Maid for TV: Actress was the creator of hit shows

JEAN Marsh, the stage and screen actress who has died at the age of 90, was best known for her role as a no-nonsense parlour maid in classic TV drama Upstairs, Downstairs.

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The saga which chronicled the lives of a rich family in London and their servants through various historical events between 1903 and 1930, became a firm favourite of TV viewers when the costume drama aired between 1971 and 1975.

Marsh co-created the hit show along with friend and fellow actress Eileen Atkins, after they both realised in 1969 they had relatives in domestic service.

Years later Upstairs, Downstairs, set in the large townhouse of 165 Eaton Place, won Marsh an Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a limited series for her role as hard-bitten but ultimately kind-hearted maid Rose Buck.