R2OK!

Minx · Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 5:23 pm Post subject: Downton Abbey

Is anybody watching this? We're really enjoying it. I think it's very well cast and Maggie Smith is magnificent. There's quite a lot of dry humour in it as well. I know some people spend a lot of time looking for tv aerials, parking lines on roads etc. They need to get a life. It's good to have something watchable on the box for once.
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Minx

To err is human, to forgive - canine.

Soulsister · Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 7:03 pm Post subject:

Yep I love it too Minx. A bit of class from ITV. I agree Maggie Smith is magnificient - excellent cast all round actually. As for people who sit there hoping to spot telly aerials and all the rest of it - says more about them than the programme.

I see a second series has been commissioned already.

ColinB · Guest

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

It's family entertainment for Sunday evening, something we can have on after 9pm with mum/mum-in-law, without hearing or seeing something embarassing at some point Laughing

(cos they'll always pass comment)

As for the double yellow lines, and the accusations that it isn't terribly original... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/8100220/Julian-Fellowes-denies-Downton-Abbey-plagiarism-claims.html
and I think ITV are so relieved they're getting good audience figures they couldn't give a monkey's.
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Ron

ColinB · Guest

The Mail is hardly in a position to gloat over errors in Downton Abbey, and only has to look at its own sub-editing:

"Don't look too closely: In spite of the odd historical inaccuracy, Downton Abbey has bee widely praised for it's strong acting and plot lines"

(A picture caption)

Tut tut.

Rolling Eyes

Minx · Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 9:24 am Post subject:

Thanks to Downton Abbey, I've learned how to set up the DVD recorder! I never had the motivation before.

(I had to write down what my husband told me though) Embarassed

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Minx

To err is human, to forgive - canine.

becky sharp · Joined: 01 Dec 2008 Posts: 6792

Haven't caught up with this week's episode yet, but am enjoying what I've seen up to now and am glad to hear there's more to come...

gutsygub · Joined: 15 Sep 2010 Posts: 111

Used to think only the beeb produced such top class drama. Absolutely brilliant.

becky sharp · Joined: 01 Dec 2008 Posts: 6792

Maggie Smith had some delicious lines in this which she delivered with relish...have enjoyed all the stories running through this and look forward to it's return.

Minx · Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 9:09 am Post subject:

I shall miss it on Sunday evenings. Last night was a bumper edition. The characters are so closely modelled on Upstairs Downstairs ,as I read somewhere this morning. Anna, the housemaid, even looks like Rose.

But it combines some terrifically funny lines with a good tale, and I for one can't wait for its return.
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Minx

To err is human, to forgive - canine.

becky sharp · Joined: 01 Dec 2008 Posts: 6792

Downton Abbey support group set up as male viewers mourn after finale

Downton Abbey has gripped millions of viewers with its portrayal of intrigue among aristocrats and their servants but the hit TV series came to an end last night.

Now a group of – wait for it – male viewers bereft at the loss of their TV treat have formed a support group to get them through Sunday nights until it returns next year.

The Manton Abbey Club was formed by radio DJ Christian O’Connell and has seen celebrities such as Brian Ferry and Eddie Izzard sharing their passion with lorry drivers, builders and even cage-fighters.

‘I was having a beer with Will Carling and I asked him if he watched Downton Abbey,’ said the Absolute Radio breakfast show presenter.

‘For a moment I thought, why did I say that? But then he said, yeah, he loved it.’

O’Connell decided to ask his listeners why it was that men liked Downton Abbey.

‘I got so many texts and tweets I thought I should form a support group for men,’ he said.

‘The Manton Abbey Club was founded and I urge all men to join us to discuss all things Downton.’

The inadvertent inclusion of TV aerials and double yellow lines in a series set in the Edwardian era has helped it acquire cult status. A DVD of the series is in the shops today

http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/846424-downton-abbey-support-group-set-up-as-male-viewers-mourn-after-finale

Very Happy

Wonder if they allow females to join?

gutsygub · Joined: 15 Sep 2010 Posts: 111

I can vouch for the last point as, apart from New Tricks, it's the only thing my old man watches with me

gutsygub · Joined: 15 Sep 2010 Posts: 111

..and now from the sublime to the ridiculous - Downton Abbey replaced by I'm a Celebrity Evil or Very Mad

FleetingEileenM · Joined: 30 Mar 2010 Posts: 5747 Location: Hampshire

Anyone looking forward to the second series starting tomorrow night? I am.

Heloise · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 237

Yep Me too Very Happy

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Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19300 Location: Cheshire

Yes I am.

I only saw the last one on the Christmas/New Year repeat. I'll be recording it though as I want to see Spooks and I can FF through the ads on Downton. Also husband not really into Downton!

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

Angela W · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 7183 Location: North Yorkshire

I wish that I had watched the first series, I will have to catch the next round of repeats.
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Pirate Johnnie Walker played my request on 11 April 2009

ColinB · Guest

Look out for the TV aerials and double-yellow lines!!! Smile

aviddiva · Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 8:08 am Post subject: Downton Abbey

It won best mini-series on the Emmies, though BBC Breakfast's subtitling credited it as 'Downton Aggie' - like Aggie McKenzie was going to clean the whole building!

