Downton Abbey a New Era

Hidden away below stairs an army of people were once the vital cogs that kept the homes of the wealthy running smoothly. For little reward these men and women toiled from before dawn until after dusk. A century ago, 1.5 million British people worked as servants – astonishingly, more than worked in factories or farms. But while servants are often portrayed as characters in period dramas, the real stories of Britain's servants have largely been forgotten.
From Upstairs, Downstairs to Gosford Park and Downton Abbey, TV dramas and films have made us care about the characters below stairs.