[2012] Downton Abbey

[Karen G]

Anyone else watching this excellent series on PBS? We love it and look forward to each week's episode. I just read that Shirley MacLaine will be joining the cast for Season 3. Should be interesting.

 

[funtime]

I absolutely love it! Funtime

 

[pjrose]

Yes! I didn't know about it last year, but a neighbor asked me to come watch it with her several weeks ago. Now we watch it together every sunday, alternating who cooks. DHs and assorted others usually gravitate toward another TV for games or movies.

I like it, though I have difficulty with facial recognition so it's hard for me to tell some of the people apart. (That's true in any situation.)

 

[Passepartout]

We went back and watched all (6) of Season 1 on Netflix before the Season 2 premier. It helped to fix all the characters before the restart.

Boy, this week's episode is a tear-jerker, huh? Hopefully it's a 'darkest-before-dawn' thing.

Jim

 

[pjrose]

We went back and watched all (6) of Season 1 on Netflix before the Season 2 premier. It helped to fix all the characters before the restart.

Boy, this week's episode is a tear-jerker, huh? Hopefully it's a 'darkest-before-dawn' thing.

Jim

Being purposely vague for those waiting for the Saturday rerun....

I thought for sure William's situation would be different and then so would Daisy's

And as to Matthew's issues, if he's the designated heir, that's a problem... unless of course they change the rules....

And what is with Mrs. B? What a B**.

And so is Mr. I-don't-remember-his-name newspaper owner; he's a B******.

My favorite character is Lady Violet Crawley (love, love, love Maggie Smith!), followed by Mr. Carson.

One thing I find rather surprising is the way some of the staff talk to the family - much more familiar and assertive, I think, than would be real.

 

[Twinkstarr]

Love it!

I have kind of been disappointed with PBS over the years, so-so Masterpiece Theaters, hardly any music/dance programs. I actually went back and joined my local station again.

Besides Downton Abbey, PBS seems to be heading back in the direction I would like to see in the last year. More dance programs(great mixed bill from Miami Ballet this fall, plus the live broadcast of NYCB's Nutcracker).

 

[Karen G]

Besides Downton Abbey, PBS seems to be heading back in the direction I would like to see in the last year.

The Tony Bennett 85th birthday special was great. My kids had just given me his Duets II CD and this show was the making of that CD. Great songs and singers.

 

[Twinkstarr]

The Tony Bennett 85th birthday special was great. My kids had just given me his Duets II CD and this show was the making of that CD. Great songs and singers.

I saw part of that, wonderful. The sort of PBS show I grew up with. Those types of specials that you don't see anywhere else.

Loved the Miami Ballet, the Twyla Tharp piece they did(not your typical ballet piece) took my breath away and really showed the skill of the dancers.

 

[post-it]

I love this show. I wish it was on more than once a week.

 

[artringwald]

The Tony Bennett 85th birthday special was great. My kids had just given me his Duets II CD and this show was the making of that CD. Great songs and singers.

It's sad that his voice isn't quite what it used to be, but he sure picked winners for his guests.

 

[Karen G]

It's sad that his voice isn't quite what it used to be, but he sure picked winners for his guests.

I think he sings very well for an 85-year old! His duet partners were all really interesting since they were singing songs of very different genres than what they usually do. Lady GaGa and Amy Winehouse and others had such beautiful voices that I hadn't heard before.

 

[Rascalsmom]

I had a bad cold last weekend and piled up on the couch to watch it on Netflix. I wound up watching it all! (both seasons!). I drank tea, too. Feeling much better.

Can't wait till next week.

 

[post-it]

Anyone else watching this excellent series on PBS? We love it and look forward to each week's episode. I just read that Shirley MacLaine will be joining the cast for Season 3. Should be interesting.

I was wondering if they would do a 3rd Season. So happy!

 

[pjrose]

It would be fun to watch Upstairs, Downstairs again. I suppose the DVDs are available on Amazon etc. Anyone know whether PBS occasionally re-airs it?

PBS has always been my favorite station. I watch very little TV, but when I wander through the family room and DH has PBS on, I invariably stop and sit down. I LOVE the occasional Soul Music or Classic Rock etc concerts. They're generally during a pledge week, and it's tempting to pledge to get the CD or DVD set....but we give regularly each summer, and never have gotten a premium. Oh well, getting more "stuff" is not the reason we give.

 

[Passepartout]

PJ, you can stream all that PBS stuff on Netflix. It's one of our favorite uses of Netflix. If I wasn't using our cable for broadband, I'd probably drop cable and just watch over-the-air PBS.

I agree on going back and re-watching Upstairs/Downstairs.

Back to the topic, I read that the estate shown on Downton Abbey is a real and occupied residence. The production company says they have to move 'just a little' furniture to film (or tape).

