Latest Obsession

Have you heard of Downton Abbey? It's a British miniseries about life in an English manor 100 years ago.  I heard about it some time last year, probably when the first season was aired on PBS, but I kept reading it as Downtown Abbey and thought it was some weird British comedy about monks living in London.  Well, the second season just started on January 9, and I kept seeing people posting about it on Facebook, so I figured I'd give it a whirl. And Mom, if you're reading this, get it on Netflix now! It's right up your alley. You will quickly become as obsessed as I am.

So Netflix has the first season streaming online, and PBS has all of the episodes from the first season on its website.  I started watching it on Sunday, and I was instantly hooked.  I watched two episodes that night and then two more during Charlotte's nap on Monday. And I'm so glad that I could watch the first episode of the new season on PBS and then record the rest.  It starts out in April 1912 with the news of the sinking of the Titanic, and the turmoil it brings to the manor. It's a striking dichotomy between the rich and the servant class on the precipice of major changes that will ultimately break down class barriers (hello World War I!).  The costumes are stunning, as are the sets, and Maggie Smith plays the Dowager Countess of Grantham, and she is splendid, as she is in pretty much every role she plays. (On a side note - she's looked old, or made to look old, for a really long time - don't you remember how old she seemed on Hook even though that was 20 years ago and she was not even 65? Or maybe it was because I was 10 and anyone that age would have seemed ancient. But I digress...)

Plus, who can look at that amazing manor and not want to live in it. Lady Mary's prim hunting/riding uniform makes me want to go hunting, and I'm not exactly the hunting type.

So yes, obsessed. Please join in on my obsession so I have someone to talk to about it with!