Downton Abbey Withdrawal

Talk about civilized living!  Oh, how I wish I had lived in the early 1900s in one of the great houses of England - an upstairs person, of course.  I am a confirmed Anglophile and have been absolutely entranced by the PBS series Downton Abbey.  Have you watched both seasons?  I can't believe the second just concluded on Sunday.  I have heard that the third season will be on in September.  Let's hope that is true.

I came late to the Downton Abbey party.  When the first season was on, I kept thinking I should watch it, but just never did.  Once they won all those Emmys and were gearing up for Season 2, I knew I had to get on the bandwagon.  Our local PBS channel ran a complete repeat of Season 1 during the weeks just before this season started and I faithfully watched to get up to speed.  One look at that house and I was hooked.  I want nothing more than to travel to England and visit Highclere, which is the actual name of Downton Abbey.

A few weeks ago I saw on some Internet site photos of the real people who play the characters.  Some of them are almost unrecognizable, especially the downstairs staff!  One of the photos has Carson the butler in bike shorts!  Now there's a different look!

I loved the Sunday night's season finale.  Could you have just died when Matthew asked Lady Mary to marry him in the falling snow?  What a beautiful scene.  I was beside myself.  And when Thomas asked the Dowager Countess to dance?  I adore Maggie Smith and I know you do, too.  Don't you want to be just like her when you are her age.  You can get away with saying what you really think!  I was a bit concerned when Thomas took Isis, the dog.  I really cannot take the thought of an animal being harmed and I thought something gruesome was going to accidentally happen to her, especially when she came up missing from her hiding place.  Thank goodness she was fine.  I was getting a little stressed there for a moment.  Wasn't it so sweet when William's father declared he would be Daisy's father?  I almost cried.  And the whole Bates thing.  You just know that is going to work out somehow, isn't it?

I am so excited for next year when Lady Cora's American mother comes to town.  Won't Shirley MacLaine be divine? 

One of the things I love the best are the costumes.  Each scene looks so authentic.  I also love how they dress for dinner.  I long for that time in history, though I know it must have been onerous doing that every night, but I love the idea of it all.  The table settings, all that silver, the gorgeous rooms, the conversation.  If you could just live like that with the modern day conveniences and medical advances.  But then, Branson, the chauffeur would have started a revolution on Twitter and Facebook and everything would be very different.  (A big sigh.)

Until next season starts, I will have to console myself with planning a trip to England and Highclere.  Maybe it will snow.....