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''The House of Eliott'' is a British

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

produced and broadcast by the

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in three series between 1991 and 1994. The series starred

Stella Gonet Stella Gonet (born 8 May 1960) is a Scottish theatre, film and television actress. She is known for her roles in the BBC dramas '' The House of Eliott'' (1991–94) and ''Holby City'' (2007–09). Her stage credits include playing Ophelia in t ...

as Beatrice Eliott and

Louise Lombard Louise Lombard (born Louise Marie Perkins; 13 September 1970) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Evangeline Eliott in the BBC drama series '' The House of Eliott'' (1991–94) and Sofia Curtis in the CBS drama series ''CSI: ...

as Evangeline Eliott, two sisters in 1920s London who establish a

dressmaking A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes custom clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as mantua-makers, and are also known as a modiste or fabrician. Not ...

business and eventually their own haute couture

fashion house Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and place. "A fashion designer create ...

Aden Gillett John Aden Gillett is a British actor. He is best known for playing the role of Jack Maddox on the BBC series '' The House of Eliott''. Biography and career Gillet was born in the city of Aden, Yemen, from which he got his name. He attended ...

as photographer and film maker Jack Maddox and

Maggie Ollerenshaw Margaret Ollerenshaw (born 8 October 1949) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Mavis in the BBC sitcom ''Open All Hours'' (1981–1982) and its sequel ''Still Open All Hours'' (2013–2019). Her other television credits ...

as head of the workroom Florence Ranby. It was created by

Jean Marsh Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jea ...

and

Eileen Atkins Dame Eileen June Atkins, (born 16 June 1934), is an English actress and occasional screenwriter. She has worked in the theatre, film, and television consistently since 1953. In 2008, she won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress and the Emmy Aw ...

, who had previously devised '' Upstairs, Downstairs''. The series was written by several writers, including

Jill Hyem Jill Hyem (8 January 1937 – 5 June 2015) was a British actor, and radio and television writer. Early life and acting career Jill Hyem was born in 1937 in Putney, London, England, to Hilda (''née'' Gladwell) and Rex, a solicitor, and was raised ...

Peter Buckman Peter Buckman is an English writer and literary agent. He has been involved in the publishing industry for many years; he was on the editorial board of Penguin Books, and a commissioning editor for the New American Library in New York City. He ...

, Deborah Cook and Ginnie Hole.

Plot

Series One

Beatrice (30, known as Bea) and Evangeline (18, known as Evie) Eliott are left orphans by the sudden death of their tyrannical father, Henry Eliott. Left almost destitute and without any education, the sisters are forced to sell the family home to cover their father's debts. To earn money, they make use of their passion for dressmaking and Bea gets a job as secretary at a local photography studio run by Jack Maddox. Jack and his sister Penelope become firm friends of the sisters and Jack provides them with the funds to open their own London based dressmaking business "The House of Eliott". Through their relationship with Penelope Maddox, the sisters meet the loyal and hardworking seamstress Tilly Watkins whom they employ. A consistent theme throughout the series is the struggle of women in the 1920s to live fulfilling and independent lives—for some the struggle is simply to survive. Not only does Henry Eliott leave his daughters penniless and uneducated, but their cousin Arthur, who is executor of their father's estate, and Evie's legal guardian, keeps a rightful inheritance from the girls "for their own good". After Arthur's arrest and imprisonment for involvement in drug smuggling, he emigrates to Boston, USA, releasing a large amount of cash owed to the sisters from their father's estate. This allows Beatrice and Evie to expand the business and, by the end of series one, with the help of Evie's godfather, successful businessman Sir Desmond Gillespie, the future looks good. Evie celebrates her twenty-first birthday and is made a partner in the firm. The House of Eliott releases its first independent fashion collection and is creating exclusive designs for the aristocracy.

Series Two

Spring 1924: the Eliott sisters have employed Florence Ranby, a dour Victorian, as head of the workroom. Beatrice and Evie are invited to Paris by fashion designer Gilles Caragnac, who offers them a 5-year contract as designers for his label. While there, Bea marries her former employer and friend, Jack Maddox, and they move back to London, leaving Evie alone in Paris to work at the fashion house "Maison Gilles". After a year and an affair with Gilles Caragnac, a newly-glamorous and grown-up Evie returns as a designer for House of Eliott. Jack's movie director career is on the rise. At a showing of one of Jack's films, Evie meets Lord Alexander Montford, a married member of Parliament, with whom she begins an affair, causing complications throughout the series. Jack and Beatrice separate, unable to agree about having children and the pressure of work. The House of Eliott faces ruin after the suspicious death of Sir Desmond Gillespie causes the firm's financial affairs to be taken over by Ralph Saroyan. The sisters suspect Saroyan of dishonesty and through their contact with Sir Alexander Montford, cause the bank to be officially investigated. It is discovered that Saroyan is defrauding most of the customers of the bank and the Eliott sisters are left with very little of their original savings and investments. Jack's movie ''The Strikers'' is successful and a Hollywood producer offers him work in the U.S. by a Hollywood producer. Jack turns it down to instead work in Berlin. Meanwhile, as the market for couture gowns wanes the late 1920s Great Depression, Beatrice and Evangeline are offered a tour of America showing their new ready-to-wear designs for

Sears and Roebuck Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began as ...

