The series centers around three young woman, Mattie, Lydia, and Hannah, brought by fate to posh Berkeley Square in turn of the twentieth century London. All three work in households where they are employed as nannies. All three meet and become fast friends.

Mattie is an experienced nanny, who was brought up in the tough East End of London and, consequently, is firmly capable of holding her own. She works for a family that is on the unpleasant side with two children, a boy and a girl. The boy is a positive little beast, and the household is run by a crafty and cunning housekeeper. Mattie's benign and pleasant, baby faced countenance, however, belies a will of iron. She most certainly can take care of herself and hold her own with this motley crew.

Lydia, the fresh faced and naive country girl, works for a wonderful family, as assistant to a nanny who is an old family retainer. She watches over the baby, the first child of her employer's second wife, who is an American with modern, egalitarian views. The only blight on her existence, is the grown, handsome son from her employer's first marriage.

Hannah has a more unusual history, as she is an unwed mother. She had worked as a lady's maid for one of Yorkshire's first families. A love affair with her employer's handsome, only son, however, led to the birth of their illegitimate son. When her child's father unexpectedly died, she and her child were forced to flee Yorkshire. She ended up in London, where a chance meeting with Lydia found her accepting employment in a household in Berkeley Square, working with the nanny from hell.

The series revolves around their experiences and that of the families for whom they work. Over time, the threads of their lives are woven in such a way that they make for an intriguing tapestry of events. Very well acted, with engaging performances by all, and first rate production values, this is a series well worth having in one's collection and is recommended to all who love a well made, period drama.


ATTENTION BBC...PLEASE CONTINUE THIS SERIES!   January 2, 2003
 13 out of 13 found this review helpful

What a great series! I had never before seen it on television and, loving period pieces as I do, decided to make the purchase. It was worth every penny! My sister, who also loves period pieces, came over. Together we hunkered down and proceeded to watch the entire series in one sitting, all eight and a half hours of it. We were positively riveted to the screen, so engrossing and well acted is the series.

The series centers around three young woman, Mattie, Lydia, and Hannah, brought by fate to posh Berkeley Square in turn of the twentieth century London. All three work in households where they are employed as nannies. All three meet and become fast friends.

Mattie is an experienced nanny, who was brought up in the tough East End of London and, consequently, is firmly capable of holding her own. She works for a family that is on the unpleasant side with two children, a boy and a girl. The boy is a positive little beast, and the household is run by a crafty and cunning housekeeper. Mattie's benign and pleasant, baby faced countenance, however, belies a will of iron. She most certainly can take care of herself and hold her own with this motley crew.

Lydia, the fresh faced and naive country girl, works for a wonderful family, as assistant to a nanny who is an old family retainer. She watches over the baby, the first child of her employer's second wife, who is an American with modern, egalitarian views. The only blight on her existence, is the grown, handsome son from her employer's first marriage.

Hannah has a more unusual history, as she is an unwed mother. She had worked as a lady's maid for one of Yorkshire's first families. A love affair with her employer's handsome, only son, however, led to the birth of their illegitimate son. When her child's father unexpectedly died, she and her child were forced to flee Yorkshire. She ended up in London, where a chance meeting with Lydia found her accepting employment in a household in Berkeley Square, working with the nanny from hell.

The series revolves around their experiences and that of the families for whom they work. Over time, the threads of their lives are woven in such a way that they make for an intriguing tapestry of events. Very well acted, with engaging performances by all, and first rate production values, this is a series well worth having in one's collection and is recommended to all who love a well made, period piece.

Do not buy part one without also buying part two, unless you are the sort of person who prefers to buy one shoe rather than two.


Costume drama at it's best   August 6, 2001
 3 out of 5 found this review helpful

I loved everything about Berkeley Square: The story, the costumes, the setting, the characters...If you buy it, you should order it with Part 2 because without it the story doesn't make much sense. If you loved Upstairs, Downstairs you will also love this!