Small Screen Scenes: Downton Abbey Season One Episode Four Highly Recommended by Whom You Know Available Now From PBS Distribution
Here's what we thought of Episode One:http://www.whomyouknow.com/2012/03/small-screen-scenes-downton-abbey.html& Episode Two:
& Episode Three:
The delight never ends!
Now it is all about THE GREAT MATTER.
But now there's a fair in town! In an age where we may find the options of entertainment quite limited, a fair provides countless opportunities for fun affecting the lives of everyone from Daisy who could not be more thrilled that Thomas asks her just as William was about to. Even Mrs. Hughes has a lovely night out. You'll find yourself breathing a bit easier in this episode compared to the last which is a breath of fresh air.
The sisterly love continues: "The start of a slippery slope!" "I'm NOT putting on weight." "It didn't shrink in the drawer." The banter is hilarious but it just goes to show you though time has passed we all have the same concerns...
We were thrilled to see an Irishman make an entrance as a chauffeur! And he's smart too and reads books from the library. You'll love to see what he drives. And his political motivation is so interesting though we're not so sure about being a socialist. And did you know William is splendid at the piano?
And haven't you heard? Lady Mary doesn't have a heart...and her situation is unresolved. As Violet puts it: Is she an heiress or isn't she? Her grandmother continually goes to bat for her and even goes to Matthew's law office and is horrified by a swivel chair ("Why does every day involve a fight with an American?!") but probably more horrified by the exact terms, once she understands them.
Do you know the difference between a custodian and an owner? Do you know the English say Dynasty differently? Regardless, Lady Mary we think it's okay to be stubborn. Perhaps you are Irish too.
"There comes a time when things are best left to the professionals."-Cousin Violet, who is strong as an ox according to her son. Watch to see what she is talking about! And don't quarrel with so and so...because some day you may need them.
Now it is all about THE GREAT MATTER.
But now there's a fair in town! In an age where we may find the options of entertainment quite limited, a fair provides countless opportunities for fun affecting the lives of everyone from Daisy who could not be more thrilled that Thomas asks her just as William was about to. Even Mrs. Hughes has a lovely night out. You'll find yourself breathing a bit easier in this episode compared to the last which is a breath of fresh air.
The sisterly love continues: "The start of a slippery slope!" "I'm NOT putting on weight." "It didn't shrink in the drawer." The banter is hilarious but it just goes to show you though time has passed we all have the same concerns...
We were thrilled to see an Irishman make an entrance as a chauffeur! And he's smart too and reads books from the library. You'll love to see what he drives. And his political motivation is so interesting though we're not so sure about being a socialist. And did you know William is splendid at the piano?
And haven't you heard? Lady Mary doesn't have a heart...and her situation is unresolved. As Violet puts it: Is she an heiress or isn't she? Her grandmother continually goes to bat for her and even goes to Matthew's law office and is horrified by a swivel chair ("Why does every day involve a fight with an American?!") but probably more horrified by the exact terms, once she understands them.
Do you know the difference between a custodian and an owner? Do you know the English say Dynasty differently? Regardless, Lady Mary we think it's okay to be stubborn. Perhaps you are Irish too.
"There comes a time when things are best left to the professionals."-Cousin Violet, who is strong as an ox according to her son. Watch to see what she is talking about! And don't quarrel with so and so...because some day you may need them.
Whom You Know Highly Recommends Downton Abbey Season One Episode Four.
Cheers to Sybil and her new frock!
Cheers to Sybil and her new frock!
***
EPIC BRITISH TV PERIOD DRAMA
“DOWNTON ABBEY”
WRITTEN AND CREATED BY
OSCAR-WINNING JULIAN FELLOWES
AVAILABLE ON DVD FROM PBS DISTRIBUTION THIS JANUARY
Special Extra Features Include “The Making of Downton Abbey” and “A House In History”
Arlington, VA November 1 -- PBS Distribution is pleased to announce the January DVD release of “Downton Abbey,” MASTERPIECE’s lead program for its 40th anniversary celebration. Written and created by Oscar-winning writer Julian Fellowes (“Gosford Park”), “Downton Abbey” is an epic British TV period drama which will air on PBS over four Sunday nights in January and will be released on DVD January 11, 2011. Special bonus features on the DVD include two featurettes:“The Making of Downton Abbey” and “A House In History.” The dealer order date is December 14, 2010.
A smash hit when it aired in the UK, “Downton Abbey” follows in the tradition of the Emmy Award-winning “Upstairs, Downstairs” (a MASTERPIECE THEATRE favorite when it aired in the 1970s), which portrayed the lives of a wealthy aristocratic family and the relationships they had with their servants. “Downton Abbey” features lavish costumes, beautiful cinematography, seamless direction, and impeccably accurate set design. The cast includes Dame Maggie Smith (“Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone”), Hugh Bonneville (“Notting Hill,” “Iris”) and Elizabeth McGovern (“Clash of the Titans,” “The Wings of the Dove”).
Quotes about “Downton Abbey’s” British Premier on ITV
“An impeccably polished stroll back to the past.”
--London’s Metro
“…a sumptuous, instantly riveting glimpse of a world – and family – on the verge of profound change.”
--London Telegraph
“The whole thing looks divine, and has the distinct advantage of being an original story and so completely unknown to all the viewers.”
--The Yorker
Plot Details
Set in 1912, “Downton Abbey” encompasses all the drama, romance, and politics of this era and is comparable to any lavish period piece on the big screen. Dame Maggie Smith portrays the matriarch of the Crawley family, desperately trying to navigate and strategize so her son (Hugh Bonneville) can hold onto the multi-million dollar inheritance he married into. Elizabeth McGovern gives an outstanding performance as the mother to their four daughters, each dowry-endowed, to attract an appropriate suitor. The eldest, Mary (Michelle Dockery) is as interested in being married through arrangement as she is in socializing with the servants downstairs.
And as all the drama is happening upstairs, downstairs also has its share. The servants are shaken up with the arrival of a new valet, John Bates (Brendan Coyle). Bates arrives at Downton in the first episode to take the position, but the servants are not supportive when they see he is wounded from the war and is lame. The help is as fiercely possessive of their ranks as anyone above and Thomas (Rob James-Collier), the first footman, wants Bates’ job and will do anything to get it – including theft and deceit. Some of the other servants are loyal to the family and are committed to Downton as a way of life, but others are moving through, on the look out for new opportunities, love or just adventure.
Much like blockbuster epic films such as “Young Victoria,” “Sense & Sensibility,” “Gosford Park,” “Howard’s End,” and “A Room With A View,” “Downton Abbey” is an engaging series that fans of period pieces will love. The series is comprised of three discs which have an approximate running time of six hours.
###
“Downton Abbey”
Genre: Drama
Price: $34.99
Running Time: 6 Hours/3 Discs
Street Date: January 11, 2011
Bonus Features
The Making of Downton Abbey (Running Time 13:09)
A House in History (Running Time 9:43)