. Bea still has feelings for Jack. Back at the fashion house, after a crisis of confidence, Tilly marries Norman Foss, a young chef in a local hotel, and is reinstated as head of the workroom. She announces her pregnancy in the last episode of the series. Friction exists between Florence Ranby and Tilly. An annoyed Florence walks out of the Eliott workroom. She narrowly misses being hit by a car. Tilly has many quarrels with Florence due to her short, sharp manner. Eventually, after Evie allows them to fix a fur collar in Madge's way rather than Florence's, Florence resign and walks out, this time she is fatally struck by a car. At the funeral, Mr Ranby, Florence's husband, confronts Madge and Tilly after their apology to him. He then confronts Bea and Evie over Florence's death and how she was treated. He particularly blames Bea and Evie for failing to noticing the ongoing conflict and says Florence was loyal and would not hear a word said against them. Later, however, he returns, apologising for his outburst and gives flowers to Madge and Tilly. He mentions he is a tailor. Needing an expert cutter, Bea and Evie consider offering him a job but decide against it, concerned the House's connection to Florence's death would be too difficult for him. They instead hire Charles Quance.

Series Three

The Eliott sisters and employee Madge are wrapping up their evidently successful visit to the United States under the sponsorship of Sears and Roebuck, which wants to carry a line of ready-to-wear designed by the House of Eliott. Still estranged from Jack, Bea has a new beau, debonair Sears executive Donald Bradley, who follows the ladies to England. Bea decides that she still loves Jack and settles down with him just as he is shifting from film direction to investigative journalism. Through Grace Keeble, a talented but unreliable new designer, Evie meets artists Miles Bannister and Daniel Page. Miles is hired to do illustrations for the House of Eliott and later becomes a much needed designer while Daniel is a talented artist who Evie believes only needs a break to be successful. Both men fall for Evie but Daniel wins out. Meanwhile, Madge discovers a new love and it is not her rather gruff husband Jerry. Tilly and her husband Norman struggle to keep their marriage together following the loss of their baby son, William (played by Emily Ryan). By the season end, the House of Eliott has nearly fallen apart, Bea and Jack have a daughter, Lucy (also played by Emily Ryan), Jack wins a seat in the House of Commons, and Evie has married Daniel. Miles' father becomes a partner in the House of Eliott after realising his son is a talented fashion designer. He wants the House of Eliott to move away from '' haute couture'' and into more profitable

ready-to-wear Ready-to-wear (or ''prêt-à-porter''; abbreviated RTW; "off-the-rack" or "off-the-peg" in casual use) is the term for ready-made garments, sold in finished condition in standardized sizes, as distinct from made-to-measure or bespoke clothing ...

fashions. The final episode ends with a heated confrontation that raises serious questions regarding the House of Eliott's future and the sisters' relationship. The writers did not anticipate the programme being cancelled at the end of the third series. For this reason, the series ends without a firm conclusion to the storyline.

Production

''The House of Eliott'' is usually cited as the last major BBC drama series to have the majority of its interior sequences recorded at

BBC Television Centre Television Centre (TVC) is a building complex in White City, West London, that was the headquarters of BBC Television between 1960 and 2013. After a refurbishment, the complex reopened in 2017 with three studios in use for TV production, opera ...

using the

multi-camera The multiple-camera setup, multiple-camera mode of production, multi-camera or simply multicam is a method of filmmaking and video production. Several cameras—either film or professional video cameras—are employed on the set and simultaneou ...

production method. By the time the series came to an end in 1994, this video production method had been abandoned for drama series (other than soap operas) in favour of shooting using the

single-camera setup The single-camera setup, or single-camera mode of production, also known as portable single camera, is a method of filmmaking and video production. The single-camera setup originally developed during the birth of the classical Hollywood cinema i ...

