Downton Abbey

Diane Amberg · January 18, 2011, 06:29:17 PM

Is anyone else watching this on PBS's Masterpiece Theater? I enjoy all the shows Masterpiece Theater does but this seems to be an especially good one. I love Maggie Smiths role. These British historical dramas show well what became of so many of the landed aristocrats and their society after the wars when so many of the male heirs to the estates were killed. I wonder what will become of Mary?

sixdogsmom · January 18, 2011, 07:32:23 PM

Sorry, Diane. Bball takes precedence until say the middle of March. See ya then!

twirldoggy · January 18, 2011, 07:44:43 PM

The best Sunday nights years ago were watching Masterpiece Theater. I learned to appreciate many authors especially Dickens. I will watch and we can discuss it.

twirldoggy · January 21, 2011, 05:57:30 PM

I found the site where you can view the entire episodes.

Saw episode one today. What a compelling story. Felt very sad for Bates and for Mary. Plan to watch episodes two and three on Sunday.

Diane, did you see A Tale of Two Cities ? This was one they produced many years ago and it was really good.

Diane Amberg · January 24, 2011, 12:35:38 PM

"Tis a far far better thing I do than I have ever done"...sure did, extremely well done. I think kids today should get to see all the good ones along with the books when they are studying literature, really makes it come alive for them.

twirldoggy · January 24, 2011, 02:04:12 PM

Loved this show and really enjoyed it. I fell asleep before the end last night , but the entire episode is on the website.

twirldoggy · January 25, 2011, 12:52:53 PM

Oh I think so. I would never read Dickens voluntarily, but once I saw Masterpiece, he became one of my favorites. The themes are the very same today as they were then. The times change but human motivations are much the same.

My belief is that kids are into drugs, sex and violence because they do not know about the past. They have not received education about music history, poetry and literature.

Also they do not know about or honor their own family history.

Diane Amberg · January 25, 2011, 02:29:50 PM

It may have to do somewhat with how it's presented. I know we had some art and music history in high school ,which some of the boys immediately labeled as sissy stuff. Any boy who actually liked it wouldn't have dared to admit it. But the one music teacher, Pat Canfield, knew how to get to the boys and they would do anything for him. He also started our first marching band in 1956. He is still alive and always comes to our reunions. As for literature, Mr. Wakefield knew how to make it come alive and everyone enjoyed all the classics we got to read because he knew how to explain the time periods they were set in. Of course the college courses were great and I had many, as I was carrying a double minor in art and music.
Getting to travel has been good too, as I've been able to see some of the real places where some of the stories happened, London, Avon, Canterbury etc. As far as family history ,I wish more people would tell their kids more . Mom and Daddy did and I was able to find the old family place in Scotland where Mom's people were from. I know some about Daddy's side but haven't been to Alsace where they were from. There is a town up in the mountains called Amberg.
Tell me more about how you liked Downton Abbey. Now what will happen to the cook? They certainly didn't seem to have any problems yet having enough food.

twirldoggy · January 25, 2011, 02:41:12 PM

I think it a wonderful thing if a person can see their own family in terms of literary history or any kind of history. Can you imagine your own family being a part of what Dickens wrote about in his novels? Or perhaps just living in England during that time? Many of our real life families did come from England and they have a rich heritage from that time.

Diane I have not watched the entire show as I fell asleep. But will as soon as I can get to it. I saw the part where the cook was losing her eyesight and dropped the chicken on the floor. I did wonder how they could pay such a big staff !!

Don't know what happened to Mary yet. The show had feminist theme as I remember Mary said she did not have a life beyond trying on dresses and going to events. Also transition from the old life to new as Dr. Crawley expressed.

More later.

Diane Amberg · January 25, 2011, 02:55:53 PM

Al looked up Highclere House were the film was made. It has an interesting history of it's own. As far as living in that time, considering how many people died of diseases back then it's a wonder any of our families made it to this day.