The short lived British television series Thomas & Sarah (cut short due to a writer's strike in the late 1970's) is now available on DVD from Acorn Media. The series follows the exploits of the titular characters, who were originally created for the award winning series Upstairs Downstairs. In fact, the majority of the 13 episodes feature at least one reference to Upstairs Downstairs, which adds a strong degree of continuity to Thomas & Sarah. Although the characters are in love, Thomas has yet to ask for Sarah's hand in marriage. Of course, considering their vagabond life style, that makes sense in some way. After all, the idea of getting married and settling down usually means staying in one place for a while, which is something Thomas & Sarah never seem to do.
The series begins with a reunion of the main characters, who have been apart for some time. Sarah is working as a nursemaid when Thomas re-enters her life and asks her to take him back. She agrees and for a short time they have some stability, thanks to Thomas's burgeoning business as an automobile mechanic. However, after tiring of the day to day laboring and not getting anywhere, they decide to purchase a trick from a traveling magician in "The Vanishing Lady." Of course, nothing is ever easy and soon the not so happy couple find themselves in financial straits, so they decide to concoct a matchmaking scheme, in the episode "Made in Heaven," which is actually successful, but they are using the residence of a vacationing family for their business. The authorities eventually become involved, so Thomas & Sarah have to leave in a hurry to avoid legal problems.
The couple find their way to jobs at a private school for boys, where Thomas actually ends up teaching. The episode, "Alma Mater," is the best of the 13 featured on the DVD release. After learning that the headmaster is taking financial advantage of the student's families, Thomas and Sarah decide to make things right. The fact that they care enough to help the children speaks volumes for the often self centered couple, who do the right thing for a change. Perhaps that is why things are looking up for them in "The Poor Young Widow of Peckham," as Thomas's new occupation as a photographer reaps financial rewards. However, an illness threatens to derail Thomas's career and even his life. Another strong episode, "Return to Gethyn," finds Thomas visiting his mother and brother at his childhood home. However, they are not welcomed by everyone, which drives Sarah to distraction. However, after uncovering a long kept secret, Sarah decides to help Thomas and correct a problem from the past.
One of things that sets Thomas & Sarah apart from Upstairs Downstairs is the use of exterior shots, which are a hallmark of the series and add a degree of realism. However, the two series do share the same outstanding writing and strong performances from real life couple Pauline Collins and John Alderton. In addition, Alfred Shaughnessy created both series and played a regular role in the development of Thomas & Sarah, and his influence enables the series to be consistently creative and entertaining. While it is difficult to improve on the masterpiece that was Upstairs Downstairs, Thomas & Sarah is a worthy successor and who knows how successful it could have become had the writer's strike been averted.
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