Downton Abbey

Book CoverLast night I bumped into a tweet from Linda Holmes at NPR Monkey See about a PBS miniseries that was about to start. So I changed the channel.

OH MY GOSH YOU GUYS. Downton Abbey is delicious television! If you’re a historical romance fan, or a historical drama fan, or you really like opulent British houses or early 20th century costumes, or outstanding acting, do yourself a favor and tune in.

Some folks speaking with me last night were irate that the broadcast was allegedly edited for the US audience. According to this article/interview, the original series was edited to add the heir to the first episode, and some minor changes were made, but the major difference in length is based on the UK commercials, which were part of the broadcast (Thank you PBS for not having any!) and thus the US broadcast is 6 hours, not 8.

I am so enjoying this program, I can’t even tell you. British viewers who saw it last fall have told me that it only gets better. I particularly like how the Earl’s hobbled circumstances brought about by the limitations of the entail on his estate are reflected in the limitations of his valet, Mr. Bates. They’re both forced to maneuver in very tight political spaces, and do so in such different ways. I’m fascinated by the eldest daughter, Mary, too. She gets to the edge of evolving and adapting, and then falls back on her standard expected behavior each time. The question of pride, duty, and employment is painfully explored as well, particularly in scenes with Matthew Crawley. Each character has an enormous ability to Presume S/He Knows Best, and watching all those arrogant and determined people collide makes for amazing plotlines.

Various PBS stations in the US are rebroadcasting the first episode, which was part of the Masterpiece Classics series. The second and third are set to be aired this week. You can click the link at the top middle of the PBS Downton Abbey page to check your local PBS listings, though I am told that the first episode is up on Hulu. (I searched for the link, but like all thing on Hulu, I couldn’t find it. I’m sorry). You can watch the first episode online at PBS.org for a limited time or buy a copy from PBS or Amazon.com. If there was ever a reason to use some Amazon gift cards, this would be it.

ETA: Thanks to Keira Soleore for the link from Hulu, which leads back to the PBS viewer for episode 1. I don’t think it’ll be available for long, though.

If you’re watching and want to squee, please, try to keep the spoilers to a minimum, but let me know what you think! If you’re not watching, I hope you’ll catch up and join us – this is some fine, fine television viewing up in here.

Comments are Closed

  1. This sounds amazing, but unfortunately in Los Angeles our local PBS affiliate cut off PBS shows to run other stuff. So no PBS in LA. I’ll have to trust that it’s as good as everyone says and get it from amazon.

  2. MissFifi says:

    This reminds me of “Upstairs Downstairs” which I adored! I have added it to my Netflix queue and cannot wait to see it. Thanks for the tip!

  3. Yeah, great episode… I downloaded it from iTunes.

  4. KellyM says:

    I loved it too!  Can’t wait for next week’s installment. 
    I really liked the exploration of snobbery from different angles – the heir arrives thinking he’s all every-man and he doesn’t want servants, but then just ends up sticking his foot in it when he insults his own employees, etc, etc.
    And I really like the Earl’s character, and I always love Dame Maggie Smith.  “Lady Crawley and Mrs. Crawley…”  Great stuff.

  5. Angie G says:

    Darn you all!!!  I thought, hmmm…I’ll just watch a few mintues to see what I think.  An hour and a half later and I’m totally hooked.  Now I can’t wait until next Sunday.  I’ll definitely be watching this coming Sunday.  Thanks, really!

  6. Becca says:

    Sarah!

    When I posted this link on my friends Facebook, this is how the title posted:

    Smart Bitches, Trashy Books | Romance Novel Reviews | Come for the Dominican Bitches, Stay for the M
    http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com
    Last night I bumped into a tweet from Linda Holmes at NPR Monkey See about a PBS miniseries that was about to start. So I changed the channel.

    What is with the “Dominican bitches” phrase? I know it isnt on the webpage itself, so I have no clue why it would post that way.

    Thanks!

  7. Becca says:

    Oh, I feel dull witted. Nevermind! I saw it, never noticed that before.

