Downton Abbey (2010– )

Beginning in the years leading up to World War I, the drama centers on the Crawley family and their servants.

Creator:

Julian Fellowes

Stars:

Elizabeth McGovern, Hugh Bonneville, Brendan Coyle

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 26 wins & 70 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Elizabeth McGovern	...	Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham (28 episodes, 2010-2013)
Lesley Nicol	...	Mrs. Patmore (28 episodes, 2010-2013)
Hugh Bonneville	...	Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham (27 episodes, 2010-2013)
Jim Carter	...	Charles Carson (27 episodes, 2010-2013)
Brendan Coyle	...	John Bates (27 episodes, 2010-2013)
Michelle Dockery	...	Lady Mary Crawley (27 episodes, 2010-2013)
Siobhan Finneran	...	Sarah O'Brien (27 episodes, 2010-2013)
Joanne Froggatt	...	Anna Smith (27 episodes, 2010-2013)
Phyllis Logan	...	Mrs. Hughes (27 episodes, 2010-2013)
Maggie Smith	...	Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham (27 episodes, 2010-2013)
Laura Carmichael	...	Lady Edith Crawley (26 episodes, 2010-2013)
Rob James-Collier	...	Thomas Barrow (26 episodes, 2010-2013)
Sophie McShera	...	Daisy Mason (26 episodes, 2010-2013)
Dan Stevens	...	Matthew Crawley (25 episodes, 2010-2012)
Penelope Wilton	...	Isobel Crawley (25 episodes, 2010-2012)
Allen Leech	...	Tom Branson (21 episodes, 2010-2013)
Jessica Brown Findlay	...	Lady Sybil Crawley (20 episodes, 2010-2012)
Kevin Doyle	...	Joseph Molesley (20 episodes, 2010-2013)
David Robb	...	Dr. Clarkson (17 episodes, 2010-2012)
Amy Nuttall	...	Ethel Parks (16 episodes, 2011-2012)
Ed Speleers	...	Jimmy Kent (14 episodes, 2012-2013)
Thomas Howes	...	William Mason (12 episodes, 2010-2011)
Matt Milne	...	Alfred Nugent (12 episodes, 2012-2013)

Storyline

Lord Crawley sees his family heritage, especially the grand country home Downton Abbey, as his mission in life. The death of his heir aboard the Titanic means distant cousin Matthew Crawley, a Manchester lawyer, suddenly is next in line and accepts moving onto the vast estate with his even more modernist, socially engaged mother, who clashes with his lordship's domineering, conservative mother, the dowager. Marrying off the daughters is another concern. Meanwhile, the butler presides over a staff which serves the family, but also lead most of their entire lives in the servants' quarters, intriguing amongst themselves.

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Plot Keywords:

servant | estate | heir | lawyer | butler | 

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Taglines:

War changes everything

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

ITV [uk] Masterpiece Downton Abbey PBS [usa]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Also Known As:

Masterpiece Classic

Filming Locations:

Halton House, Halton, Wendover, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Carnival Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

65 min 65 min 48 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The series is filmed at Highclere Castle, set on 1,000 acres in Hampshire - a landmark estate open to the public during the summer. The kitchen and servants' quarters, however, are shot in a London studio because those parts of Highclere have been modernised.

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Goofs

Although Robert and Cora Crawley both have blue eyes, their daughter, Mary, has brown eyes. This was thought biologically impossible in the Davenport Model (1907), although not very common, two blue-eyed parents can produce children with brown eyes. Eye color is a complex trait that depends on the state of several interacting genes. The gene that usually decides the issue (blue eyes or brown eyes) is the OCA2 gene on chromosome 15. But it comes in different strengths. A person with a weak form of the OCA2 gene will have blue eyes. Likewise a person with a strong form will have brown eyes, but individuals also have other eye-color genes that each has a say in the final eye-color outcome. For example, if one of these lesser genes is strong, it can make the weak form (blue) of OCA2 work much more effectively - almost like the strong form (brown). Then the eye color may be brown. In fact, the resulting color can be any shade of brown, hazel, green or blue depending on the interactions.

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Connections

Referenced in Underemployed: The Tasting (2012)
mentioned by Bekah

User Reviews

lovely!

OK so I'll admit, Downton isn't a academic study of social change, nor is it entirely original ( let's be honest) - but it doesn't pretend to be!

Does that make it any less of a excellent drama? No! Does That decrease the clever, witty and delicious writing? No! Does it cloud the ( at many moments) wonderful acting? No!

Admittedly it isn't hard core drama - but it was lovely, it made me feel warm, it let me get all cross and annoyed (in a nice way), it got me exited - and soothed.

Honestly what more can you ask for??

Maggie Smith is excellent as the snooty Dowageress, Brendan Cole does Mr Bates very well - and Joanne Froggat (who I only manage to catch on tele occasionally sadly) who was equally lovely.

It was all just lovely!