Keep Calm and Read On

If a novel is set in Britain, I will probably read it. The same goes for television; if it's a historical drama from the BBC or ITV, I will watch it. So while I may not have been as crazy about Downton Abbey as some viewers, I was more than happy to spend my time with the Crawleys and their staff on Sunday evenings. For those of you now suffering from Downton withdrawal, the folks over at Random House have come up with with some suggested books that might help tide you over until the next season. Some of these look quite good and others I've read: Park Lane by Frances Osbourne was very enjoyable, Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal is the first in a new series that I like very much, and Anne Perry's Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mysteries are longtime favourites. So go to your local bookstore or library and pick up one or two titles and sit back with a nice cuppa and just read.

To download a copy of the poster, visit here.

Downton Dolls

As we all seem to have Downton Abbey on the brain (this will be my second Downton-related post of the day), I thought my dear readers might enjoy some Downton Abbey paper dolls created by Kyle Hilton for Vulture. Included among the choices are Matthew and Mary, Thomas and O'Brien, Sybil, and, of course, the Dowager Countess. The assortment of emotions offered for her are brilliant (check out eye rolling).

Even if the show keeps threatening to go off the rails this season with some of its story lines (please, no more amnesia victims, give Bates a break finally, and leave Lord Grantham alone) it's hard not to watch, especially when Maggie Smith is in a scene. So print out your paper dolls, which can be downloaded here and amuse yourselves until the next episode airs.

Ralph Goes Downton

Ralph Lauren's Fall 2012 Ready to Wear Collection was an ode to Downton Abbey including the use of the show's theme song to introduce the models. After all, if anyone was going to evoke the mega British hit it had to be Lauren. No one does the fantasy version of British country living quite like he does. As usual the clothes were classy and lovely, blending Edwardian and flapper styles into a modern look.

And what's not to love? Pinstripes and plaids, cloches and bowlers, tweed jackets with wool vests and ties, and even top hats! I want it all. I was especially taken with the trousers and jackets but the gold gown was absolutely stunning. Well done Mr. Lauren.

To see more images from the collection, visit here.

Photos by Marcio Madeira/firstVIEW.

Downton Abbey

Just when I thought there was nothing to watch on television this month along comes Downton Abbey on Masterpiece. Written by Julian Fellowes of Gosford Park fame, this opulent new drama follows the lives of the Crawley family and their servants in Edwardian England.

Episode one opens on April 15, 1912 with news of the sinking of the Titanic. Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, learns that among the dead are James and Patrick Crawley, his cousins and male heirs. This poses an enormous complication for him and his family as Patrick had been engaged to Grantham's eldest daughter, Mary. Now the family's future is uncertain as the estate is entailed and girls cannot inherit. Grantham invites his new heir, a distant relation whom he barely knows, to move onto the estate and get to know the lay of the land. But Matthew Crawley is not your typical heir. For starters, he’s a practicing lawyer and appears to be opposed to the customs of the upper class. Marriage between Matthew and Mary would solve the family’s problems. But can the two overcome their differences and fall in love? 

 The three Crawley daughters.

The show is simply gorgeous, from the wonderful sets to the lovely costumes. The opening scene—a tracking shot that follows various servants through the house—allows the viewers to get a close look at the real star of the show, Downton Abbey itself. Filmed at Highclere Castle in Hampshire, the house represents the English upper class and their beliefs, which will soon go the way of the dodo bird with the coming of World War I.

The cast is excellent. The always-solid Hugh Bonneville plays the Earl of Grantham and the surprisingly good Elizabeth McGovern is his American heiress wife, Cora. The servants are portrayed by many stellar actors including Jim Carter as Carson the butler, Phyllis Logan as Mrs. Hughes the housekeeper, and Brendan Coyle as the crippled new valet John Bates. But it is Dame Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess who steals every scene she’s in. Has any other actress perfected the glowering glare or the cutting putdown delivered with a smile better than Smith?

There are three more episodes left to air, and a second season has already been commissioned by ITV. I can’t wait to watch the rest of the series and highly recommend that you do the same.