House of Eliott Season 1 (1991)

Revisited

Review

The House of Eliott is a British period drama set in the 1920s focusing on the Eliott sisters, Beatrice and Evangeline, who establish their own haute couture fashion house. The series was created by Jean Marsh and Eileen Atkins, who previously collaborated on the legendary Upstairs, Downstairs, which set the template for most period dramas that came later. House of Eliott debuted on the BBC on 31 August 1991 and had a total of 34 episodes over its three year run. Sadly, the series ended with a number of storylines unresolved as it was cancelled abruptly after some of the period costumes were destroyed in a fire.

When Beatrice and Evangeline Eliott lose their father unexpectedly in the spring of 1920, they relish the prospect of being able to make their own decisions after suffering years of oppression. After being told they have inherited their father’s estate, they dream of going to Paris but a meeting with their cousin, Arthur Eliott, a solicitor, dashes their hopes as their father’s estates has been entirely consumed by debt. Realising they have no skills to offer, Bea and Evie are forced to find employment and Bea takes on a job as a receptionist for Jack Maddox, a society photographer. The sisters are nicely contrasted with the older Bea becoming increasingly bitter as she learns the extent of their father’s betrayal and the much younger Evie still having a sense of innocence.

Jack Maddox has a pivotal role as he believes in the talent of the sisters and is very vocal about them starting their own business. While it is Evie who initially develops a crush on the worldly Jack, a romance eventually blossoms between Bea although it is quite tempestuous at times. The arrival of Penelope Maddox, Jack’s sister, adds a social element as Evie comes face to face with the poverty of the working class. There was a great deal of unrest in the 1920s as Britain was still recovering from the effects of the First World War and a series of ballots in the spring of 1920 would pave the way for a general strike the following year. Although the Eliott sisters are down on their luck, they are decidedly middle class and their situation is nothing in comparison to the plight of others who rely on charity.

In the third episode, we get to see Bea’s business skills for the first time as she completely takes over the organisation of Jack’s studio and later at Mrs. Partini’s workshop when both sisters get jobs with her. However, Bea is a tad too pushy with her ideas and stubbornly refuses to compromise which causes problems. When Bea issues an ultimatum to Mrs. Partini to either increase their pay or lose them both, the ploy backfires when Mrs. Partini accepts their resignations. The sisters are then employed by Georges Duroque of Mayfair but their time with his atelier is also short-lived as the sisters arrogantly believe their designs are far better and they are fired when Duroque believes they are trying to steal his customers.

On the personal front, the sisters learn they have a half-brother as a result of a longterm affair their father had and they finally get to meet him. Sebastian lays the charm on thick when he is around the sisters but his mask quickly slips when he questions Arthur Eliott about the money he thinks he may be due from his father’s estate. For once, you are cheering on Arthur who quickly puts Sebastian in his place despite his own scheming. While Bea is more hesitant about associating with Sebastian, Evie has no qualms about spending time with him but Sebastian’s interest in her gets a bit uncomfortable as it is more than brotherly. We eventually learn that Sebastian is not their brother and he pursues Evie but their budding romance ends in tragedy.

The House of Eliott is finally born as 1922 dawns but the sisters’ prospects are hampered when none of the banks will give them a loan but Jack comes through with a cheque as Arthur has lied about how much money they have made from the sale of their house. However, Arthur Eliott soon has significant problems of his own as a raid on the club he partly owns reveals his partners have been supplying drugs and shipping alcohol to the United States where Prohibition is in place. Although unaware of the shady dealings, Arthur is sentenced to 28 days in prison and fined 1000 pounds which makes him confess to having been less than truthful about the money the sisters actually have. Delighted with the turn of events, the sisters now have enough money to start their business but they are dismayed when they realise Arthur’s shenanigans have made them social pariahs.

Undeterred, the House of Eliott finally opens its doors and we are introduced to a host of new characters who will form the new workroom. The most prominent being Madge Howell, the new head seamstress, who doesn’t know when to keep her mouth shut – I like her already. Jack is starting to move into the world of film making which leads to the sisters gaining a significant commission for an entire wardrobe from an actress who is impressed with their designs. However, the cracks in Bea and Evie’s relationship have never been more evident as Evie celebrates her twenty-first birthday and is made a full partner in the business. As the sisters decide to it is time for the House of Eliott to showcase its first collection, Bea opts for more conservative designs while Evie wants to push the boundaries with more modern styles.

