Leamington turned Upside Down-Stairs for new TV series

The second series of the hit BBC drama ‘Upstairs Downstairs’ is to be filmed in Leamington Spa, with Clarendon Square doubling up as the iconic Eaton Place of the show.

The filming of the period drama is set to begin within the next few weeks, although an official date has yet to be confirmed.

The first series of the show was a huge hit, starring esteemed actress Dame Eileen Atkins and ‘Ashes to Ashes’ star Keeley Hawes, attracting over 7 million viewers. The series depicts the lives of the servants and their masters at a Belgravia townhouse during the inter-war period.

Clarendon Square was chosen by the production team as its architect, Peter Frederick Robinson, also designed the townhouses in Eaton Place in London, where the original 1970s version of the series was set.

A spokesperson for the BBC said that they were “delighted” to find a replica, and described filming in the town as “far more manageable” than returning to the location in London.

This will be the second time that the crew will be in Leamington, having used its Georgian townhouses for exterior shots in the first series, which hit the small screens last year.

Filming is to take place across many locations in north Leamington. The Boar spoke to Warwick students who live in the area and many seemed excited at the prospect of the show coming to the town.

One third-year French student who lives nearby believed that the presence of the cameras would “bring a buzz to the town” whilst another suggested that it could mean more business and tourism in the area: “It will bring people to Leamington.”

However, not everyone is happy to see Leamington’s streets transform for the screen. A PPE student, who lives in Clarendon Street, seemed unimpressed by the BBC’s decision to film in the town, saying that he was “indifferent” to the production, and “unaware” of the series. Another second-year student spoke of the current road works in Leamington, and believes that the filming could lead to further road closures.

The period drama is expected to be broadcast in early 2012.