Congratulations to Jim Reynolds (Sheldon Cooper in Big Bang Theory)for winning a best comedy performance role.
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Lord Evan Elpuss · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 3414 Location: Cloud Cuckoo Land

And for any shots which have plenty of sky showing, you might be lucky enough to see an airliner trail or two, as I once did in a previous 'olde worlde' bonnets & top hat sunday drama series!
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ColinB · Guest

I have to say that the production values are very, very high and I have enjoyed the series. Last night's was very good - especially the Great War scenes (actually recreated in Suffolk).

Blondehedgehog · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 286 Location: UK

Shame there are extra and more adverts through out the prog'

Was getting a bit fed up with them. Might just tape it and then fast forward the adverts.................
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Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19300 Location: Cheshire

That's what I did, we watched Spooks and I'll probably get Dowton watched in an hour tonight with FF through the ads.

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

ColinB · Guest

FleetingEileenM · Joined: 30 Mar 2010 Posts: 5747 Location: Hampshire

Good idea Colin. On Sunday I was a bit tired towards the end of Downton and said: "I'll just rest my eyes during these ads" and then missed some of the programme.

The ads are too long, too frequent and they ruin the atmosphere building up in the programme. What was being advertised? I've no idea and anyway would be turned off the product for spoiling my viewing.

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19300 Location: Cheshire

Eileen if you have Sky why not set it to record, then wait half an hour or so if it's a 2 hour programme then start to watch the recording and fast forward the ads.

You'll catch up with the real time at the end of the transmission. That's what we do with all the ITV programmes now, even with a one hour one.

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

ColinB · Guest

Helen - you don't even need Sky+ to do it. I won't give the Murdochs any money so I use a Sony HDD Media Recorder instead and after it's set to record you can then leave it for while as you say and then do a playback catch-up even as it's recording (just as Sky+ and Freesat+ does - it's the same technology inside, after all).

Interestingly, when literally cutting out the ads in Coronation Street (for my wife, you understand!) the 30-minute programme's duration often drops to 21 minutes.

Schizoidman · Joined: 20 Sep 2010 Posts: 1140 Location: Rural West Sussex

Whilst we may criticise the ads (and I find most of them utterly irritating) we should remember they are the main source of income for the TV companies (not the publicly funded BBC of course).

No ads, no TV.

FleetingEileenM · Joined: 30 Mar 2010 Posts: 5747 Location: Hampshire

Yes, that's true Schizoid. Unfortunate, but there it is. According to the ITV1 website the programme length is 67 minutes, which means one quarter of the 90 minutes running time was ads. A bit much I think.

Here's a link to today's Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8774713/Downton-Abbey-great-show-shame-about-the-ad-breaks.html

ColinB · Guest

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19300 Location: Cheshire

ColinB · Guest

FleetingEileenM · Joined: 30 Mar 2010 Posts: 5747 Location: Hampshire

ColinB · Guest

If I have to record stuff for my wife in order that she can catch up on a later day, she expects me edit the ads out completely! Some people have it easy!

Cool

mark occomore · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 9955 Location: UK

ColinB · Guest

becky sharp · Joined: 01 Dec 2008 Posts: 6792

The 3rd series of this was, for me, very disappointing and I was this way and that whether to bother watching this 4th series.

I decided to watch the first one of the new series and apart from nearly laughing out loud at the wooden acting of the 'upstairs' actors at times I enjoyed the rest of it enough to carry on watching it but last night's episode with Anna's rape I found very upsetting...

Anna and Mr Bates (what is his christian name?) are lovely characters and in my view have been through enough without giving them a rape storyline...( what was Julian Fellowes thinking of?)....it made me cry seeing her afterwards ..I kept thinking (hoping) she would be saved from her ordeal...but no. Crying or Very sad

Terrific acting from Joanne Froggatt!

I hope Mr "I'm having my career backwards" Molesley is sorted soon. Wink

Colin · Joined: 26 Sep 2013 Posts: 916

unclebuck · Joined: 19 Apr 2010 Posts: 276 Location: Warwickshire

I hope we are not going to get into a script-by-numbers approach. Most soaps seems to wheel-in what they consider to be the next 'hot' social issue and it all gets very boring.
We've had the gay character, we've had the disabled (temporarily) character, we've had the rape..... apparently next week we are to be introduced to the black character.
Ho hum.

Colin · Joined: 26 Sep 2013 Posts: 916

Joanne Froggatt said on BBC Breakfast this morning that all the cast are happy with the way that Julian Fellowes has treated this topic, especially since it was something that certainly did happen "below stairs". My maternal grandmother, who moved from Robin Hood's Bay to London to work in service at the 14 before WW1, used to tell of girls who were taken advantage of by those in superior positions and were subsequently disgraced completely.

She should know. According to research undertaken by my father, she was the illegitimate daughter of the Lord Of The Manor at Filingdales (her mother worked in service there) in the late 1890s!

The actress is currently to be seen in the film "Filth" which she describes as "definitely not pre-watershed" material on TV!!