Enjoyable, if a tad flawed, Edwardian series
Julian Fellowes has mined his script for Gosford Park, and took a few cues from the beloved 1970s series Upstairs, Downstairs – Collector’s Edition Megaset (The Complete Series plus Thomas and Sarah), to fabricate Downton Abbey, a stunning and colorful drama set around the aristocratic Crawley family and the staff which serves them. Set amid 1912 and 1914, Downton Abbey chronicles the conflict of class, gender, and politics, and serves it up with a freshening dollop of sizzle and scandal. Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, and Dame Maggie Smith (as Robert, Earl of Grantham, Cora, Countess of Grantham, and Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham, respectively) are knock outs, but the rest of the cast are no slouches either, with the stunning Michelle Dockery at the forefront as Lady Mary Crawley, who is the selfish, proud, and vindictive oldest daughter you can’t help but like. The actors and the stunning interiors of Highclere Castle, home to the Earls of Carnarvon, give Downton Abbey a glossy, sophisticated sheen, even when the script’s twists and turns may be a bit of a let-down. Nevertheless, the drama is engrossing and invigorating, and a worthy addition to the collection of any amount of time drama aficionado–and anybody who likes good drama, period!
Interesting Series!
ALERT: Possible Spoilers! But I’ll try not to give away that much . . .
I found regarding this series after looking at the final episode of Sherlock on PBS. I’m a huge fan of amount of time dramas and after seeing the trailer for Downton Abbey, I knew I had to give it try.
Downton Abbey opens in 1912, following the sinking of the Titanic on which the heir of Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham’s estate, dies. This leaves the family in a bit of a tizzy attempting to figure out who would be next to inherit the estate since the Crawleys have three daughters who aren’t entitled to the entailment. Enter Matthew Crawley (the finelooking Dan Stevens a.k.a “Edward Ferrars” from the 2008 Sense and Sensibility–whistle, whistle) as next in line and of course, not every one is thrilled with the idea.
Meanwhile, we have the privledge of witnessing the bitter but fantastically arousing and attention holding sibling rivalry of the two oldest of the Earl’s daughters, Mary and Edith. Mary was engaged to the primary heir of Downton Abbey but it was Edith who veritably loved him. As if that wasn’t enough, the oldest, Mary, is seemingly the favored of the girls’ mother who’s closely sole occupation is to marry her off (especially now that the entailment has gone to a “stranger” and her father will not fight it). Edith, on the other hand, is constantly overlooked and according to her mother, Cora, will more than likely be the one to take care of her and the Earl in their old age. The Earl’s youngest daughter, Sybil, however, is the personification of quiet strength. Super sweet but unquestionably not a push over, she is a firm advocate for Women’s Rights and doesn’t have any qualms with regards to expressing her opinion, even if it means getting in disturb with her father.
Downstairs, we have the arrival of the mysterious Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle, Robert Timmens of Lark Rise to Candleford–whistle, whistle again!!) who gives rise to sensations for head housemaid, Anna and vice versa but their station (and his secrets) make their romance a bit difficult. Put off by Bates’ arrival and the idea of the “lower station” of footman is the uber-villianous Thomas (I guarantee, you will hate this guy!). Aided by the evenly nasty Miss O’Brien, they plot to get rid of Mr. Bates at closely all costs.
Of course, there are tons of subplots: Matthew’s determination not to be changed by the inhabitants of Downton, the butler’s “shameful” past, a maid’s dissatisfaction of working in service and hopes for better employment, mystery (and a good deal of not so secret) crushes, and lots more.
Interspersed allround the series are a number of unforgettable characters. Most notably, the extremely pleasing Maggie Smith, who lends a lot of sass (and some hilarious one-liners) to this series as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham (the Earl’s mother). We also have Jim Carter (Captain Brown from Cranford) as Carson, the truehearted butler of the Crawley family and Penelope Wilton (Mrs. Hamley from Wives and Daughters) as Isobel Crawley, the mother of new heir Matthew and recurring sparing collaborator of Violet.
This season of the series ends at the Crawleys’ garden party at which the Earl informs his guests that they are at war with Germany. Up to that point, a scandalous mystery regarding Lady Mary is leaked that nearly ruins her reputation and she plots revenge on it is revealer. A new “development” arises that may modify Matthew’s chances for benefitting the Earl’s estate. Matthew, who himself finds a sparing collaborator in Mary, inevitably falls in love with her. She says that her sensations are mutual but he is unsure whether she wants him for himself or because of his probability has heir to her father’s estate.
I found this to be a exhaustively agreeably diverting series. Can’t wait for Season 2.
Be Alert….varying editions..
There appears to be two (2) editions of Downton Abbey….in looking at the past 3 sequences as staged on my PBS station, I have become more and more conscious that the editing was very “jumpy”….short short sequences to a significant story line…..then, I ran into that there is an edition, UK edition, that is full length….meaning there are 7 sequences in total….the edition being shown on my local PBS station, is all of 4 episodes….and the shifty scenes that I am watching on the Sunday night making something publicly available have been edited for USA viewers.
To me, this is ruinous to a finely developed English landscape, pre-world war I.
Just be more alert to this. I am not conscious of any selective information from my PBS station to this effect, that I am in truth observing a condensed version of Downton Abbey….
I have just purchased DVD, UK edition of Downton Abbey to view in my home….this will have to be a more in-depth story, without the shifting of scenes that add up to being difficult to the entire story line.
