TV Review
(Carnival Films)
By Kathryn Walters
I'm just going to clear the air now: The name of the show is "Downton Abbey," not "Downtown" Abbey. I can't tell you how many times I've heard it mispronounced and cringed in horror.
Tirade aside, if you aren't watching this incredibly addicting show, you should be. Arguably the best British export since Harry Potter, "Downton Abbey" is currently in its second season and airs on Masterpiece Classic on PBS.
The show is set in the early 1900s and follows the lives of the wealthy, titled Crawley family and their host of servants who (obviously) all live at Downton Abbey, a lovely English countryside estate.
Still not sure it's your type of TV show? Well, "Downton Abbey" packs as hard a dramatic punch as any reality TV show, minus the trashiness.
What with backstabbing sisters, between-the-sheets scandal, the horrors of World War I and scheming servants among other domestic and dynastic quarrels, there's never a dull moment in the Crawley household.
The entirely British cast does a fantastic job, and Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall from Harry Potter) steals the show as the Dowager Countess of Grantham. Her one-liners are absolutely priceless, my personal favorite being her genuine inquiry, "What is a weekend?"
I could go on and on about "Downton Abbey" (the first season is available on DVD and Netflix). Instead, I will leave you with one more reason why you should tune in: Donald and Darlene Shiley are major donors to the Masterpiece Trust, which makes it possible for the show to air in the U.S. One more reason I'm glad I attend UP.
