Downton Abbey

[erastes]

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I’m SOO enjoying Downton Abbey – and I’ve been discussing it at length with my mate Henri via email. We agree that it’s perfect Sunday Night Telly, and it so really is. What I like about it particularly is that they haven’t sexed it right up which they could have easily done. Even the hetero sex scene that they’ve had was quite tame, very dot dot dot, and the gay love scene was hardly anything to disturb anyone’s sensibility (not that it SHOULD, but I assume they are going to be selling it to other countries.)

I’ve heard disparaging comments from various people on the radio regarding it, though, real snobbery—and not the kind of thing you hear bandied about when there’s something like Cranford or Lark Rise to Candleford. But of course THOSE are on the BBC and Downton is on ITV…Henri tells me that Janet Street-Porter said that the people who like it are all the type who would be below stairs – which seems bloody obvious to me, considering!  And as for JSP – they wouldn’t have even let her family scrub the pots, I would imagine.

I’m thrilled that they’ve got a second series greenlit, so they can explore the characters more, there’s lots of characters and they’ve been unfolding gradually. Forgive me for squeeing over Thomas the homosexual butler, and the fact that the older members of staff know about his preferences. There was a hugely amusing scene this last week where the scullery/housemaid (I dont think there are the number of staff portrayed that really WOULD be in house the size of Highclere (which is where it’s filmed) because there would be far too many to keep track of) has a massive crush on Thomas but the footman William has a crush on her—and Thomas invites her to the fair just to spite William. She then gushes to the cook about Thomas and the cook tries to put her off him by hinting at his homosexuality.  “he’s not a ladies’ man” she says - “oh, that’s good,” says Daisy. “He’s not the man for you, or rather, you aren’t the girl for him…” “he’s a troubled soul” all of which go over the poor innocent girl’s head. I forsee that there’s going to be trouble ahead, there…I hope they don’t sack poor Thomas, as I think he’s great. Yes people might complain that he’s the EVIL gay – but otherwise he’d be the TORTURED SOUL gay, and that would be worse. No, I think it’s great.

DON’T MISS IT!

Watch the mini videos, particularly the one where they explore “downstairs” which is one enormous set – the upstairs scenes are filmed at Highclere, but the downstairs scenes are on one huge and uber impressive set.