  8. Kristi says:

    I just watched it via PBS. It was amazing, I adored it! Thanks for the heads up!

  9. library addict says:

    Does anyone know if the US DVD version will come with the deleted scenes and audio commentaries the UK version DVD has? 

    The PBS shop site mentions it does have 2 of the special features (making of and “A House of History”), but I can’t find if it includes the other 2. 

    It does say “This DVD is the original and unedited UK version,” but after what happened with them promising the uncut version of Northanger Abbey and getting the edited version, I don’t trust them 😛

  10. Shivani says:

    Just spent the entire evening watching 5/7 episodes. OMGOSH I can’t believe I love it so much. I really hadn’t expected it to be so engaging.. I only started because you made me curious.

    Can’t wait to finish and then patiently await season 2.

    Spamword: Doing79 – yeah, I could be doing 79 other things but I’d rather watch the show instead!

  11. Virg says:

    Love period dramas!!! Especially after watching Pride and Prejudice (the Colin Firth version

    <3), since Amazon won't ship in our country, I asked my aunt to buy me a copy and send it here.

    Found a streaming site that hosts tv shows and movies alike. Thank goodness for

    Project Free TV, I’d be able to watch DA.

  12. It’s wonderful – one of the most successful pieces of TV in years – and even better, there is a new Upstairs Downstairs too, set in the 1930s but in the same house, 165 Eaton Square. It also has wonderful sets, wonderful actors and thoughtful script and plot. It was a 3 hour show over the Christmas period in the US on the BBC.

    Yay for really good historical tv.

  13. @Isobel Carr No, they did not hack off two hours. Sarah’s post mentions the lie spread by the Daily Mail. Downton Abbey aired in the UK with commercials, which is where the “extra” two hours come from. The PBS broadcast is edited into four 90 minute episodes, and having seen both the UK and the US versions, the edits are very minimal, two scenes were added to our broadcast, and nothing about the entail was taken out. But yes, the DVD is on sale today: the seven episodes aired in the UK (the first and last were one hour, and the middle five were about 48 minutes). The episodes made appear different as aired on PBS, but the running time is the same.

    right23

  14. Philippa Chapman says:

    From the Brit side of The Pond…

    1. There is going to be a series 2 of Downton Abbey!

    2. There’s going to be more modern Sherlock!

    3.  There’s a 3 part update of ‘Upstairs Downstairs’ you may enjoy.

    4. Series 2 of Garrow’s Law is soooo romantic [sigh]

    5. Larkrise to Candleford – new series of that as well!

  15. Sally says:

    Just trying to see if I can break the italics.

    Though it looks like I need to check this series out. Good thing the first ep is available online as I have an analog TV with cable, I don’t get channels with the points in them (and those channels are the ones offering DA in my area).

  16. Sally says:

    Oops. I think I used the wrong code. Let me give it another try…

  17. SB Sarah says:

    What is with the “Dominican bitches” phrase? I know it isnt on the webpage itself, so I have no clue why it would post that way.

    Totally offtopic: The “Dominican Bitches” line is at the top of the page, in the website title section. The reason for it is that back when the site started, nearly 6 years ago, we had four readers that we knew of, and someone who kept Googling “Dominican bitches” and came back, according to our stats, every. damn. day. We have no idea why the “Dominican bitches” dude (We assume a dude) was returning or what he was looking for, but damn if there wasn’t a “Dominican bitches” search referral every day. So we figured he was coming for the Dominican bitches but staying for the man-titty. Hence the name. 🙂

    Now back to your regularly scheduled Downton Abbey discussion!

    That Daily Mail article is a hot pile of horseshit. Jezebel calls them “The Daily Fail.”

  18. SQUEE TIMES THREE!  Wow, is that series great or what?  I immediately recognized Mr. Bates from his run on North and South, Maggie Smith is forever a jewel, and Elizabeth McGovern is brilliant (remember her in He Said, She Said?)  This will go down as one of the all-time fabulous series.  PBS and BBC hit it out of the ballpark!

