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Am I the only person in the world who doesn't GET Downton Abbey?

51 replies

headintheclouds · 22/09/2013 23:17

I really enjoyed series 1 , but but felt s2, s3 etc were poorly acted ,a caricature of themselves ,completely wooden acting etc.. And I really didn't give a stuff about any of the characters. ( However didn't enjoy Julian Fellowes books either for same reason).
So many of my friends / family love it and given the hype and build-up of this series I thought Ill give it another go... But I'm sorry it's still utter shite and I really do not get it... I cannot believe its up for acting awards amongst the likes of Damien Lewis et al for Homeland .., I did try tonight ,I really did but Lady Mary waltzing down the stairs trying to act bereft..No didn't happen for me...

OP posts:
MintChocAddict · 22/09/2013 23:25

No. I've never seen an episode. Have seen a couple of trailers and felt my eyes glaze immediately.
I find people flouncing around in period costume a complete turn off and make it my business to never watch. British TV at its most unimaginative. Them and us, upstairs/downstairs. Yawwnnnnnn

Ruprekt · 22/09/2013 23:27

I watch it for the amazing clothes.....Grin

scarlettsmummy2 · 22/09/2013 23:29

Lady Edith's green dress tonight was gorgeous! I have a ball in February and was wondering where I could get one similar, so lovely!

HoldMeCloserTonyDanza · 22/09/2013 23:30

I look at it as a very expensive soap opera.

You can't take it seriously at all. It is very very silly.

And occasionally Penelope Wilton or Maggie Smith gets given something fabulous and it goes and actually touches you. But you can't get your hopes up!

HeeHiles · 22/09/2013 23:34

I watched about 5 minutes of the first series - in the scene after a few minutes I realised the Family member of the household was chatting to a servant! I switched over.

curlew · 22/09/2013 23:34

My Downton name is Minnie St Monica. I think I am a Argentinian "black sheep"- probably a distant cousin who trades horses.....

penguinpaperback · 22/09/2013 23:43

I've just watched my first ever Downton. I enjoyed it but I was surprised there were quite a few chats between the family and the servants. I thought it was all 'know your place' in those times..? Have I got it wrong?

HeeHiles · 22/09/2013 23:47

Penguin - exactly, there was never any communication with the servants, the Head of the family would speak to the butler that was it - the driver never spoke and if a servant came across a member of the family they had to face the wall and not look at them. The servants used a back staircase, not the main staircase at the front of the house.

GatoradeMeBitch · 22/09/2013 23:49

I agree with you, I enjoyed season one for what it was, but from then on it has seemed like a self-indulgent Julian Fellowes wankfest. I think all the praise went to his head.

Is there a team of writers for the new series or is it still just penned by Fellowes? I think that's - not necessarily a mistake because it obviously still has a huge fanbase - but it's not going to be the show it could be.

GatoradeMeBitch · 22/09/2013 23:50

penguin Some of the family actually turned up at court to support their butler when he was being tried for murder if I remember correctly!

penguinpaperback · 23/09/2013 00:05

Thanks HeeHiles and GatoradeMeBitch. I thought it was going to be really spot on for detail. I listened and read all the hype before this series. Yes I've read servants had to face the wall if a member of the family came into a room. Perhaps this is for the American audience.

BOF · 23/09/2013 00:08

It's a load of camp nonsense- that is precisely its appeal.

AnyFucker · 23/09/2013 00:11

Not even watched one minute of it.

YoungBritishPissArtist · 23/09/2013 05:11

Exactly, BOF! It's glorious tosh Grin

kiwik · 23/09/2013 05:14

I watched the first episode, realised it was tosh and have never watched again. I'm not really a period drama lover, and inaccurate period drama is definitely not my thing.

Numberlock · 23/09/2013 05:18

It's no Brideshead is it

JustBecauseICan · 23/09/2013 06:10

I tried to watch it, even though have an aversion to bonnets.

It's for people who like very milky coffee and can't eat spicy food isn't it?

It's Horlicks for the masses.

It's for people who find Poirot and Midsummer Murders a bit dark and edgy.

JustBecauseICan · 23/09/2013 06:11

And if it were any good, I wouldn't watch on principle because of "the finest actor of his generation" (in his own words)

Numberlock · 23/09/2013 07:15

Ha ha, he's no Anthony Andrews or Jeremy Irons though, is he?

AveryJessup · 23/09/2013 07:17

It is a heap of anachronistic, hackneyed shite, isn't it? Upstairs Downstairs at least tried to be accurate historically but DA just panders to a fantasy of how things used to be.

There are some great costumes and sets though and some gems of good acting (Maggie Smith!) in it too.

I got hooked on it via the Sybil/Irish rebel storyline - an utterly ridiculous story but I was interested to see how they'd handle the Irish history angle. (Ans: not very well....).

lucidlady · 23/09/2013 07:23

God he is rubbish isn't he just, professionally and personally.

It just seems so WOODEN. Lady Mary is monotonous. Lord Downton reminds me of Kryten from Red Dwarf, but without the personality.

I. Just. Don't. Care.

Sparklingbrook · 23/09/2013 07:31

Never seen an episode. Sunday night bonnet dramas aren't my thing.

HarlotOTara · 23/09/2013 07:49

Thank goodness! I thought I was a lone voice, Downton is a load of crap and that bloody actress who plays Lady sodding Mary can't act. Who is the finest actor of his generation? Is it Hugh Bonneville? Heard something naughty about him once but can't remember what it was

JustBecauseICan · 23/09/2013 08:38

The Naughty Something was a Naughty Something akin to the Naughty Somethings that other "slebs" do and have Super Injunctions for......

In fact, when the red tops were alluding to the Naughty Something but not naming him, that's where the "finest actor of his generation" thing came from...and we were all scratching our heads and saying "Gah, Sir Ian McKellan? Kenneth Branagh? David Tennant? Gary Oldman?" and then it was yer man and everyone snorted in derision at his own self inflated ego.

Bless. In 5 yrs time he'll be doing bit parts in Casualty and Midsummer Murders.

GatoradeMeBitch · 23/09/2013 09:10

I noticed that too Avery! Why even bring in a character who had been involved in that war if viewers were to be left with the impression that the worst thing that happened was a British toff being turned out of his house to watch it burn? They (he) should have been less biased.