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use of their passion for dressmaking and Bea gets a job as secretary at a local photography studio run by Jack Maddox. Jack and his sister
Penelope become firm friends of the sisters and Jack provides them with the funds to open their own London based dressmaking business "The House of Eliott". Through their relationship with Penelope Maddox, the sisters meet the loyal and hardworking seamstress Tilly Watkins whom they employ. A consistent theme throughout the series is the struggle of women in the 1920s to live fulfilling and independent lives—for some the struggle is simply to survive. Not only does Henry Eliott leave his daughters penniless and uneducated, but their cousin Arthur, who is executor of their father's estate, and Evie's legal guardian, keeps a rightful inheritance from the girls "for their own good". After Arthur's arrest and imprisonment for involvement in drug smuggling, he emigrates to Boston, USA, releasing a large amount of cash owed to the sisters from their father's estate. This allows Beatrice and Evie to expand the business and, by the end of series one, with the help of Evie's godfather, successful businessman Sir Desmond Gillispie, the future looks good. Evie celebrates her twenty-first birthday and is made a partner in the firm. The House of Eliott releases its first independent fashion collection and is creating exclusive designs for the aristocracy.
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Donald
Bradley, who follows the ladies to England. Bea decides that she still loves Jack and settles down with him just as he is shifting from film direction to investigative journalism. Through Grace Keeble, a talented but unreliable new designer, Evie meets artists Miles Bannister and Daniel Page. Miles is hired to do illustrations for the House of Eliott and later becomes a much needed designer while Daniel is a talented artist who Evie believes only needs a break to be successful. Both men fall for Evie but Daniel wins out. Meanwhile, Madge discovers a new love and it is not her rather gruff husband Jerry. Tilly and her husband Norman struggle to keep their marriage together following the loss of their baby son, William (played by Emily Ryan). By the season end, the House of Eliott has nearly fallen apart, Bea and Jack have a daughter, Lucy (also played by Emily Ryan), Jack wins a seat in the House of Commons, and Evie has married Daniel. Miles' father becomes an investor in the House of Eliott after realising his son is a talented fashion designer. He wants the House of Eliott to make Miles a partner and to move away from
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Jack Maddox, and they move back to London, leaving Evie alone in Paris to work at the fashion house "Maison Gilles". After a year and an affair with Gilles
Caragnac, a newly-glamorous and grown-up Evie returns as a designer for House of Eliott. Jack's movie director career is on the rise. At a showing of one of Jack's films, Evie meets Lord Alexander Montford, a married member of Parliament, with whom she begins an affair, causing complications throughout the series. Jack and Beatrice separate, unable to agree about having children and the pressure of work. The House of Eliott faces ruin after the suspicious death of Sir Desmond Gillispie causes the firm's financial affairs to be taken over by Ralph Saroyan. The sisters suspect Saroyan of dishonesty and through their contact with Sir Alexander Montford, cause the bank to be officially investigated. It is discovered that Saroyan is defrauding most of the customers of the bank and the Eliott sisters are left with very little of their original savings and investments.
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Florence's, Florence resign and walks out; this time she is fatally struck by a car. At the funeral Mr Ranby, Florence's husband, confronts Madge and Tilly after their apology to him. He then confronts Bea and Evie over
Florence's death and how she was treated. He particularly blames Bea and Evie for failing to notice the ongoing conflict and says Florence was loyal and would not hear a word said against them. Later, however, he returns, apologising for his outburst and gives flowers to Madge and Tilly. He mentions he is a tailor. Needing an expert cutter, Bea and Evie consider offering him a job; but they decide against it, concerned that the House's connection to Florence's death would be too difficult for him. They instead hire Charles Quance.
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The Eliott sisters and employee Madge are wrapping up their evidently successful visit to the United States under the sponsorship of Sears and
Roebuck, which wants to carry a line of ready-to-wear designed by the House of Eliott. Still estranged from Jack, Bea has a new beau, debonair Sears executive
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Beatrice (30, known as Bea) and
Evangeline (18, known as Evie) Eliott are left orphans by the sudden death of their tyrannical father, Henry Eliott. Left almost destitute and without any education, the sisters are forced to sell the family home to cover their father's debts. To earn money, they make
289:
is successful and a
Hollywood producer offers him work in the U.S. by a Hollywood producer. Jack turns it down to instead work in Berlin. Meanwhile, as the market for couture gowns wanes during the late 1920s Great Depression, Beatrice and Evangeline are offered a tour of America showing their new
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Spring 1924: the Eliott sisters have employed
Florence Ranby, a dour Victorian, as head of the workroom. Beatrice and Evie are invited to Paris by fashion designer Gilles Caragnac, who offers them a 5-year contract as designers for his label. While there, Bea marries her former employer and friend
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Friction exists between
Florence Ranby and Tilly. An annoyed Florence walks out of the Eliott workroom and narrowly misses being hit by a car. Tilly has many quarrels with Florence due to her short, sharp manner. Eventually, after Evie allows them to fix a fur collar in Madge's way rather than
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294:. Bea still has feelings for Jack. Back at the fashion house, after a crisis of confidence, Tilly marries Norman Foss, a young chef in a local hotel, and is reinstated as head of the workroom. She announces her pregnancy in the last episode of the series.
