Good heavens my lord, this is one addictively good show!
Downton Abbey, with its petticoats and primness, is period drama at its finest. Set in 1912 following the sinking of the Titanic, it is one of few dramas that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Downton follows the lives of the Crawley family and their “help” at a fictional estate in Yorkshire. And by “help,” I mean a team of more than twenty working below the stately manor and making sure everything works as it should. Airing as part of PBS’s “Masterpiece Classic,” it is structurally similar to fellow period piece Upstairs, Downstairs, but even more gorgeously crafted and acted. Writer and director Julian Fellows has truly created a beautiful show to watch.
The patriarch of the family, the Earl of Grantham aka Robert Crawley, is in a bit of a pickle—his grand estate is without an heir. He has no son to take over, and the man his eldest daughter was supposed to marry has perished aboard the Titanic. He makes the tough decision to bequeath the estate to a distant cousin Matthew, a lawyer (a profession looked down upon by “royals”). His wife Cora, an American heiress, is none too pleased about this decision, because it’s her money that will go to Matthew. The earl’s three daughters have their own problems. The oldest, Mary, is most upset with the future of Downton; she would get nothing unless she marries Matthew, but she is not content with being a submissive wife. Edith, the ignored middle child, engages in a bitter rivalry with Mary, and her conniving ways lead to serious drama throughout the series. The youngest, Sybil, is a young girl truly ahead of the times; she is fascinated with women’s rights and the changes occurring in England at the time. Perhaps the most devilish of the family is the dowager countess, the earl’s mother, played by Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall!).
That’s just the Crawleys – the servants are also busy keeping the manor running like clockwork. Head butler Mr. Carson is a stocky man who always has his eye on everything and everyone. There are the delightful housemaids and the sweetly innocent kitchen maid Daisy. However, scandal and drama abounds among the servants. Thomas, a footman, and O’Brien, the lady’s maid, are two evil minds conspiring to take down the crippled valet Mr. Bates. How rude! While all of the help may seem like a confusing jumble, it becomes very clear from the first episode which role each servant plays.
The future of Downton is at stake. Trouble is brewing upstairs, downstairs, and all around Europe. This is not just a show about a privileged family and their splendid parties. It’s the scandalous, clever, and endlessly intriguing romp that’s been missing from the TV screen.
The second season premieres January 8 on PBS. The first season is available to watch on Netflix.
