Downton Abbey

I came down with a flu and I was in some awful delirium and couldn’t properly sleep. So on day three of this madness, I found this thread when searching for some romance movie to watch as I couldn’t read or do anything for that matter.

What a discovery! 😍

Thank you all for suggesting the series, it is really wonderful!

I‘m on the end of season 4 now.
It is such a warm and beautifully done series. The characters and the acting is very good done and the settings and the stories of these people‘s lives left me crying several times during the show.
The evolution of the characters is very powerful, the subtitle changes in them that make them better and stronger people.

I agree with Luc on that awful event; it left me also in a gloom and dark and extremely sad mood; you know that is done but the scene was set so that you do not exactly see it. It kind of amplified the tragedy of the situation.

I cried so much when a particular character died and you could see each character in that room handling the situation in their own way and my heart was braking for them all.

Excellent stories and the psychology of the characters and the scenery setting and the costumes (I‘ve always loved 1920s dresses 😍)…

I also highly recommend the series for all and especially for all thise involved in romance reading project.
 
j'ai vu toutes les saisions et j'ai adoré. la série est effectivement mieux que le premier film (je n'ai pas vu le second).
j'ai vu et revu, en effet, chaque personnage est une histoire à lui seule et demande donc de l'attention, aussi après la première découverte de cette saga, j'ai visionné les épisodes en m'attardant sur chacun d'eux et je ne sais pas trop lequel je préfère tant qu'ils sont vrais.


je vois la scène tragique que vous discutiez, à dire vrai je n'ai pu la regarder même si tout n'est pas montré (encore heureux).
il y a beaucoup de tragédie mais également beaucoup de joie et d'humour.
c'est une belle saga historique.

I have seen all the episodes and i loved them. The series is indeed better than the first movie (i have not seen the second one).
I have seen and seen again, indeed, each character is a story in itself and therefore requires attention, so after the first discovery of this saga, I have watched the episodes lingering on each one and I am not sure which one I prefer as long as they are true.


I see the tragic scene you were discussing, to tell you the truth I couldn't watch it even though not everything is shown (still happy).
there is a lot of tragedy but also a lot of joy and humor.
it's a beautiful historical saga.
 
I love the Downton Abbey series and have thoroughly enjoyed all the wonderful acting abilities and nuanced characterisations. It is not true to life due to the need to integrate the lives of the servants with the lives of the aristocrats in order to make a much more rounded storyline but I can see why it had to be written that way. In real life the majority of the aristos would barely even speak to the servants unless they wanted something. Nevertheless, that aside, it was a wonderful journey into another world almost. I particularly loved the gorgeous dresses and accessories the ladies wore and the setting of Highclere Castle as Downton was perfect.
 
I am seeing Downton Abbey these days, I think it is a masterpiece series. I never felt so much emotion when looking a movie, and this series is a long movie, long long movie, and I can tell that if tears are good for the body, bringing health and good things to the body (I read some time ago something about how tears are good) I can say I am healing. If beauty heal, Downton Abbey brings beauty and humanity, specially beauty in these times where beauty is perceived as a bad thing. The two worlds, the Upstairs and the Downstairs are credible, the stories, the dramas, the hate and love, and the historical situation, the change, the evolution, the world. Everything is there. And the magnificent scenes and direction of the movie. I recommend this series but you will need Kleenex at your side, if you are like me, a super sensitive person. The actors are excellent, British actors are good, after all :-P.

I always loved sagas stories, the first one that I read and saw when I was young was The Forsyth Saga.

British humor, drama and comedy, tragedy, everything is at Downton Abbey.
 
British humor, drama and comedy, tragedy, everything is at Downton Abbey.
@loreta I think you may be right. I have always liked especially the British sense of humor myself (Mr. Bean anyone?). I think the British humor is often about the prim and proper attitude juxtaposed to a hilarious slapstick kind of humor that takes one off guard. Of course it is not just about the humor but the series seems to have the tragedy and drama as well.

I just had to check out the series and picked a random example and was intrigued:


It looks very interesting and I thank you for sharing.
 
Interesting tidbit: Downton Abbey is inspired by a book, To Marry an English Lord by Gail MacColl and Carol Wallace. The series supposedly takes off where the book left off. I haven't read the book or watched the series but this has piqued my interest even more. I appreciate recommendations for good quality shows. There is plenty of trash our there!

