Happy Sherlock Day!

So the rest of the world has seen Sherlock Series 3. But not America. USA! USA! USA!

Lady Mary's Journey

Downton Abbey's New Characters

Series 4 starts this Sunday at 9 PM.

Welcome to Downton!

Downton Abbey Series 4 Teaser

Mr. Selfridge

The new PBS mini-series Mr. Selfridge is quite promising.  I've only seen the first episode but the story is has captivated my interest.  Written by Andrew Davies of 1995 BBC/A&E Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, the writing so far is good with interesting characters and a compelling plot line.  It's about the story of how American entrepreneur Harry Selfridge established his iconic London store.  However, it doesn't only delve on that but also on people that are employed at the store like Agnes Towler a shop girl played by Aisling Loftus.  The series goes from March 31 to May 19th, 2013 on Sunday nights at 9 ET/8CT.  It definite fills the void left by Downton Abbey!

DVR Alert: Downton Abbey Revisited

The third season on Downton Abbey won't come here to America until Jan. 6, 2013.  To feed our addiction to the show, PBS will broadcast Downton Abbey Revisited on Nov. 25 8pm ET/7pm CT.  Its a look back into Season 1 and 2 with interviews of the cast about their favorite moments.  Hosted by self confessed Downton fan, Angela Lansbury, the documentary also features a rare behind the scenes footage and an interview with Downton creator Sir Julian Fellowes where he reveals the origins of the show. 

(photo from Masterpiece.org)

Downton Abbey Day

Watch Downton Abbey 2: The Critics Can't Stop Talking on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

Downton Abbey: Bridging Season 1 to 2

Watch Downton Abbey: Bridging Season 1 to 2 on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

Tomorrow night I will be glued to my telly (yes I said telly!) since Downton Abbey Season 2 premieres on Masterpiece Theatre. In fact, as I write this, I am doing a marathon of Season 1 in anticipation for Season 2. Season 1 ends with the out break of The Great War and Season 2 starts two years into the war. Times have changed and the Crawley household has been affected. Watch the video above to see how they bridged the two seasons.

To read StageNotes' post about Season 1, click here.

What is a Weekend?

Yes I know it's another Downton Abbey post! It's just because it's so brilliant people need to see it. Here's a collection of Maggie Smith's zingers as the Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey courtesy of NY Magazine. It's a collection that fans of the show should relish and quote over and over for it's unexpected wit.

Above, is a scene where her character encounters the era of modernism in the form of a swivel chair. This scene made me chuckle while watching the episode.

Downton Abbey

Masterpiece Theatre comes out with a bang in it's 2011 season with their production of Downton Abbey. Created and written by Gosford Park and Young Victoria writer, Julian Fellowes (he is also the librettist of Mary Poppins currently on Broadway), Downton Abbey is a family saga involving the Crawley family set in pre-WWI England. It is set at a time where old English ways and traditions clash with the changing times in England with the coming of modernization and the blossoming clamour for women's rights.

The Crawley family is headed by the Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), owner and Lord of Downton Abbey. As the story opens one finds out that the Downton Abbey estate is entailed. An entail is a law where an estate is passed on to an heir as a whole (which includes furniture, land, tenants, servants and even the money of the family). It cannot be sold, partitioned nor revised by will and is passed on to the male heir of the Crawley family. Here in lies Lord Grantham's dilemma, for he has 3 daughters. And his heir apparent, his cousin Patrick Crawley, who was betrothed to his eldest daughter, Mary, perishes at the sinking of the Titanic. The family must now adapt to the coming of an new heir apparent, an unknown cousin, Matthew Crawley who is a solicitor and son of a doctor.

Lady Cora (Elizabeth McGovern), Lord Grantham's wife and the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith), his mother, are determined to fight and question the entail to give Mary a future. Meanwhile, Lord Grantham is resigned to having Matthew as his heir. More conflict arises when Mary and Matthew meet on the wrong footing. Matthew is overheard by Mary saying that the Crawley family will be imposing their oldest daughter on him once they learn that he's a bachelor. Mary in turn finds her new cousin very middle class (him being a solicitor) and being ungentlemanly with his remarks and in his ways. (Oh how very Pride and Prejudice!)

In the meantime, Mr. Fellowes also shows us, the audience, the lives behind the scenes. The people who live downstairs, who make Downton Abbey work, the servants. He gives us a peek into servant life, on the "class" system of their little society downstairs. The rules and hierarchy of where each servant falls into place as well as their wants and dreams. I am much impressed with how much respect the writer has written these characters for he has shown how loyal and proud they are with their roles in the house. He emphasizes how much dignity they bequeath to their chosen profession whether it's a butler, a maid or head of the household. Aside from Remains of the Day and Gosford Park, I haven't seen a movie which delves deeply on this area before.

The plot is intricately written with surprise twists and conflicts but I am most impressed with how well the characters are written and developed. Every character in this saga has a story. Even to the lowliest maid. They are all interesting that one wants to get to know them more. Comprised of an ensemble cast who are all superb, the acting in this mini-series is flawless. I do have to say though that Dame Maggie Smith is fabulous as the Dowager Countess. She has the sassiest lines and delivers them perfectly with very subtle comic timing. She is delight!

There have been three episodes of Downton Abbey so far that have been broadcast on PBS. The finale is this Sunday. However, you can catch up on the episodes online or on demand (Comcast). But if you're not able to do that, the DVD is also available. Whatever you do though, don't miss this wonderful and well written story.