We characterize the upper semicontinuous representability of a semiorder ≺ as an interval order (namely, by a pair (u,v) of upper semicontinuous real-valued functions) on a topological space with a countable basis of open sets, where one of the representing functions is a one-way utility for the characteristic weak order ≺0 associated with the semiorder. Such a description generalizes the upper semicontinuous threshold representation. To this end, we introduce a suitable upper semicontinuity condition concerning a semiorder, namely strict upper semicontinuity. We further characterize the mere existence of an upper semicontinuous one-way utility for this characteristic weak order, with a view to the identification of maximal elements on compact metric spaces.