Downton Abbey: Series 1, 2 and cast career discussion thread- Page 7

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 1/30/12 at 10:20pm

No spoilers, I promise, though it's painful not to be able to discuss this because even when I try to remember where the US is exactly now at, I realize my thoughts are coloured by what I know.

Season 3 will be in mid September in the UK just as the past seasons (or series as the Brits oddly call them) were... I still find it ironic how PBS doubted this would be a hit initially and reportedly even debated cutting the little money and funding they're contributing to the series (which is why of course some 30 minutes were cut from Season 1 when they aired it). Obviously they've realized they were wrong.

I found this New Yorker review (which only covers up to last week's in the US so is obviously spoiler free) actually pretty amusing and fair handed... I do find it a bit funny that suddenly, both in N America and the UK this year, people have started to feel kinda defensive towards liking DA, often justifying that they do know it's a soap (something Julian Fellowes called it from the start), like there's some sort of guilt associated with getting wrapped up into the drama of it all. Typical too, I suppose...

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/television/2012/01/23/120123crte_television_nussbaum?currentPage=all (it's half way down the page after a review of Luck).

[romantico]

Posted: 1/30/12 at 10:25pm

Well, season 2 comes out on Blu ray here in the states next week. I am guessing we have another month or so of episodes to go. So, I might just buy the DVD and watch the rest of the episodes + the Christmas episode when it comes out next week. On the DVD of season 1 there were 8 45 minute episodes (I think the pilot and the last episode of season 1 were 90 minute episodes)

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 1/30/12 at 10:45pm

Yeah, in the UK the show is on ITV (not BBC much to BBC's apparent annoyance judging by their biased articles about the show), so airs with commercials. The UK has less than US tv and each episode runs about 50-51 minutes I think. Season 1 as you say had the premier and finale running closer to an hour and fifteen minutes for a 90 minute timeslot. The first season had 7 episodes (I forget how PBS shuffled these around for airing though some were chopped up and re-arranged with the actual cuts being fairly minor, though ones they felt would move the action along faster for US viewers--there's a good site with all the mentions). The US release of the show on DVD is un-cut.

I always find it kinda amusing how PBS now seems to release DVDs of their programs often before they're done airing. Though the UK BluRays are already out and I believe region free, so maybe they thought people would just order those anyway. This season is 8 episodes plus the 95 minute or so Christmas special, which really acts as the season ender storywise (it fit into a two hour time slot with an extra hour for a great behind the scenes thing).

This is old news, it aired after Season 1, and probably already posted on here, but in case not, the great "Uptown Downstairs Abbey" parody (with Kim Catrall, randomly and Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders) that aired for the UK's Comic Relief Charity special last year:
Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5dMlXentLw

Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3YYo_5rxFE

[romantico]

Posted: 1/31/12 at 12:00am

That was hilarious! Thanks for posting!!

[bwayrose7]

Posted: 1/31/12 at 10:52am

So the Christmas special is technically the finale? Does anyone know if it will be on the DVDs released here in the US?
Also, add me to the people who misted up at Sunday's episode. So sad to see such an innocent character fall victim. And Matthew's pain was just so difficult to watch- I too hope for a miracle!

[Scripps2]

Posted: 1/31/12 at 5:51pm

"As for people (particularly from the UK, it seems) posting SPOILERS without warning ...

Shame on you. I hope someone craps on your birthday cake someday."

If this is a reference to me, then I haven't posted any spoilers. I merely picked up a line of thought already being developed earlier in this thread by you. What I suggested about Mrs Crawley is pure conjecture on my part and bears no relationship to what happens.

Your repeated attempts to have a go at me reveal as much about the sort of person you are as the childishness of your quoted hope. I regard them as an amusing (but unimportant) back-handed compliment.

So it looks like you've crapped on your own birthday cake.

Again. Updated On: 1/31/12 at 05:51 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/31/12 at 7:14pm

Why would I be referring to you if you haven't revealed anything? How narcissistic and clueless can you get?

Vanity (and stupidity), thy name is Scripps2.

Read through the thread and see who dropped plot points along the way for episodes that haven't aired in the U.S. yet. It's more than one poster. And reason enough for me to stay away, but you just gave me another nice one.