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production method. By the time the series came to an end in 1994, this video production method had been abandoned for drama series (other than soap operas) in favour of shooting using the
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The writers did not anticipate the programme being cancelled at the end of the third series. For this reason, the series ends without a firm conclusion to the storyline.
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fashions. The final episode ends with a heated confrontation that raises serious questions regarding the House of Eliott's future and the sisters' relationship.
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is usually cited as the last major BBC drama series to have the majority of its interior sequences recorded at
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actually appear, in character, during the final sketch and comically reprimand the pair for mocking the show.
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in three series between 31 August 1991 and 6 March 1994. The series starred
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A series of repeats began with the first episode on 5 September 2011 on
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956:"Here's one we made much, much earlier – and now it's time to move"
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are available on DVD for regions 1, 2 and 4 DVD and distributed by
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as
Evangeline Eliott, two sisters in 1920s London who establish a
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is a British television series produced and broadcast by the
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as head of the workroom Florence Ranby. It was created by
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As of April 2018, the programme is being repeated on the
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in a series of sketches called ‘The House of Idiot’.
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903:The show was parodied by comedy duo
859:The House of Eliott – A House at War
1081:Television series set in the 1920s
222:business and eventually their own
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861:by Elizabeth O'Leary (authorised)
362:university halls of residence in
1076:Fashion-themed television series
259:, Deborah Cook and Ginnie Hole.
1086:Television shows set in England
954:Wells, Matt (11 January 2007).
867:by Edward P. Rich (fan fiction)
943:(Rec:1993-11-04 Tx:1994-02-20)
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214:as Beatrice Eliott and
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155:50 minutes (approx)
25:The House of Eliott
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913:Stella Gonet
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899:In the media
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825:Phyllida Law
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729:Kelly Hunter
596:Daniel Page
579:Robert Hands
573:9 (1991–92)
557:Norman Foss
494:Joseph Wint
481:Agnes Clark
440:Cathy Murphy
431:Jack Maddox
427:Aden Gillett
401:Stella Gonet
376:Colston Hall
360:Goldney Hall
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343:, either on
337:multi-camera
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231:Aden Gillett
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188:6 March 1994
152:Running time
142:Camera setup
79:Aden Gillett
71:Stella Gonet
24:
18:
905:Dawn French
831:DVD release
817:Sheila Gish
801:James Cosmo
753:Robert Daws
664:Peter Birch
629:Ian Redford
503:Bill Thomas
220:dressmaking
129:of episodes
1050:Categories
1025:BBC Online
967:14 January
927:References
779:Burt Kwouk
741:Kate Paul
547:11 (1992)
534:12 (1991)
523:12 (1991)
453:Judy Flynn
392:Character
335:using the
324:Production
277:Series Two
268:Series One
239:Jean Marsh
192:1994-03-06
182:1991-08-31
137:Production
93:Jim Parker
57:Jean Marsh
53:Created by
1000:19 August
786:3 (1991)
773:4 (1994)
760:4 (1991)
747:5 (1991)
744:Chalmers
736:5 (1991)
723:6 (1994)
710:6 (1992)
697:6 (1992)
684:6 (1991)
671:6 (1991)
658:7 (1994)
647:7 (1994)
636:7 (1994)
623:7 (1992)
610:7 (1992)
599:8 (1994)
586:9 (1994)
540:Kate Fahy
253:Jill Hyem
118:of series
146:Multiple
67:Starring
882:UK Gold
872:Repeats
372:Bristol
364:Bristol
190: (
186: –
180: (
175:Release
165:Network
110:English
468:Betty
389:Actor
847:Books
349:video
169:BBC 1
43:Genre
1041:IMDb
1002:2012
969:2007
919:and
907:and
878:ITV3
823:and
382:Cast
358:and
345:film
263:Plot
241:and
1039:at
1023:at
208:BBC
127:No.
116:No.
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