****Downton Abbey - Watch-along and Discussion Thread**** - The Lounge Discussion and Review on Literature, Arts, Culture

HobbyHorse · 02-23-2011, 08:51 PM

It may only be myself and hotdogfallacy watching this series, but I don't care. It's such a great series that it deserves its own thread.

Quote:

Originally posted by hotdogfallacy
don't think the plebes of OOTV will care, so i will post it here. Just saw the first episode of Downton Abbey ( a show on PBS) and it was fantastic. Very solid acting, it even has Dame Maggie Smith; does a tremendous job showing the inner workings of a British mansion at the eve of WW1, a la Gosford Park. Really interesting to observe the relationship between the servants and people who live in the house. A lot of very well developed and interesting characters.

All episodes can be found on Netflix Watch Instantly and http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/watch/index.html (just the first four episodes are at this link).

So this thread will just be meant to discuss the characters and the happenings of the different episodes. Hopefully more people will join in and start watching because it really is good. It is obvious that a lot of attention has been paid to historical detail in both the costumes, settings and attitudes of the various characters. The characters themselves are all varied, intriguing and well-developed. After one episode, you will be sucked in just like I was. However, if you're not a fan of period drama, then you may not like this series.

Pity plea: Please don't have me talk to myself ITT. I do enough of that in real life.

cause'n'effect · 02-23-2011, 09:03 PM

Oh my word, I can't believe I just saw this post.

I bought this DVD set for my other half last Christmas and we watched the entire series with slack-jawed amazement. What could have been some half-arsed kitsch turn of the century fantasy is instead a jewel in the British broadcasting crown, proof at last that the words "ITV drama" do not mean "substandard fodder".

The writing is scintillating, as one would expect from this particular writer, the plotting is natural and based on real events, and the acting - oh, joy! - the acting is faultless. Dame Maggie Smith is outstanding. It's gripping and involving in a way you can't possibly imagine.

Just watch. You may think that nothing could be more dull than a country house in 1910s England, but you could not possibly be more wrong!

Incidentally, rumours are afoot here in the UK about a possible second series. Please, please, please...

cause'n'effect · 04-18-2011, 08:15 PM

Bump

The writer of Downton Abbey is at work on a series about the Titanic disaster, as well as more Downton.

Why are there no replies here? Has nobody watched this gem? Has nobody felt moved to post?!

**katyseagull** · 04-19-2011, 12:44 AM

Wow, how did I miss this thread? When I saw it this evening I thought maybe Hobby had just posted it and got really excited. This is a great series! I was disappointed when it ended so abruptly (we were watching 2 episodes at a time so it went by too fast). Glad to hear that they are now filming Series 2. Really looking forward to it.

I agree with Hobby that the characters are very good. They definitely sucked me in that's for sure. I really like the actor who plays Matthew. He's pretty sweet. I thought the relationship between Edith and Mary was pretty fascinating. My main complaint is that there just weren't enough episodes to satisfy me. The acting was so good that I wanted more but it felt like the writers were rushing the story.

Hobby - where are you!?

sightless · 09-28-2011, 11:47 AM

bump; saw the first episode of the second season. I probably should have re-watched the series again before starting the new season; it felt like it skipped a couple of episodes. Even after I read the synopses of past episode, i still felt like things were missing. But that didn't bother me too much.

I really liked the scenes in the war trenches, they were very gritty. I enjoy the simplicity of the show very much. The story lines aren't too creative and there are cliches here and there, but they create really great interactions between the characters; along with great detail and atmosphere, it makes for superb entertainment.

It is really nice to see staff interacting with one another, or with the family, or family interacting with one another. I really enjoyed the meeting between Mary and Matthew, when he came to visit from the front. A lot of the things changed, but the drama in their relationship was very nicely captured. It was nice watching people at home dealing with the war, felt authentic. I also really liked the new maid; you could feel her character very well and it wasn't really overlapping with the other staff.

I think acting in this show is fantastic. From the actress who plays Ann, to all three sisters, to Dame Maggie Smith, every character is completely believable. At times some of the drama seems a bit too much, but with great acting/characters it is easy to overlook.
<3 great show, looking forward to more episodes.

sightless · 09-28-2011, 11:57 AM

Dominic · 09-28-2011, 12:34 PM

I've been meaning to watch this

**katyseagull** · 09-28-2011, 12:38 PM

I was really looking forward to Series 2! Did I miss the entire thing? (we don't normally watch PBS).

sightless · 09-28-2011, 12:58 PM

it started showing in UK, but will be a couple of months before it hits US ):

**katyseagull** · 09-28-2011, 01:10 PM

Phew. I thought for a second there that I had missed it. I think I have a crush on Matthew. why can't all men be like him?

**John Cole** · 09-29-2011, 10:25 AM

Katy,

Something to keep you entertained while waiting for season two.

**MrWookie** · 09-29-2011, 02:54 PM

Aw, I thought HH was back.

diebitter · 09-29-2011, 03:54 PM

Eh, not a fan of this show - it's been on for weeks here. I much prefer the oldschool 'Upstairs, Downstairs' for early 20th Century-period drama.

Though to be fair, I've watched maybe 2 minutes, tops.

**Rushmore** · 09-29-2011, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dominic

I've been meaning to watch this

Yup. It's in the queue.

**katyseagull** · 09-30-2011, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diebitter

Eh, not a fan of this show - it's been on for weeks here. I much prefer the oldschool 'Upstairs, Downstairs' for early 20th Century-period drama.

Though to be fair, I've watched maybe 2 minutes, tops.

2 minutes isn't exactly enough time to give it a chance! Yeah I don't think it comes close to the depth and brilliance of Upstairs, Downstairs. It is flawed, no doubt. I don't think it has the budget or the time to make it as complex and interesting a show. But come on, that Matthew guy...pretty sweet

I'm not sure I like his love interest to be honest. He deserves someone better.
They need to just re-run Upstairs, Downstairs so I can see the entire thing. I remember catching a couple episodes of it years ago. Why don't they rerun old series on PBS? It would be awesome.