Angus Hudson is a fictional character from the
ITV (Independent Television) drama ''
Upstairs, Downstairs'', portrayed by actor
Gordon Jackson from 1971, until 1975.
Biography
Hudson was a featured character in sixty episodes from 1971 until 1975 (1903–1930 in the series' timeline). Hudson is portrayed in the show as a Scottish
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 pantries, pantr ...
of the Bellamy household and acts as supervisor to all the servant staff. The character also mentions having previously worked as a footman on
Lady Marjorie's estate. He has a younger brother, Donald, who works as a civil engineer; Hudson marries the character Mrs. Bridges (
Angela Baddeley
Madeleine Angela Clinton-Baddeley (4 July 1904 – 22 February 1976) was an English stage and television actress, best-remembered for her role as household cook Mrs. Bridges in the period drama '' Upstairs, Downstairs''. Her stage career laste ...
) at the series finale.
Personality
Hudson is characterised as a well-educated man from a working-class background. He is usually portrayed as kind-hearted, organised, neat, and occasionally humorous, although he sometimes shows a darker side to his character. He discusses football periodically in the series and is written as a
Chelsea fan. Politically, Hudson is a
conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
and
monarchist
Monarchism is the advocacy of the system of monarchy or monarchical rule. A monarchist is an individual who supports this form of government independently of any specific monarch, whereas one who supports a particular monarch is a royalist. C ...
who defers to his "betters", and he regularly speaks out against the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world.
The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
, the
Labour Party and
trade union
A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...
militancy. Hudson does occasionally say that he would have preferred a
Stuart
Stuart may refer to:
People
*Stuart (name), a given name and surname (and list of people with the name)
* Clan Stuart of Bute, a Scottish clan
*House of Stuart, a royal house of Scotland and England
Places Australia Generally
*Stuart Highway, ...
on the British throne, hinting at sympathy for the
Jacobite cause. Hudson is shown as generally loyal to the Bellamy Family.
Awards
Gordon Jackson, who portrayed Hudson, won the British Actor of the Year Award in 1974 and an
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
for
Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in 1975 for the episode "
The Beastly Hun".
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hudson, Angus
Fictional butlers
Scottish male characters in television
Television characters introduced in 1971
Upstairs, Downstairs characters