Jim

 

[pjrose]

PJ, you can stream all that PBS stuff on Netflix. It's one of our favorite uses of Netflix. If I wasn't using our cable for broadband, I'd probably drop cable and just watch over-the-air PBS.

I agree on going back and re-watching Upstairs/Downstairs.

Back to the topic, I read that the estate shown on Downton Abbey is a real and occupied residence. The production company says they have to move 'just a little' furniture to film (or tape).

Jim

Yes, but we don't have Netflix, and I really don't want to add another subscription to our budget

Yes, it is real and semi-occupied. I read an article about it in a magazine, but can't remember the name....something along the lines of "English Country"???

Here's the website for the house:
http://www.highclerecastle.co.uk/

The owners live in a smaller house behind the main castle, but are preserving and upgrading some of the castle for tours, weddings, etc, so the castle can earn its upkeep. The magazine in which I found the article talked about one of the previous Earls (earlier Earl LOL?) who was part of the group that discovered King Tut's tomb. Though most of the treasures were turned over to (I believe) the British Museum, some were kept in the castle and forgotten about, till a butler told one of the heirs where they were. Those have become part of an Egyptian themed tour in the castle.

 

[Stressy]

This is my daughter's favorite show. She's 16

 

[Twinkstarr]

Yes, but we don't have Netflix, and I really don't want to add another subscription to our budget

Yes, it is real and semi-occupied. I read an article about it in a magazine, but can't remember the name....something along the lines of "English Country"???

Here's the website for the house:
http://www.highclerecastle.co.uk/

The owners live in a smaller house behind the main castle, but are preserving some of the castle for tours, weddings, etc, so the castle can earn its upkeep. The magazine in which I found the article talked about one of the previous Earls (earlier Earl LOL?) was part of the group that discovered King Tut's tomb Though most of the treasures were turned over to (I believe) the British Museum, some were kept in the castle and forgotten about, till a butler told one of the heirs where they were. Those have become part of an Egyptian themed tour in the castle.

Not sure of the family tree, but either the previous Earl or the one before him was the Queen's close friend and manager of her race horses. She named one of her horses Highclere after the house.

If you are interested in how to make the 'country pile" pay for itself, read some of Deborah, Dowager Duchess of Devonshire's books about Chatsworth. She's the youngest Mitford daughter and like her sisters is a great writer and funny.

 

[tlwmkw]

Love that show. It is a bit of a soap opera but that's what makes it so enjoyable. Some one told me you can watch the episodes that already aired in England if you want to get ahead of what we are seeing- not sure exactly how to do that and it would be on a small computer screen and I'd rather watch in HD on my TV.

I know someone whose daughter was married at Highclere- the ceremony took place on the landing with the congregation in the open area at the bottom of the stairs. It was a very expensive venue but the couple were city traders with money to burn and paid for it themselves.

tlwmkw

 

[post-it]

I never saw Upstairs Downstairs, but after this series I think I'll check it out.

 

[Karen G]

I never saw Upstairs Downstairs, but after this series I think I'll check it out.

I hadn't seen the original either, but yesterday we started watching it on Netflix instant play and we really enjoyed the first two episodes. Masterpiece Theater recently showed a new Upstairs Downstairs. I think it may have had only three episodes, but it was so good. One of the parlor maids in the original series, played by Jean Marsh, is in this new series.

 

[Twinkstarr]

Told my 10yr old to quiet down(trying to watch something on tv), it was 9pm and his comment was "Is Downton Abbey on?"

I tried to watch the new Upstairs, I just couldn't get into it.

Just finished up watching Edward VII(Queen Victoria's eldest son), I forgot how good Annette Crosbie was as Her Majesty.

 

[post-it]

I guess I should get a listing of PBS series. I seem to have missed a few good ones.

 

[Passepartout]

I guess I should get a listing of PBS series. I seem to have missed a few good ones.

I think this weeks episode has been #5 of season 2. A new one (6) will broadcast Sunday night with a rerun in most PBS markets on Wednesday.

Jim

 

[Passepartout]

I am really not sure how many episodes there are in season 2, but after #6 Sunday night, I can see the season winding down.

Possible spoiler alert: If you haven't seen #6 and don't want a spoiler, move along- nothing to see here.


OK, What started out as a Victorian family story is starting to resemble a real soapy soap opera now. They seem to be laying the groundwork for a long series. I can just see Season 14- The Grantham's in the Psychedelic '70s! Carson going on to Mary's new house opens up the possibility of a spinoff. How she gets out of what looks like an unhappy marriage. After the former Mrs. Bates unexplained demise, characters can die mysteriously. What strange tingling has Matthew felt? Miraculous nerve healing perhaps? And what of the mysterious missing heir, Peter? Oh my, oh my, I can hardly wait for (what I think will be) next week's season finale.

Jim