Beacon Hill (television series)
Encyclopedia
Beacon Hill was a short-lived (13 episodes) dramatic television series shown on CBS
in 1975. The show focused on the fictitious Lassiter family and their Irish servants who lived on Louisburg Square
, in Boston's fashionable Beacon Hill area. The Lassiters were Irish Catholic who were led by Ben Lasiter who had a career as a politically connected contractor who owned a brick yard and real estate. It was considered to be an Americanized version of the popular British series, Upstairs, Downstairs
, of which the premise was almost the same. The wealthy family lived upstairs, and the servants ruled belowstairs.
The show starred Stephen Elliott
as Ben Lassiter, who worked as the "Gray eminence" at Boston City Hall and Nancy Marchand
the Lassiter family matriarch, Mary Lassiter. Other family Maeve McGuire
as Maude Lassiter Palmer; Edward Herrmann
as Maude's husband, Richard Palmer, a yachtsman; Kathryn Walker as Fawn Lassiter, the maverick and artistic daughter; Michael Nouri
as Giorgio Bellonci, Fawn's music teacher; DeAnn Mears as Emily Lassiter Bullock, Betsy's emotionally reserved mother; Ray Cooper as Trevor Bullock, Emily's husband/Betsy's father; Linda Purl
as his granddaughter, Betsy Bullock; Kitty Winn
as Rosamond Lassiter, the plain jane daughter who was a whiz at the family business; David Dukes
as the only son, Robert Lassiter, who was wounded in World War I and was still traumatized by his injuries.
The servants were Beatrice Straight
as their head housemaid, Mrs. Emmeline Hacker; Susan Blanchard
as Maureen Mahaffey, an under maid, and Emmeline's niece; Paul Ryan Rudd
as Brian Mallory, Emmeline's nephew and the Lassiter family's chauffeur; Barry Snider as Harry Emmet, the former chauffeur, who was fired for stealing money from the Lassiter family; George Rose
as the Lassiter butler, Arthur Hacker; David Rounds
as Terence O'Hara, Hacker's assistant; Richard Ward as William Piper, the family cook; Don Blakely as Grant Piper (William's son); Holland Taylor
as Marilyn Gardiner, Mrs. Lassiter's personal assistant/secretary.
The premiere episode was a ratings success, but the ratings dropped drastically as the show went along, and was soon after cancelled.
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in 1975. The show focused on the fictitious Lassiter family and their Irish servants who lived on Louisburg Square
Louisburg Square
Louisburg Square is a private square located in the Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Boston. It was named for the 1745 Battle of Louisbourg, in which Massachusetts militiamen led by William Pepperrell, who was made the first American baronet for his role, sacked the French...
, in Boston's fashionable Beacon Hill area. The Lassiters were Irish Catholic who were led by Ben Lasiter who had a career as a politically connected contractor who owned a brick yard and real estate. It was considered to be an Americanized version of the popular British series, Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs is a British drama television series originally produced by London Weekend Television and revived by the BBC. It ran on ITV in 68 episodes divided into five series from 1971 to 1975, and a sixth series shown on the BBC on three consecutive nights, 26–28 December 2010.Set in a...
, of which the premise was almost the same. The wealthy family lived upstairs, and the servants ruled belowstairs.
The show starred Stephen Elliott
Stephen Elliott (actor)
Stephen Elliott was an American actor. His best known role was that of crime boss, Burt Johnson, in the hit 1981 film Arthur.-Theatre:Elliott's first acting engagement was at the New York Neighborhood Playhouse in 1946...
as Ben Lassiter, who worked as the "Gray eminence" at Boston City Hall and Nancy Marchand
Nancy Marchand
Nancy Marchand was an American actress, whose career encompassed both stage and screen. She appeared in various theatre productions throughout the early 1950s, before being offered roles on film and television....
the Lassiter family matriarch, Mary Lassiter. Other family Maeve McGuire
Maeve McGuire
Maeve McGuire is an American actress, best known for her role as "Nicole Travis Drake" on the soap opera The Edge of Night, which she played from 1968 to 1974 and from 1975 to 1977...
as Maude Lassiter Palmer; Edward Herrmann
Edward Herrmann
Edward Kirk Herrmann is a U.S. television and film actor. He is best known for his Emmy-nominated portrayals of Franklin D...
as Maude's husband, Richard Palmer, a yachtsman; Kathryn Walker as Fawn Lassiter, the maverick and artistic daughter; Michael Nouri
Michael Nouri
Michael Nouri is an American television and film actor. He may be best known for his role as Nick Hurley, in the 1983 film Flashdance. He has had recurring roles in numerous television series, including NCIS as Eli David, the father of Mossad officer Ziva David, The O.C. as Dr...
as Giorgio Bellonci, Fawn's music teacher; DeAnn Mears as Emily Lassiter Bullock, Betsy's emotionally reserved mother; Ray Cooper as Trevor Bullock, Emily's husband/Betsy's father; Linda Purl
Linda Purl
Linda Purl is an American actress and singer, perhaps best known for portraying Ben Matlock's daughter Charlene Matlock in season one of Matlock.-Early life and education abroad:...
as his granddaughter, Betsy Bullock; Kitty Winn
Kitty Winn
Kitty Winn is an award-winning American actress.- Early life and career :Winn was born in Washington, D.C. She spent much of her childhood time traveling to China, India and Japan....
as Rosamond Lassiter, the plain jane daughter who was a whiz at the family business; David Dukes
David Dukes
David Coleman Dukes was an American character actor.-Life:Dukes was born in San Francisco, California, the son of a highway patrolman...
as the only son, Robert Lassiter, who was wounded in World War I and was still traumatized by his injuries.
The servants were Beatrice Straight
Beatrice Straight
Beatrice Whitney Straight was an American theatre, film, and television actress. Hers remains the shortest acting performance in a film to win an Oscar. In her winning role in the 1976 film Network, she was on screen for five minutes and forty seconds, the shortest time ever for the winner of the...
as their head housemaid, Mrs. Emmeline Hacker; Susan Blanchard
Susan Blanchard (actress)
Susan Blanchard-Frank is an American actress, best known for playing Mary Kennicott Martin, R. N. #2 on the ABC soap opera All My Children from 1971 to 1975....
as Maureen Mahaffey, an under maid, and Emmeline's niece; Paul Ryan Rudd
Paul Ryan Rudd
Paul Ryan Rudd was an American actor, director, and a professor. He appeared as the title character in a 1976 production of Shakespeare's Henry V, opposite Meryl Streep as his love interest...
as Brian Mallory, Emmeline's nephew and the Lassiter family's chauffeur; Barry Snider as Harry Emmet, the former chauffeur, who was fired for stealing money from the Lassiter family; George Rose
George Rose (actor)
\...
as the Lassiter butler, Arthur Hacker; David Rounds
David Rounds
David Rounds was an American actor of stage and screen. He received both a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award in 1980 for his role in Morning's at Seven....
as Terence O'Hara, Hacker's assistant; Richard Ward as William Piper, the family cook; Don Blakely as Grant Piper (William's son); Holland Taylor
Holland Taylor
Holland Virginia Taylor is an American actress of film, stage and television. Her notable television roles include Ruth Dunbar in Bosom Buddies, senator's wife Margaret Powers on Norman Lear's The Powers That Be, Judge Roberta Kittleson in The Practice and Evelyn Harper in Two and a Half...
as Marilyn Gardiner, Mrs. Lassiter's personal assistant/secretary.
The premiere episode was a ratings success, but the ratings dropped drastically as the show went along, and was soon after cancelled.