Masterpiece Theater

Masterpiece Theater Downton Abbey

The Downton Abbey estate stands a splendid example of Victorian confidence and mettle, its family enduring for generations and its staff a well-oiled machine of propriety. But change is afoot at Downton — change far surpassing the new electric lights and telephone.

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A crisis of inheritance threatens to displace the resident Crawley family, in spite of the best efforts of the noble and compassionate Earl, Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville, Miss Austen Regrets); his American heiress wife, Cora (Elizabeth McGovern); his comically implacable, opinionated mother, Violet (Maggie Smith, David Copperfield); and his beautiful, eldest daughter, Mary, intent on charting her own course.

Reluctantly, the family is forced to welcome its heir apparent, the self-made and proudly modern Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens), himself none too happy about the new arrangements. As Matthew's bristly relationship with Mary begins to head up, hope for the future of Downton's dynasty takes shape. But when petty jealousies and ambitions grow among the family and the staff, scheming and secrets — viewed as both delicious and dangerous — threaten to derail the scramble to preserve Downton Abbey. Created and written by Oscar-winner Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park), Downton Abbey offers a spot-on portrait of a vanishing way of life.

What follows is a synopsis of Episode One:

It's 1912, and life in the Edwardian country house of Downton Abbey is idyllic and bustling for the Crawley family, aided by their cadre of servants. Robert, Earl of Grantham, his American heiress wife Cora, and their three daughters, along with Robert's mother Violet, have lived largely uncomplicated lives. But the sinking of the Titanic hits home in an unexpected and dramatic way — Lord Grantham's heir, James Crawley, and his son Patrick have perished. It's personally agonizing (momentarily) for daughter Mary who was supposed to marry Patrick. On a grander scale, suddenly all the predictable succession plans have gone terribly awry, and unheard of questions now loom large:
— Who will be the new heir to the earldom?

— And what will happen to this distinguished estate, now in jeopardy?

Mary's grief is short lived as she sets her sights on another suitor, the Duke of Crowborough.

As the drama unfolds among the aristocrats of Downton Abbey, changes are happening amidst the servants as well. John Bates has arrived as a new valet for Robert, but he has a pronounced limp, potentially making him unfit to perform his duties. Also, Bates seems to have some previous link to Robert, and a murky past. And, someone else in the servant's quarters is darkly entangled with the fortunes of the family he serves.

Despite much angling and consternation, the course of action emerges — a new heir presumptive will soon arrive at Downton. As Matthew Crawley, the heir presumptive, and his mother Isobel arrive, the emotions of the onlookers range from anxiety to outright antagonism. But in crisis there may be opportunity, and Matthew is considered as a suitor for Mary. Yet, nothing is quite as it seems in the changing landscape and shifting fortunes of Downton Abbey.

Downton Abbey WatchTrailer PBS

Watch Downton Abbey Online: PBS Masterpiece Classic

Missed Downton Abbey? Want to see the first episode again? PBS will be making each episode available for a few weeks after its initial airing. Watch the first episode on January 10. The episodes of Downton Abbey are available for online viewing from January 10 – February 22, 2011.

 Five reasons to watch Downton Abbey

1. A Powerhouse Cast

For many Jane Austen fans many of the actors in this mini-series will be familiar: Dame Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Dan Stevens, and Robert Bathurst. Others are well-known faces for other reasons: Elizabeth McGovern, Penelope Wilton, Brendan Coyle, Joanne Froggatt, Michelle Dockery. The list goes on. Does it help to know that all look excellent in period costume? Oh, yes. Expect Dame Maggie Smith to steal all her scenes and to spout zingers left and right.

2. Excellent Story and Characters

The first episode starts with a bang with the sinking of the Titanic. From that moment on, the Crawley family’s well-laid plans are turned upside down, for both male heirs to the estate are lost at sea, and Lady Mary, the eldest daughter, cannot inherit, for the estate is entailed to the next male heir. The new heir, Matthew Crawley, a third cousin once removed, and an attorney who comes from a middle class background, has a great deal to learn before he can assume the title of earl. (Thankfully, Lord Grantham is a healthy middle-aged man, which will give the reluctant Matthew plenty of time to learn the ropes.)

While I won’t reveal the plot, I can safely say that a number of the characters are not cut from cookie cutter molds. I am thinking of Edith, for whom one alternately feels compassion and disgust, or of Matthew Crawley, whose stubborn insistence on living as he always had negated the services of his butler/valet, diminishing his man’s role in the household. The result is a case of reverse snobbism.

The clashes between the dowager countess (Maggie Smith) and Isobel Crawley (Penelope Wilton) are a joy to behold. To be sure, O’Brien’s and Thomas’s machinations as ladies maid and first footman are one-dimensional, and the butler’s (Mr. Carson’s) story of hiding a secret past echoes that of the butler (Alan Bates) in Gosford Park, but I didn’t mind. Overall, I found the story riveting and the choice of actor for each role superb.

