''The Edwardian Country House'' is a British historical reenactment reality television

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...

produced by Channel 4. First aired weekly in the UK beginning in April 2002, it was later broadcast in the United States on PBS stations as ''Manor House'' in 2003, where extra footage was added. It is third in a series of historical reality shows produced by Channel 4, preceded by ''

The 1900 House ''The 1900 House'' is a historical reenactment reality television series made by Wall to Wall/Channel 4 in 1999. The program features a modern family attempting to live in the way of the late Victorians for three months in a modified house. It w ...

'' and '' The 1940s House''.

Synopsis

In the series the Olliff-Cooper family are given the identities of turn-of-the-century aristocrats and housed in Manderston, an opulent Scottish country

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

, where they live for three months in the Edwardian style. Mr. and Dr Olliff-Cooper become Sir John Olliff-Cooper and Lady Olliff-Cooper. Interest and conflict is provided by the 15 servants, portrayed by individuals from several paths of life. Chief among these was

Hugh Edgar Hugh Edgar is an English architect who worked on several archival projects in the United Kingdom and as a consultant around the world. He completed the design for the National Museum of Antiquities for Scotland. He was the RIBA representative t ...

, an architect from

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

, who was cast in the role of the

butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some a ...

. Participants received instruction and a set of rules by which they were expected to abide for the duration of the experiment. Most of the "upstairs" participants enjoy their time in the house, which is meant to represent the years 1905–1914. Those "below stairs" have a different experience; for those in the lowest ranks, particularly the successive

scullery maid In great houses, scullery maids were the lowest-ranked and often the youngest of the female domestic servants and acted as assistant to a kitchen maid. Description The scullery maid reported (through the kitchen maid) to the cook or chef. Along ...

s, life appears to be intolerable.

Cast

The narrator is Derek Jacobi.

Upstairs

Downstairs

Senior Staff

Junior staff

Episodes

Home media

This VHS and DVD were released 27 May 2003 from PBS Home Video.

References

External links

* * * *
The Edwardian Country House
at

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(Streaming available) {{DEFAULTSORT:Edwardian Country House 2002 British television series debuts 2002 British television series endings 2000s British reality television series Channel 4 reality television shows Historical reality television series Films shot in the Scottish Borders Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios English-language television shows Works set in country houses