My introduction to Masterpiece Theatre on PBS was years ago with their series "Upstairs Downstairs", set in the Edwardian era before and during WWI. The show was a glorified soap opera but held our interest, I think, because it told the story of a romantic world of "cottages and kings".
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Upstairs to the right,
downstairs to the left. |
Forty years later I'm hooked on a new Masterpiece series called "Downton Abbey". The story is set in the same time frame, in fact it opens the same way with the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. "Upstairs Downstairs" was set in a London townhouse, "Downton Abbey" is set at a country estate. The story line differs in that "Upstairs Downstairs" was about the philandering of the son and heir and "Downton Abbey" is about the lack of a son and heir. Like "Upstairs Downstairs", this latest British grand soap opera has a whole cast of characters to follow both upstairs and downstairs. "Downtown Abbey's" characters includes three daughters of the house and the clothing is fabulous. They are all rail thin of course so the clothes hang beautifully. I think I watch as much for the clothes as the story line, which included an episode where the oldest daughter of the house allows herself to be seduced by a visiting Turkish diplomat who dies in her bed!
The oldest daughter, Lady Mary, dressed for dinner at home.
Last year the season ended with the beginning of WWI. We weren't told then if there would be a follow up series - and I'm not sure there was one totally planned. So, I was thrilled when PBS announced "Downtown Abbery, Part II this fall. Last night was the first episode. The story picks ups in 1916, two years in to the war. There are scenes of war in the trenches of France and some hospital scenes at home, but the story lines weren't too exciting. The clothing was still wonderful but the most exciting thing to happen was the collapse of the butler from overwork. I'm still hooked on the characters' stories both upstairs and downstairs and I still hope that Lady Mary and the entailed heir, her distant cousin Matthew, will marry and live happily ever after at Downtown Abbey. I'm definitely looking forward to next Sunday's episode.
Garden Party Dressing circa August 1914. See more at
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/downtonabbey/
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