The fabulous House of ElliotThe House of Elliot was devised by by Eileen Atkins and Jean Marsh, who had previously come up with the brief for Upstairs, Downstairs.
The series had all the hallmarks of classic costume drama - class struggle, posh frocks and a bit of history - but what made The House of Elliot different was that it moved along at a cracking pace and was scripted like a soap opera. Not surprisingly, it was an instant hit and consistently attracted audiences of over 10 million.
See more here at the BBC archive