  
3. The Sets and Costumes

The lush grounds of Highclere Castle and the great house itself provide the internal and external sets of Downton Abbey. The Castle, which is a mere 15.8 miles from Steventon, where Jane Austen grew up, was designed by Sir Charles Barry, who also designed the Houses of Parliament. The town scenes were filmed in Brampton, a small town in Cumbria, far north from Highclere Castle.

4. Life Upstairs/Life Downstairs

All the ceremony of a grand country house is on display in this mini-series. The interplay between the family and their guests and the servants is integral to the story. John Bates, the earl’s valet, was also his batman in the war. He must deal with his injured leg while providing perfect service to his master. While the Crawleys are just and fair with their servants, they expected them to perform their duties as expected. While the Countess has friendly feelings towards her maid, O’Brien, she does not hesitate to tell her when she has stepped out of bounds. The same goes with the Earl, whose sense of duty extends as much to himself as towards his family and staff.

The quarters upstairs are lavish and beautiful. The servant quarters are plain and sparse. Sleeping quarters are located in the basement or attic garret, and underground tunnels connect the kitchens and outhouses to the main building. Except for the upper servants and the footmen, the staff is expected to remain out of sight, performing their duties when the family is asleep or in other rooms. Within these rigid set of standards, the servants manage to stand out as memorable individuals that the viewer either roots for or not.

A Changing World

Lady Sybil and Gwen, the house maid, represent the women of the future. Lady Sybil attends political rallies and supports the suffragette movement, and Gwen aspires to move out of service to become a secretary. The world is rapidly changing. One sees the anachronistic horse passed by an automobile; and an electric chandelier in the drawing room, but candles in the servant rooms. Julian Fellowes says about the time period:

that system…was sufficiently modern so that you could kind of understand who they were. So you don’t run down the steps in a dimity dress to get into a carriage. These people travel in cars and trains, and they have a telephone and electricity. So even though it’s not up to date now, nevertheless you can recognize that world and you can see them moving into it. – The Sunday Conversation: Julian Fellowes, LA Times

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MASTERPIECE Classic | Downton Abbey | Trailer | PBS
www.pbs.org Sundays, January 9 through January 30, 2011, at 9pm ET on PBS (check local listings) MASTERPIECE's 40th anniversary season premieres with a quintessentially MASTERPIECE production, Downton Abbey, an Edwardian-era spellbinder created by Oscar-winning writer Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park). Starring Hugh Bonneville (Notting Hill), Maggie Smith (Harry Potter), Elizabeth McGovern (A Room with a View), Dan Stevens (Sense & Sensibility) and a country-house full of other great actors, the miniseries set audience records during its recent UK broadcast and was hailed as “a sumptuous, instantly riveting glimpse of a world—and family—on the verge of profound change” by the London Daily Telegraph.

Abbey Clancy looks Pregnant

Show us your baby bump! Pregnant Abbey Clancy looks blooming marvellous as she appears on This Morning.

Fans of This Morning have had the chance to watch how Abbey Clancy's pregnancy has progressed over the past few months.

But it is clearly suiting the 24-year-old WAG, who looked fabulous as she treated viewers to another glimpse of her growing bump on Friday morning's show.

Abbey, who is due to give birth in March, showed off her stomach to presenters Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford as she made one of her regular appearances on the programme.

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Pregnancy glow: Abbey Clancy displayed a neat little baby bump - and looked fabulous as she appeared on This Morning

And she further accentuated it in a ruched black maternity dress which showed off her bump and made the most of her curves.
The model - who is the girlfriend of footballer Peter Crouch - has dressed stylishly throughout her pregnancy, hosting her regular fashion slot on the show in eye-catching maternity wear.

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Showing the bump: Emma, who is expecting her second child in April, displayed her growing waistline during a cookery item on the show

It was in fact a bumper morning for bumps on ITV as Emma Bunton also showed off her bump on the Lorraine show, which she was guest hosting for Lorraine Kelly.
The former Spice Girl, who has a three-year-old son, Beau, also covered her bump with a black dress as she gave viewers a glimpse of how her pregnancy was progressing during a cookery item on the show.
And viewers will be seeing a lot more of Emma's expanding waistline over the next couple of months when she returns to her role as a judge in the new series of Dancing On Ice.

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Protective: At one point Emma placed her hand over her bump as chef Ed Baines made linguine

The celebrity skating show returns on Sunday night, once again hosted by Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby - who is due to give birth in May.

Earlier in the week, Emma congratulated Holly on her Twitter page after the presenter revealed she was expecting a baby girl - a sister for her 20-month-old son Harry.
'Congratulations, fantastic news!' she said. 'Looking forward to seeing you and comparing bumps. Hehehehehe.'

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