Lately I'm watching Downton Abbey - in order from start to finish

[FakeNoose]

I heard a little while ago that a new theatrical movie will come out in September for Downton Abbey. It will have updates and new story lines for many of the major characters.

I'm excited about that and I decided it was time to review the entire series (all 6 seasons) from start to finish. I have never seen all of the episodes together - in order - until now, owing to a busy schedule and missing a lot. Before when I did catch an episode here and there, I was mostly puzzled because I had missed too many of the connecting storylines.

Now I can see what an awesome series this really was! I'm disappointed that certain characters were dropped but I guess that happens in every good show that continues past the original plan. At the moment I'm halfway thru Season 5.

No spoilers please, but let me know if you're a Downton Abbey fan and how you think the story develops over 6 years. Any ideas about where the new movie will take it?

[hlthe2b]

1. I liked it. The movie is set in 1927-1929...

So not a tremendous time jump from previous.

Very good cast and most of them will be back for the film.

[FakeNoose]

4. I love the trailer for the new movie

This teaser trailer shows most of the main characters and a very interesting story setup.
I'm psyched for this!

[samnsara]

2. i binge watched it then hubby got me the entire set for xmas...it ends well.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. I generally liked it a lot.

I personally was disappointed at how it finally ended, but you may not feel that way at all.

However, given that Lady Violet was apparently already well into her 70s in 1912 when the series begins, and while Maggie Smith is a wonderful actress and deserves the part, she really ought to have died by now. Or someone should remark that both her her parents lived to be 100, something like that.

That said, the series does a fantastic job of mostly moving things with the times. Changes in clothing. Changes in behavior. Those kinds of things. But it does fall in allowing a married servant to remain working in her job. That just was not done then. Okay, I get that the writers and producers really liked the characters and the people who played them and wanted to keep them around, but that kind of break from what the reality was back then is jarring. Some other story lines really move it into soap opera territory, but heck, they're all speaking in those wonderful accents so who cares?

[FakeNoose]

7. Yes it's odd that they never mention Lady Violet's age

... but I guess it's in keeping with the manners of the time.

As for servants marrying I think maybe that rule was only for the very largest estates, am I right? Many of the smaller estates only had a few servants, and surely some of them must have been married, maybe even to another servant employed on the estate. The story of the chauffeur marrying the third daughter was far-fetched I thought. But many things changed after the end of the Great War, so who knows.

All in all I tend to forgive them for their eccentricities because the show is so well done.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

13. Of course Lady Violet's age would never be mentioned.

It's just that I think we can do the math, although possibly she was very young when she had Robert, who may have been under thirty himself when he married Cora.

As is so often the case in movies or novels, things happen that really wouldn't or couldn't happen in real life. Although it's the third daughter that runs off with the chauffeur, which is semi-plausible but no aristocratic family would have turned around and embraced him as one of theirs. As for the illegitimate daughter, well that absolutely would not have played out that way. In the end, what we have are early 21st century people dressed up in old clothes part of the time. Not all the time, because 90% of it seems quite correct. Not that I, in this lifetime anyway, was ever part of the English aristocracy, nor was I a servant to them. Perhaps I was in a previous life, but I sure as hell don't remember anything like that!

[shanny]

5. I watched the first 3? seasons I think

and lost interest (maybe it was 4). Seemed to me it was about the upheaval in the landed gentry following the Great War which I found interesting...but then it came to embracing an Irish rebel as part of the family and I bailed.

That's what I recall anyway. It's been a while.

I did love Maggie Smith's character..."What are weekends?

[Bradshaw3]

6. Two of the main characters wanted out

Dan Stevens and Jessica Brown Findlay were ready to move on and Fellows killed their characters. Apparenly, in England actors just sign one-year contracts, unlike here where they have deals that will keep them on a multi-year deal if the show continues.

[FakeNoose]

8. Dan Stevens went on to star in Beauty and the Beast

He was quite good in that, playing "The Beast" opposite Emma Watson "The Beauty" from the Harry Potter movies.

[Bradshaw3]

14. He has also been in a couple of High Maintenance shows

Which he did for fun. A multi-talented guy. He was also editor of a literary magazine at a young age.

[msongs]

9. when youre alone and life is making you lonely you can always go...downton nt

[3catwoman3]

10. I am in the midst of re-watching it now, too.

At this very moment, I am watching Women's World Cup, of course. Downton Abbey is like my bedtime reading.

It is worth watching for the costuming alone.

The boxed set has delightful special features that explore all aspects of everything that went into the production of DA.

My dentist met her husband as a result of Downton Abbey. She went on a Downton Abbey tour, and he was one of the docents/guides. They visited back and forth several times between the UK and US, and he eventually proposed. He now runs her front desk. He looks to be a number of years older than she is, but not as much as the difference between Lady Edith and Sir Anthony Strallan.

I wish the producers would release an extended version that puts in everything that ended up on the cutting room floor.

[FakeNoose]

12. Cool story about your dentist

I think there were several situations where Americans married Brits during the years before and after the Great War. Maybe someday they'll do a story about Winston Churchill's mother, Lady Randolph Churchill who was mentioned a couple of times on Downton Abbey. (She came over much earlier though.)

Yes the costumes, hair, makeup and interiors on this show are all so great and authentic. I pity the poor actresses who were made to wear corsets, even Mrs. Patmore had to wear one. Oh my, that must have been torture.

[emmaverybo]

11. I loved everything about this wonderful show except that it ended.