TV Series (PBS) Review: Downton Abbey

We have Netflix not only for renting DVDs but streaming content to your computer or TV. I stumbled across a Masterpiece Theater series called "Downton Abbey". As I have mentioned before I like to watch things that are thought-provoking or cause me to ask questions. "Downton Abbey" is set in 1912-1913 just after the sinking of the Titanic. With the sinking of the Titanic the heirs of Downton Abbey were drown. So the Earl and Countess of Grantham, Robert and Cora Crawley, are in a bit of fix trying to nail down the next heirs of the Abbey. Since they only have daughters and no sons, it trickles to cousins. Cora Crawley was quite wealthy when they married but her inheritance will not go to their eldest daughter. The Dowager Countess, mother of Lord Grantham, and Cora Crawley are trying to find every possible to see that the inheritance stays in the family and not to total strangers who will become heirs of Downton Abbey.



So you ask why this is thought-provoking and piques my interest? Culture. A culture I don't understand or know. It is interesting to me how all the classes, titles, propriety, and etiquette work. There is a clash of classes when the next heir, Matthew Crawley, comes on the scene. He is the son of a doctor and nurse....gasp, the working class. "Why would anyone work?" is the response from the Dowager Grantham. Matthew Crawley is an attorney and considered middle class, yet to the Crawleys especially the snooty Dowager Grantham is lower class. He won't even use the servants provided to him and gets his own tea. How horrible is that? While Lord and Countess Grantham are gracious and likable people that don't seem to look down their noses, the Dowager Countess makes up for that quite considerably. Lord Grantham's position is to oversee Downton Abbey - that's all. I don't get that and this is what is fascinating to me. I don't understand much of British culture, classes, titles and so forth and that is also quite fascinating to me.

So now I am entrenched not only with the education of the culture in the series but now the story of the series. What will happen next?

It is a good thing I have lots of laundry to fold so I don't feel guilty watching TV! "Downton Abbey" is in season 1 but production is under way for series 2 in the fall. I can't wait!

There is one warning I must mention - in the first episode there is one very disturbing scene with the footman, Thomas, and a Duke that comes to visit. They have a "special" relationship. You might want to fast forward through that.