, either on film, or on the increasingly lightweight

video Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syst ...

cameras that were becoming available. Some scenes were shot at Clifton Hill House and

Goldney Hall Goldney Hall is a self-catered hall of residence in the University of Bristol. It is one of three in the Clifton area of Bristol, England. The hall occupies part of the grounds of Goldney House, built in the 18th century and remodelled in the ...

university halls of residence in

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

; while many were filmed in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. The exterior of the house is situated at 24

Berkeley Square Berkeley Square is a garden square in the West End of London. It is one of the best known of the many squares in London, located in Mayfair in the City of Westminster. It was laid out in the mid 18th century by the architect William Ke ...

. Holes made by the 'House of Eliott' sign still remain on the wall to the left of the front door.

Colston Hall Bristol Beacon, previously known as Colston Hall, is a concert hall and Grade II listed building on Colston Street, Bristol, England. It is owned by Bristol City Council. Since 2011, management of the hall has been the direct responsibility of ...

was also used.

Cast

Judy Campbell Judy Campbell (born Judith Mary Gamble; 31 May 1916 – 6 June 2004) was an English film, television and stage actress, widely known to be Noël Coward's muse. Her daughter is the actress and singer Jane Birkin, her son the screenwriter and di ...

Phyllis Calvert Phyllis Hannah Murray-Hill (née Bickle; 18 February 1915 – 8 October 2002), known professionally as Phyllis Calvert, was an English film, stage and television actress. She was one of the leading stars of the Gainsborough melodramas of the 1 ...

James Cosmo James Ronald Gordon Copeland , known professionally as James Cosmo (b. 1947), is a Scottish film and television actor known for his appearances in films including ''Highlander'', ''Braveheart'', '' Trainspotting'', ''Jagame Thandhiram'', ''Tro ...

Eileen Davies Eileen Davies (born 23 September 1948) is an English actress, nominated for ''best supporting actress'' at the British Independent Film Awards 2012 for her performance in the film Sightseers, her roles have included “Flora McArdle” in t ...

Minnie Driver Amelia Fiona Jessica "Minnie" Driver (born 31 January 1970) is an English actress. She rose to prominence with her break-out role in 1995's '' Circle of Friends''. She went on to star in a wide range of films including the cult classic '' Grosse ...

, Amanda Mealing,

Sheila Gish Sheila Gish (born Sheila Anne Syme Gash; 23 April 1942 – 9 March 2005) was an English actress. For her role in the 1995 London revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical '' Company'', she won the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Performance ...

Jessica Hynes Tallulah Jessica Elina Hynes (''née'' Stevenson; born 30 October 1972) is an English actress, director and writer. Known professionally as Jessica Stevenson until 2007, she was one of the creators, writers and stars of the British sitcom ''Spac ...

and

Phyllida Law Phyllida Ann Law (born 8 May 1932) is a British actress, known for her numerous roles in film and television. Early life Law was born in Glasgow, the daughter of Meg "Mego" and William Law, a journalist. Prior to the Second World War, her fath ...

, are among those who appeared in one or two episodes.

DVD release

All three series of ''The House of Eliott'' are available on DVD for regions 1, 2 and 4 DVD and distributed by Acorn Media UK. They were released in 2004, 2006 and 2007 respectively.

Books

* ''The House of Eliott'' by Jean Marsh * ''The House of Eliott – A House at War'' by Elizabeth O'Leary (authorised) * ''The House of Eliott: The Anxious Years'' by Edward P. Rich (fan fiction)

Repeats

A series of repeats began with the first episode on 5 September 2011 on ITV3. Previously (around 2005) there were repeats of the whole series on Sky and Cable channel

UK Gold Gold is a British pay television channel from the UKTV network that was launched in late 1992 as UK Gold before it was rebranded UKTV Gold in 2004. In 2008, it was split into current flagship channel Gold and miscellaneous channel, W, with clas ...

. On 14 April 2018, the programme was repeated on the Drama Channel. Which again started repeats of the entire series in October/November 2019

In the media

The show was parodied by comedy duo Dawn French and

Jennifer Saunders Jennifer Jane Saunders (born 6 July 1958) is an English actress, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Saunders originally found attention in the 1980s, when she became a member of The Comic Strip after graduating from the Royal Central School of ...

in a series of sketches called ‘The House of Idiot’.

and

Cathy Murphy Parents :father Patrick Murphy from kilmichael, Co. Cork, Ireland. Catherine McKevitt Murphy (born 7 August 1967) is a British actress. She is known for her television roles as Tilly Watkins in the BBC drama ''The House of Eliott'' (1991–1994 ...

actually appear, in character, during the final sketch and comically reprimand the pair for mocking the show.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:House Of Eliott, The 1991 British television series debuts 1994 British television series endings 1990s British drama television series BBC television dramas Fashion-themed television series Television series set in the 1920s Television shows set in England English-language television shows