[2012] Downton Abbey

[pjrose]

Just watched and enjoyed the last show. Don't want to spoil anything for those who may be waiting for a re-run, but it wasn't as ridiculous as the one a few weeks ago.

The show itself was 90 minutes, but be sure to stay for the extra 30 minutes afterwards about the making of the show. It was quite interesting.

Since I'm a newcomer to DA this year, I'm going to borrow a friend's DVD of Season One.

 

[NWL]

I have stayed away from looking at this thread! Thanks to Netflix I was able to watch season one, but I just finished it a couple of weeks ago. My local PBS channel had a season two marathon today. I missed out on one half hour because I had other higher ranked programs set to record (I'll need to get that disc from Netflix unless they put it on instant view soon!). I enjoyed the first 2 episodes of season two. I'm not going to look at this thread until I finish the season two, but I am rooting for Mr. Bates and Anna.

 

[Passepartout]

OMG! Now to settle in and wait and wait for season 3. I'm still trying to figure how they will be able to end the series. I mean, will we eventually have Downton Abbey, 3 generations later in the hip-hop 1990's?

Glad that Mary is getting what she deserves. As is Sir Richard. Thomas isn't. Daisy is.

The last half hour of the final episode helped flsh out some of the characters and of course the house- a character in it's own right.

Our local PBS showed an hour program just before DA called, "Secrets of The Manor House" that explains much of how the aristocracy/service classes interacted in the DA time frame. If you missed it, it's probably available to watch online at www.PBS.org

Sunday night won't be the same for a while.

Jim

 

[Karen G]

Sunday night won't be the same for a while.

My sentiments exactly! But, I'm so glad Mary and Matthew are finally together & it will be fun to watch the wedding. Can't wait for the next season!

 

[Gophesjo]

The Dowager Countess' line to Sir Richard Carlisle, "Is that a promise?", was hands down the best line on TV in the last decade. :rofl:

 

[Rascalsmom]

The Dowager Countess' line to Sir Richard Carlisle, "Is that a promise?", was hands down the best line on TV in the last decade. :rofl:

AND:
Matthew: "Sorry about the vase."
Countess: "Oh, it was a wedding present from a dreadful aunt. I've hated that thing for half a century."
:hysterical:

 

[Karen G]

We need a Like button here like Facebook has. Maggie Smith is priceless. What fun it's going to be to see her spar with Shirley Maclaine next season.

 

[pjrose]

The Dowager Countess' line to Sir Richard Carlisle, "Is that a promise?", was hands down the best line on TV in the last decade. :rofl:

I agree, and her delivery of it was absolutely perfect!

AND:
Matthew: "Sorry about the vase."
Countess: "Oh, it was a wedding present from a dreadful aunt. I've hated that thing for half a century."
:hysterical:

Another good one, definitely!

We need a Like button here like Facebook has. Maggie Smith is priceless. What fun it's going to be to see her spar with Shirley Macaine next season.

She is wonderful!

like like like like like like like

 

[Patri]

Since I missed that part of the episode, under what circumstances did the dowager make that statement?

 

[funtime]

"Sir" Richard Carlyle is about to slunk off from Downton Abbey after being finally dumped by Mary and says to the Dowager - I am afraid you won't be seeing me here anymore. Her quick response: Is that a promise?

How many of us identify with Mary of "old money" rather than Sir Richard, that crass, boorish, neuveau riche boor?

I rarely laugh out loud but I surely did when the delightful Dowager said that. I think one of the themes is that the upstairs folks are being changed by the war and becoming a bit more human. I expect to see our fallen maid with little Charlie back at Downton Abbey to replace maid Mary who has departed. Funtime

 

[Gophesjo]

Casting Shirley Maclaine to spar (we all assume it will be sparring) with Maggie Smith is more than brilliant - too bad we have to wait awhile for season three.

 

[Passepartout]

Why Americans love Downton Abbey

It ain't necessarily depicting the way the British aristocracy really were: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/25/opinion/mills-downton-abbey-compassion/index.html?iref=allsearch but we love it and will tune in for season 3.

