1990 James and Mrs. Lipton, the cook, are suspicious of Ivy, who seems unused to s...
