By now, especially after the recently aired finale on PBS, most people probably have some awareness of Downton Abbey. Chances are you saw a title of an article on Twitter or somewhere on the internet about some dumb British period drama called “Downtown Abbey.” Then maybe you quickly forgot about its existence. Then perhaps you noticed the show receiving a bunch of awards from various groups and thought hey, that’s that show I heard about, oh but it’s Downton, not Downtown. And then perhaps you started to hear tons of people talking about it, from people you know personally, to Colin Quinn and Jerry Seinfeld on Seinfeld’s web show. And all of a sudden you were like “Why is everyone crazy about this stupid show?”
At least, this is sort of how it went about for me and people I know, before it became one of my favorite television programs, and probably my favourite programme on the telly. So I think the assumption that it’s stupid and lame and boring and not worth paying any attention to is completely fair. Even now when I talk about it, it sounds absolutely stupid. And I can’t rule out that actually is all of those things. Still, I’d like to lay out my reasoning for why I and many others have a strange and profound affection for Downton Abbey, and perhaps, if you’re so persuaded, you too may find it worth checking out. Please know that I’m aware how stupid the photos and descriptions must look and sound to you, and that I am urging you to watch despite all of this. For others who already love it, here are my reasons for finding the show so terribly irresistible.
Continue reading on the next page…