Jim

 

[ScubaKat]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbi...aggie-Smith-looks-set-quit-Downton-Abbey.html

 

[Karen G]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbi...aggie-Smith-looks-set-quit-Downton-Abbey.html

Yikes! That would be horrible if she doesn't sign! Maybe she's holding out for more money.

Judi Dench could play that part but I read that she is suffering from macular degeneration.

 

[ScubaKat]

I agree! I don't think the show would be the same without her!

Yikes! That would be horrible if she doesn't sign! Maybe she's holding out for more money.

Judi Dench could play that part but I read that she is suffering from macular degeneration.

 

[Passepartout]

Hokey smokes. She would be missed, but her character could suffer a sudden departure. A more difficult to replace character would be Matthew. He and O'Brian (who cares?) have also not signed.

Jim

 

[pjrose]

Possibly no Maggie Smith? Yikes, she is my favorite character!

I think Matthew could be replaced with another good-looking guy, and as Jim says - "O'Brien (who cares?)"

 

["Roger"]

Obviously I would hate to see either Maggie Smith or Dan Stevens (that would be Matthew - doesn't the whole series ultimately revolve around the relationship between Mary and Matthew with lots of subplots) go. Still, reading this, I think of some other very popular British series.

Ballykissangel (people used to travel from Australia and New Zealand to Avoca, Ireland just to see where Ballykissanel was filmed) lost both of its main characters after season three. The difference here is that this was a self inflicted wound in that the main scriptwriter wrote them out of the series. He got hate mail for doing so. It survived another three seasons. I must admit that I think it went at least one season too long. (I also could not believe that the script writer chose to kill off what had been the most intriguing character.)

BBC chose to kill off From Lark Rise to Candleford after four seasons. It was still extremely popular. BBC's explanation was that they thought that the series had run its course and was in danger of becoming a parady of itself. As much as I liked the series, I think BBC made the right decision. Perhaps, another season of Downton Abbey would preserve the quality with more seasons just letting it go too long.

 

["Roger"]

I occassionally order DVD's and BluRays from Amazon.uk. Today I noticed that a Downton Abbey "Christmas special" is available. From the description, it obviously takes place after season two, but before season three. (Describing how I know would involve a spoiler for those who have not seen season two.) Has anyone seen this. (No spoilers, please.)

********************

Some pricing info (confusion): The BluRay copy is region free. You can order it from Amazon or Amazon.uk, but it is considerably cheaper if you order from Amazon.uk. (If you have never ordered from there, you use the same user name and password as if you were ordering from Amazon over here.) You can also order the DVD from either and the price is about the same either way. Fair warning, however. The only DVD available currently is the European edition. That means that you have to have a DVD player that not only plays DVD's from that region, but converts PAL signals to the American TV standard. (I do have that, but most people do not.)

Finally, one reviewer claims that the Christmas special will be included in the season two DVD edition whenever that is released in America. That is not true for the season two edition that was released in England. However, it might be included in the season three edition. That was the practice with, for example, Lark Rise to Candleford. That puts me in a spot. Do I order the Christmas special as a stand alone so that I can see it sooner or wait until season three is over in England and order that?

 

[SueDonJ]

I just read a reminder from a Facebook friend that the new season starts tonight at 9.

 

[Passepartout]

No Spoilers, Susan. 9 at your house won't be 9 at mine. I will in front of the TeeVee in plenty of time.

 

[Karen G]

Also check your PBS station programming because I think there's a special about the actual estate used in Downton Abbey that comes on an hour before Downton Abbey starts. We've got the DVR set for both shows.

 

[SueDonJ]

No Spoilers, Susan. 9 at your house won't be 9 at mine. I will in front of the TeeVee in plenty of time.

Don't worry, I won't do spoilers! I was happy to see the reminder because I'd forgotten all about it.

 

[pjrose]

I loved it, as well as the special before. I had been skeptical about Shirley MacLaine, but thought she was marvelous, as was about everyone else.

 

[persia]

What explains American's love affair with British Aristocracy? I watched the 2012 Christmas special and it was boring. A waste of a good Christmas Day....