The Upper Crusts is a Britcom that aired on ITV in 1973, starring Margaret Leighton and Charles Gray.
Robin Seacroft (Gray) is an aristocrat living a carefree life with his wife Phyllida (Leighton) and their children, Gareth (Martin Neil) and Davina (Lalla Ward), but all of this is to change...
One day, he goes shooting with his father, the aged Lord Seacroft (also Gray), who leaves his gun unattended. A curious rabbit sets off the gun and bang goes the former Lord Seacroft. Robin inherits his late father's title, but precious little else.
Thanks to the old man losing the family fortune thanks to his poker habits, the new Lord and Lady Seacroft and their children have to move into a council house and are reduced to working all sorts of menial jobs to try and make ends meet.
While still existing in the archives, the series is unable to be watched as it hasn't been re-aired since 1973 nor released on home media or streaming.
The Upper Tropes:
- Babysitting Episode: Lord and Lady Seacroft take a babysitting job in "Sitting Pretty" for 50p an hour and all the free sherry they can drink. It all goes well until the arrival of the TV engineer; their ex-butler turned coal merchant, Balmforth; and their own children, Gareth and Davina.
- British Brevity: The series only ran for six episodes in one series.
- Double-Meaning Title: The third episode's title, "One Door Opens", refers both to how Lord Seacroft's new job is a metaphorical door opening so he can earn enough to keep his council house, but also refers to how as a doorman, he will be opening doors.
- Idle Rich: The Seacrofts used to live an idle rich life but following the loss of their family fortune, Lord and Lady Seacroft are forced to take all manner of odd jobs to try and make ends meet.
- Impoverished Patrician: The Seacrofts are a family of aristocrats used to the finer things in life, but after the death of Lord Seacroft Sr., they discover the family fortune is all gone, and they are forced to adapt to a lower-class life in a council house.
- Lady Drunk: Lady Seacroft is fond of any sort of tipple, from brandy to sherry.
- Riches to Rags: Thanks to Lord Seacroft Sr. gambling away his family's fortune, the rest of the Seacroft family are forced to move out of their mansion and into a council house.
- Short-Runners: Only one series of six episodes was produced.
- Spoiled Brat: Gareth and Davina are, on account of being disgustingly rich all throughout their adolescent lives. Once their parents lose all their money, they don't exactly take it well.
- Titled After the Song: The final episode, "Putting on the Ritz", was titled after Irving Berlin's song "Puttin' On the Ritz".
