Downton Abbey anyone

[CMP69]

Or am I just an old gimmer with a period drama fetish

I thought Cora was going to stand up to him more this time round, but she has forgotten all that strong woman thing she had going briefly. Also don't know what happened to Daisy and her farm. Why would she be back in the kitchen?

What I am finding really odd is the idea that an Englishman is going to be that welcome in Germany just after WW1. So he can just swan over there and say, I'd like to become a German and they would be fine with that? It is not as if he is rich or an industrialist or anything. I just don't see this working

Why..........does...........Hugh............Bonneville...............speak.............so very....................very...............slowly................to everyone..................as...............though............they...........are.................village.....idiots?

I .......think.........it's..........supposed......to........convey.......that.........twatty...........is..........too............posh.........to........make.........more.........effort

Sound..................posh

dignified

I think it must be the discomfort of his butt-plug, squoosh.

Have you really seen Gosford Park? It is beautiful to look at, great actors, some good story lines but also lots of utter drivel, e.g. Stephen Fry's comedy copper, it really isn't as good as everyone thinks, although I'm happy to watch it if its on. Its a film of two halves. Also, for stolen ideas for Downton, watch The Admirable Creighton which is very funny in parts (Kenneth More)

squoosh

I .....think......it's.....meant.....to....represent.....gravitas.

It's laughable

Davros

Agree about the copper

I agree that there are probably other details I've forgotten, but the overall effect was of style and good actors being allowed to act

Yy film of two halves. I think what it shows is that JF is very good at complex, fast dialogue you really have to listen to, and clunky as hell as a plotter. Unfortunately with Downton Abbey he's carried on in the same way with plot, and for some reason totally abandoned that way of writing dialogue. The characters come on scene, say their piece and go off again, and GP wasn't like that at all, there's lots of half-overheard conversations and hints of relationships you have to watch two or three times to catch.

I love Ivor Novello in GP

I think Gosford Park is a good film, which doesn't squander the talents of its excellent cast and lovely cinematography on a substandard script. I agree entirely about the Stephen Fry detective bit being monumentally silly and misjudged. There was a Q and A with Robert Altman when I first saw it, which wasn't the UK premiere, but was, I think, the first time Altman had seen it with a UK audience, and he said afterwards that he hadn't understood the particular associations of Stephen Fry for the British public (he had been puzzled when the entire cinema laughed when SF's character came in the door the first time), and that he wouldn't have cast him if he'd known!

I have other quibbles with it, but I think it gets a lot of things right that DA doesn't, like the general feel of the relationships between upstairs and downstairs, rather than members of the family collapsing in the arms of their butlers and a countess engaging an inexperienced lady's maid after a brief interview when her own trusted housekeeper has more or less rescinded her own reference!

really enjoying your knowledgeable posts teapigging are you a historian?

Teapigging

Are you Dr Pamela Cox?

Every scene seemed shorter than the one before, bit like Eastenders. Almost as if they couldn't find enough plot/dialogue to keep a scene going. Can't see self sticking with this one. Bring back Les Revs.

Thanks, Merguez. No, not a historian, but in an academic field that involves familiarity with a bewildering array of novels of the period.

Jamie, who is Dr Pamela Cox? Afraid to Google in case it's a massive insult...

Well I think JF should hire you as his researcher.

I think JF should hire all of us as his editors!

Squoosh, how can you say that when Mary shagged the Turkish bloke???

Julian Fellowes obviously spent years working on his script for Downton Abbey. Then when series 1 was such a global hit he had to write series 2 in a matter of months, I think it really exposed his shortcomings as a writer. Everything has been a jumble, albeit a pretty and beautifully produced jumble, ever since.

Teapigging

She did a great series a few months ago on BBC2 (I think) on the history of servants. Social Historian

BoffinMum The Tragic Case of Mr Pamuk and Lady Mary's Doomladen Vagina was the only sexy highlight in the whole three series'.

I can't think of any other couples who've had any noteworthy chemistry.

Was so looking forward to this yesterday, but remarked to DH that it was likely to be on a downward spiral since by series three or four these things always are (think of Desperate Housewives). I felt it was a bad omen that they had changed the opening - dispensing with the usual soaring theme music (and ironic that it was the music which won and Emmy last night). Bitty and disjointed and irritating that I didn't have enough of an encyclopaedic knowledge to remember previous plot devices (Edna and workhouse man to name but two) and had to google them! Will I be watching again? Almost certainly, but sad to see it becoming a shadow of its former self. I think I read it's going head to head with the new Homeland in a couple of weeks - another previously fantastic programme which will no doubt be diluted with each new series (and will also require some googling)!

Breaking Bad is the only show that hasn't jumped the shark over several years.

Thanks for the tip on Dr Pamela Cox's show 'Servants', Jamie. Just found it online and am settling down to watch it.

The glaring anachronisms on DA irritate me and I've always wanted to find a source with more accurate information on 'below stairs' life so Dr Cox's series looks like it might be ideal!