Where I talk about things I like: Downton Abbey

Ah, the marriage of two of my favorite shows: Parks & Rec and Downton Abbey.

[Note this: As a new goal I am going to put up a new post every Wednesday. I am attempting this to give my life a bit more structure than before, to make me think about topics to write, and to give me something to do on Wednesday afternoons. I say this knowing that if my friends read it, there's a good chance they'll call me out on it if I start to slip. So, it should be interesting.]

I am not normally a huge fan of period pieces, especially British period dramas because the plots drag on, I can't understand anybody because of the accents, and it's just so hard to care about British aristocrats, but I friggin' love Downton Abbey. It's the only reason I look forward to Sunday nights.

If you haven't already started watching the show, here is why you should like Downton Abbey, too:

1. Saucy Brits. You may have heard that the writing is pretty darn good on the show--and it is! It's like Dynasty for the late Edwardian-era set. There's Thomas, the conniving footman who's secretly gay and tries to blackmail a duke after the duke comes to Downton to try and woo Mary. There's Edith, who just hates Mary and has it out for her (and does she ever in the first series). Also included the in the first series: Pre-marital sexy times with a Turkish ambassador! The characters seems so much more interesting and less staid than compared with other period dramas (like the updated version of Upstairs Downstairs. Feh.).

2. Maggie Smith. Speaking of saucy Brits, Maggie Smith's character on the show is hilariously snobbish without being too pretentious about it--like when Edith was complaining that she might die a spinster, the Dowager Countess responds with: "Don't be defeatist, dear, it's very middle class." Zing! Maggie Smith (I can't say her name without saying her whole name) can express just as much in a withering stare as in a well delivered line.

Dowager Countess' withering stare close up!

"I'm a woman Mary, I can be as contrary as I choose."

3. All the clothes look like they came from Anthropologie for the Edwardian era. That being said, I would totally wear the shit out of all those pretty dresses minus the corsets. I can barely go a full day wearing jeans, I think I'd pass out if forced into a corset.

4. Edith and Mary. Although their rivalry has been downplayed a bit in the second series, in the first series Edith goes after Mary at every chance she gets. There's this one scene where Edith is talking to Mary about her beau and Edith is like, "...So he slipped the hook." To which Mary replies, "At least I'm not fishing with no bait." Oh snap, girl just got told.

5. Response to early 20th century technology. It's interesting to see how the characters approach the new technology for that time, such as electricity and the phone. The Dowager Countess is afraid to sleep in a room with electric lighting because of the vapors; the downstairs help are similarly apprehensive of this new fangled contraption. When the house gets a phone, there's a few small, but funny, scenes with the house staff: Carson the butler practicing his telephone greeting and Daisy and Mrs. Patmore don't know how to act when the phone rings. The telephone is so ubiquitous now that it's interesting to see how people might have responded when it was first introduced to the upper class masses.

6. It's on PBS. This point has nothing to do with the quality of Downton Abbey, but it's scientifically proven that if you tell people you watch Masterpiece Classic on PBS, they'll think higher of you. In their eyes, you now belong in the higher intellectual echelons like the people who read The New Yorker (and not just for the comics) or those who watch the legitimate new programs like NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. Or they'll think you're over 65 and retired.