  19. Jazzlet says:

    Janet Mullany said on…
    01.10.11 at 06:13 PM

    … But the script was lame, lame, lame. The same old BBC cliches were trotted out again. It made me angry that something that could have been more than a thumbsucking comfort watch played safe.

    You can’t blame the BBC for the cliches in Downton Abbey as it was an ITV production. Julian Fellowes may be a little prone to a certain type of cliche, he was one of Margaret Thatchers speech writers, but he does give Maggie Smith some cracking lines.

    And yes, watch out for the handsome stranger!

  20. JudyPatooty says:

    I recorded Episode 1 on my DVR Sunday but still haven’t had a chance to watch it!  Aargh!

    Here’s another option for non-UK folks to watch those wonderful BBC and other UK programs … If you use a PC, you can download and install a program called Expat Shield and it will allow you to watch programs on the BBC iPlayer! (Unfortunately, they do not have a version that works on Macs.)

    I’ve used it the past two Sundays to watch the oh-so-sexy Rufus Sewell starring in Zen (from the late Michael Dibdin’s Aurelio Zen detective series.  This TV series will be aired on PBS Masterpiece Mysteries this summer.

  21. ev says:

    Now I’m going to be late for work because I had to sit and watch it. I had forgotten to set the DVR. This is a must own for me.

    @ JudyPatootie- I will go find it and DL it! Awesome!! Thanks!

  22. Isobel Carr says:

    @Evangeline Holland: Well, that’s good to know. Too late for me now though (damn you DM!). I’ll just wait for the DVDs.

  23. Can I refer you to this article?
    http://www.televisionaryblog.com/2011/01/in-defense-of-downton-abbey-or-dont.html

    Downton Abbey was not significantly cut for the US audience. It was rearranged, because the original episodes were of uneven length. Downton Abbey was an ITV production, and so it carried adverts, which accounts for the seeming differences in length. The original was, accounting for ads, around 6 hours long. So is the PBS version.

    And here’s an article about Downton vs the new Upstairs, Downstairs. I agree with it. Downton won.
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2010/dec/29/period-drama-television

  24. Brian says:

    Does anyone know if the US DVD version will come with the deleted scenes and audio commentaries the UK version DVD has?

    I have the DVD’s in hand and can say for sure that no the PBS release does not have these two special features.  The only special features are ‘The Making of Downton Abbey’ which runs 13:09 and ‘A House in History’ which runs 9:40.

  25. Rose says:

    Thanks for the heads-up. Saw it was to be on MPT, but was going to pass. So glad I read yr post and didn’t. It is definitely delicious with a cap D

  26. Agree with the commenter who said the best line was, “What is a weekend?” as delivered by the wonderful Dame Maggie. Talk about your well-delivered social commentary.

    Patrice

  27. zinemama says:

    Derivative of Gosford Park? So what? More Gosford Park = more good!
    I am a big fan of Julian Fellowes, the writer of this. Has anyone read his book Snobs? It’s deliciously dishy about the upper crust.

  28. library addict says:

    I have the DVD’s in hand and can say for sure that no the PBS release does not have these two special features.  The only special features are ‘The Making of Downton Abbey’ which runs 13:09 and ‘A House in History’ which runs 9:40.

    Ah thanks.  Think I will order the region 2 ones from Amazon UK then. I love commentaries.

  29. SoniaC says:

    Instant favorite! and it gets better with every episode!!!! Can’t wait for the next season!

  30. SoniaC says:

    Don’t you think the Dowager Duchess is one of the funniest characters on TV ever? Love her! LOL

  31. Samantha says:

    I watched it on PBS.org last night. Thank you so much for the heads up! I loved it and can’t wait to see them all!

  32. Karenmc says:

    Sorry if this has already been mentioned, but the iThing PBS app has Downton Abbey available for viewing. I’ll be away from my tv machine the next two Sundays, this is great.

  33. Thanks for the headsup. I was able to set my DVR to catch the whole series.

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