After watching a season of "Downton Abbey" I was moved to get a season of "Upstairs, Downstairs" to compare the two. I have to say, on the whole I think I like the older series better - it's not as exciting, but has more human truth. A bit truer to its time, too, IMO.

What do you think?

Are you talking about the Upstairs/Downstairs that was produced in the 1970s, or the new Upstairs/Downstairs that was done in this decade?

I never saw the original one from the 1970s, but my mother said she used to watch it, and she loved it. I have seen the new one as it broadcast on PBS. It was very gripping and addicting!

We all loved the original Upstairs Downstairs with such a superb cast. It was one of those series where everyone was at home watching.I don't ever feel like that with Downton Abbey.

I didn't realize there was a more recent one - I'm thinking of the one from the seventies.

I absolutely loved the original Upstairs/Downstairs in the 70s. Every episode was an event for me. Recently they have tried to recapture the magic with a new series, but it just has no magic for me. I could watch the original over and over, but the new one, well, just forget it.

Who else liked the original Upstairs Downstairs better?

The only reason I have ever watched Downton Abbey is so that I will be more able to completely appreciate the inevitable parody in Mad magazine. Upstairs/Downstairs. Is Felicity Kendal in that? She won "Best Rear of the Year" during her go in "The Good Life", and deservadly so!

I haven't watched the newer version of Upstairs/Downstairs but used to watch the old series avidly.

I do like Downtoan Abbey even if it isn't factually correct. I read in a newspaper that the lady who actually lives there has told the television company that they have errors but they don't take any notice, for instance they lay the table incorrectly also for the period in which it is set there would have been many more staff. She now tries not to look too hard, after all they are paying a great deal of money to film there.

We have the new series of Downton Abbey starting next week, I will be glued to the set.