While living back east, I had the opportunity to visit the lovely Newport mansions in Rhode Island. The Breakers, the Vanderbilt Estate, is my favorite. As I walked through this magnificent mansion, and later on the expansive grounds, I wondered about the people that lived and breathed there. What were the relationships like between the servants? Between the Vanderbilts and servants?
The new PBS Masterpiece Classics "little darling" is Downton Abbey. Why not invite a group of aristocrats who live upstairs and the servants who live downstairs into your home every Sunday night? You'll witness their parallel lives unfold. You will find yourself loving both groups.
Who?
A strong professional cast. Every person is interesting and has a story. There are three in particular, who become verbs immediately: Pamuk, O'Brien, and Violet, the Dowager Countess of Grantham.
And who can forget the tacit Mr. Bates, with his iconic cane, from first episode to last? He speaks less but says more than any other character of the cast. Or the ever-wise hero, Lord Grantham?
Note the carefully-worded and intelligent script. Every word counts. For example, Lady Cora, "You married for money." Lord Grantham quietly asks, "And have you been happy all these years?" And they embrace. Time goes too fast, and you don't want it to end.
Contrast these finely honed lines to the "royal" Kardashians' reality TV show, where endless babble about nothing leaves you wondering why you just spent an hour waiting for it to end.
Why Watch?
- It provides a historical framework, ie, the sinking of the Titanic, World War I, etc.
- Each episode leaves you eager for the next. What will be Bates' fate? Who will marry Mary?
- Watching it with millions of others during prime time creates a feeling of community, not unlike South American novelas.
- There's something soothing about rhythm, continuity and problem resolution. The episodic structure helps us pace our week. Some of us watch The Good Wife for the same reasons.
The series raises a question about the shelf life of a place like Downton Abbey. Can a 300 room castle survive financially in the face of a changing economy? What is the equalizing effect of the war on Downton Abbey?
I have just pre-ordered season 2! We are huge Downton Abbey (and Masterpiece Theater in general) fans.
ReplyDeleteAgree 100%
This has been an exquisite series. We will miss it when it ends. I'm always disappointed when the credits role at the end of another episode. Before Jennifer and I started watching the first season, I had just finished reading Adam Hochschild's To End All Wars, one of the best things I've read about WW1. That set the stage for what would unfold on Downton Abbey. It's been an addiction at our house since the first episode.
ReplyDeleteMichael
Two episodes in I had fully embraced the characters--do I care too much for an invented character? Maybe. It only took Alison one episode; after viewing it she pronounced, "I'm in."
ReplyDeleteRon