Article of book that inspired the novel:
 
Interesting tidbit: Downton Abbey is inspired by a book, To Marry an English Lord by Gail MacColl and Carol Wallace. The series supposedly takes off where the book left off. I haven't read the book or watched the series but this has piqued my interest even more. I appreciate recommendations for good quality shows. There is plenty of trash our there!

Article of book that inspired the novel:
Thank you! I was wondering which book inspired this extraordinary series. By the way, I laugh a lot looking the humor in this series, the insinuating critic of these families, their ticks, their superior sentiment, etc. Very funny. In fact casually is all the British Empire that is criticized, with tenderness, compassion even, humanity and love.
 
How could it be possible that a series would not be beautiful with music like this, which is like played by angel wings. The series is a song to life, to beauty, life and death, but above all life which is movement like a dance in the sky. So here for those who do not know yet this series.



Here are the first 10 minutes of the series, which give an idea of it: movement, movement. A particularity, apart from the beauty of the images, of this series, is the camera, always. You will notice around minute 2:30 a long shot (the camera follows the people without cutting the scene). In other chapters, this way of filming is always present, and it is not common in movies because it is quite complicated. Hitchcock did it, also Scorsese in a movie.

This first chapter starts with... but you will see. And the drama starts. That is life, after all.


Enjoy!
 
I haven't read the book or watched the series but this has piqued my interest even more. I appreciate recommendations for good quality shows.
Couldn't recommend Downton Abbey more. Beautifully-written characters, pitch-perfect casting, the scenery and cinematography make it a feast for the senses. Like being transported to another, better world.
 
I was wondering about the dog that appears in the series. Who was this so beautiful actor? Here is some information about it.

Isis and Pharaoh were yellow labrador retrievers who belonged to the Crawley family. Both dogs shared a very close connection to the Earl of Grantham, as they are always beside him. As of 1924, both dogs have passed away. In 1925, the Dowager Countess gave Lord Grantham a new dog named Teo.
As of 1924, both dogs have passed away. In 1925, the Dowager Countess gave Lord Grantham a new dog named Teo.

1912-14/16

Pharaoh occasionally appears in the background. The dog is never identified by name.

Sometime between August 4th, 1914 and November 1916, Pharaoh dies and is replaced by Isis, another yellow labrador retriever. It is unclear how Pharaoh met his end, or whether or not Isis is related to him, but by 1916 she is an established part of the household.

  • Pharaoh is played by a dog named 'Roly'. Lady Carnarvon’s dog did not like other male dogs in his territory, so Roly was replaced by a female dog named 'Ellie' to play Isis.
  • The yellow lab that took over the part of Isis later during series three is named 'Abbey'. Abbey then went on to be in the 2012 Christmas episode, series four, the 2013 Christmas episode and series five.
  • The Yellow Lab was not bred until the middle of the 20th century, prior to that the closest in colour was the Golden Lab, which was more butterscotch in colour.

Notes​

  • All three dogs' names are references to Ancient Egypt, and were likely chosen to tribute the Earl of Carnarvon, who financed Howard Carter's expedition that eventually led to the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun (artifacts from the tomb are still at Highclere Castle).
  • The reason the beloved Isis was written out in series five was because some fans had brought up the fact that the dog would have been at least twelve years old according to the show's timeline- not due to the terrorist group ISIS.
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You can find more pictures here
 
Like being transported to another, better world.
I liked Downton Abbey as well, but now I also wonder how much of it is a part of whitewashing the British Empire. It was not only genocidal abroad (more or less completely whitewashed) but even at home the conditions for a large portion of the working class were apalling. It is possible that rural areas like those depicted in Downton Abbey were much better than the cities though.
 
I also just loved Downton Abbey, don't forget to watch the excellent movies as well, the first, second, and the third will come out this September!

I appreciate recommendations for good quality shows. There is plenty of trash our there!
Have you watched Poldark (5 seasons)? I also loved that show, in this dedicated thread you'll find what people on the forum said, everybody loved it. It also has beautiful music. Enjoy!
 
I also just loved Downton Abbey, don't forget to watch the excellent movies as well, the first, second, and the third will come out this September!


Have you watched Poldark (5 seasons)? I also loved that show, in this dedicated thread you'll find what people on the forum said, everybody loved it. It also has beautiful music. Enjoy!
I think I saw longtimes the novel, I remember the picture of the character. I will see if I find the novel. Thanks.
 
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