Bea and Evie are thrilled when Victor Stride (Anthony Valentine), a renowned fashion journalist, takes an interest in their work but the finished article focuses more on the activities of Arthur Eliott and the negativity threatens the launch of the collection. Stride tries to tell the sisters that his publisher edited the article against his will but they are too hurt to listen to him. Later, Stride tells them that he is now working for Couture magazine who want exclusive access to their collection and they agree to allow it. On the day of the show, everyone’s nerves are jangling with excitement but the sisters are confused when they are falsely accused of stealing ideas from a rival designer and customers start cancelling their orders. It’s a shame all the skulduggery ruined the House of Eliott’s first original collection, but those costumes were stunning and all credit goes to the costume designers who would go on to win a BAFTA and an Emmy for Costume Design in later seasons.

Further Reading

Explore the characters and books that inspired the series

  • Beatrice Eliott (Stella Gonet)
  • Evangeline Eliott (Louise Lombard)
  • Jack Maddox (Aden Gillett)
  • Arthur Eliott (Peter Birch)
  • Lady Lydia Eliott (Barbara Jefford)
  • Penelope Maddox (Francesca Folan)
  • Tilly Watkins (Cathy Murphy)
  • Madge Howell (Judy Flynn)
  • Piggy Garstone (Robert Daws)
  • Sebastian Pearce (Jeremy Brudenell)
  • Sir Desmond Gillipsie (David de Keyser)
  • BEATRICE ‘BEA’ ELIOTT: Bea is the eldest of the Elliot sisters and is almost twelve years older than her sister, Evie, to whom she became a surrogate mother when their mother died. Bea likes to design more practical clothes but she also has a firm head for business even though she has no more formal education.
  • EVANGELINE ‘EVIE’ ELIOTT: Evie is the youngest of the Elliot sisters and is almost twelve years younger than Bea who took care of her after their mother died giving birth to Evie. When their father dies, Evie becomes the ward of their cousin, Arthur Elliot, much to Bea’s annoyance. Evie is a skilled designer and is more daring than her sister.
  • JACK MADDOX: Jack is a moderately successful society photographer who develops a romantic interest in Bea but she is wary of him as he has a reputation. Jack encourages the sisters to pursue their dreams of having their own business and becomes an investor.
  • ARTHUR ELIOTT: Arthur is a solicitor and the paternal cousin of Bea and Evie but he often clashes with them over finances and Evie’s guardianship. Arthur is also co-owner of a nightclub and ends up being arrested when the club is raided for drugs although he was unaware of what his partners were doing behind his back. With his reputation in tatters, Arthur emigrates to the United States.
  • LADY LYDIA ELIOTT: Lydia is the mother of Arthur Elliot who wants her son to keep a tighter rein on Bea and Evie as she disapproves of their dressmaking schemes until the sisters start to make a name for themselves. Lydia becomes a social pariah when her son is arrested and she eventually follows him to the United States.
  • PENELOPE ‘PEN’ MADDOX: Penelope is the younger sister of Jack who fights for social justice and eventually opens a hostel. Tired of seeing the rich flaunt their wealth, Pen becomes increasingly unstable and eventually leaves to do missionary work in Africa.
  • SEBASTIAN PEARCE: Sebastian is initially introduced as Bea and Evie’s illegitimate brother who was afforded a decent education at their expense. Although charming to the sisters, Sebastian wants his share of their father’s estate but Arthur sends him away. When Sebastian discovers he is not related to Bea and Evie after all, he pursues Evie romantically but is killed when his plane comes down en route to Paris.
  • TILLY WATKINS: Tilly comes from a poor family and is the first seamstress the sisters hire for their fledgling business as she is a skilled embroiderer. Tilly becomes an important part of the House of Eliott but she declines the job of workshop manager as she is too timid.
  • MADGE HOWELL: Madge is hired as the workshop manager and is perfect for the job as she isn’t afraid of speaking her mind. Madge often clashes with the sisters as she often speaks inappropriately to the clients. Madge has ambitions of her own which eventually leads to her taking on one of the clients herself and it results in her dismissal.
  • SIR DESMOND GILLISPIE: Sir Desmond is Evie’s godfather and as such provides the sisters with financial advice. While eager to see the sisters achieve their dream, he is also realistic about the obstacles they will face. When the House of Eliott starts to make a profit, Sir Desmond manages their accounts and becomes a member of the board.

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