erastes

The whole “Rose Plot” in Downton Abbey has been driving me MAD since I watched it last night, you know what it’s like and something gets under your skin, and I had to resort to Googling for “always wins prize for roses” this morning.

It worked though, because on page three I found the answer:

MRS MINIVER. that (superb) film, the station master Mr Ballard (which is why I associated it briefly with The Railway Children) grows roses, and he never wins the flower show cup for his roses because Lady Beldon always wins it – and it takes Mrs Miniver to get her to award it to Mr Ballard.

EXACTLY THE SAME as Downton Abbey. Grrrrr. Hell, we all pinch ideas, I know that—the duel in Standish is pretty much a mish mash of many duels I’ve seen in Gainsborough films and elsewhere—fog in the dawn, horses jangling their harnesses blah de blah de blah, but copying a whole sub-plot? For shame. If it had been in a book I’d roll my eyes, but on a tv show where the script will have been through dozens and dozens of hands and no-one pointed out this very famous film??? I refuse to believe it and I’m mad as hell.

Also - "cook going blind" was used in Upstairs Downstairs. Harumph.

- - - -