So have fun. No reason to check it out again with thoughtless spoilers and vain bitter idiots who can't even figure out what's going on.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 4:49am

I posted (vague) spoilers as well--I hope the talk keeps up when this season is over so I can give my mixed but ultimately glowing review of the season. (Was that a spoiler? :P )

bwayrose, I'm nearly certain the Xmas special is on the DVD (it is in the UK) and will air as part of this season's ender on PBS, they'd be fools to wait till Xmas. (which was about 6 weeks for the UK but would be agony for the US). I was expecting a sorta typical UK special the way they often do--self contained stories, etc, wit a lot of cheer, but really Christmas takes up about 1/10 of it. It's a satisfying segue to the third year (which I still feel as written should maybe be the finale one--if we skip several years so quickly, I have no clue how they can keep this pace--though with everyone's contract up after 3 maybe they will see who they canb afford and re-cast others...)

romantico--glad you loved the parody! It's an example of what the Brits often seem to do really well, and Americans rarely do--a parody that is a few times cutting but always done with a lot of love. I can't picture any fan not laughing with it (though I didn't get the puppet joke...)

[Scripps2]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 2:18pm

Best12bars: As I was the only Brit posting about the current series your comment was clearly a reference to me.

Unless you made a mistaken assumption about someone else's nationality.

Either way, the "stupidity" of your mistake and the "vanity" and "narcissism" of your birthday cake comment remain entirely your own.

[Bluemoon]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 3:54pm

I thought that EricMontreal (despite his screen name) was a Brit. No?

[NYadgal]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 3:56pm

I'm so tempted to order the season 2 DVDs... SO tempted.

I'm like a kid on Christmas Eve. I want to open all the presents NOW! But, I know that if I do, I'll be sorry when I don't have any to open on Christmas morning.

[Bluemoon]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 4:02pm

I know how you feel Addy. I went ahead and read a synopsis of all the season 2 episodes already. I also watched the last 6 minutes of the Christmas episode on Youtube.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 4:26pm

I may have to do the same... I can't hold back!

Let's have a Downton Abbey party!

[Bluemoon]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 4:28pm

I'll ring for tea!

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 4:30pm

I believe Eric is Canadian.

[Bluemoon]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 4:36pm

Well, that makes sense.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 2/1/12 at 11:56pm

I'm Canadian in Victoria/Vancouver depending on work (which does make it a bit confusing because I was living in Montreal when I joined here years back, despite what my status says). I did live in the UK for months and Ireland for four though, if that counts for anything... (But I watched Downton Abbey via torrents as it aired--have too many friends in the UK, andbelong o too many UK based forums to be able to wait and simply avoid all the spoilers)

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 7:10am

For some reason my brain read "Shirley MacLaine" as "Shirley Knight"...I've only just now realized my mistake, and as much I like the Shirley MacLaine, I'm a little disappointed.

[Scripps2]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 4:02pm

I knew you were Canadian, Eric. I also know from your posts that you're a gentleman: good-natured, reasonable, objective and friendly. I appreciate your posts with or without spoilers.

I think Shirley MacLaine is a splendid piece of casting. She's a nuanced actress who will not pull the focus. I'm really hoping Fellowes will get back to having history grow out of the characters rather than slapping it on them like an adhesive label and there's a real chance for that to happen here...

CONJECTURE ALERT

There's a distinguished history of American women having influence on British public life in the 1920s (the first female MP to sit in the House of Commons was American born). Perhaps this is the direction that the Countess and her mother will go in.

[kec]

Posted: 2/2/12 at 11:15pm

For those who may be interested, Masterpiece hosted an online chat with Hugh Bonneville last Monday (Laura Carmichael, Lady Edith, will be doing the chat on Feb. 6) Transcript link below. Love how he refers to Maggie Smith!
Cast & Insider Chat: Hugh Bonneville

[kec]

Posted: 2/6/12 at 7:05am

Any thoughts on Patrick Gordon?

[romantico]

Posted: 2/6/12 at 7:18am

I smell an imposter but then again that might be what they want me to think.

SPOILERS:






My real concern is will Bates be accused of his wife's murder?Oh, and did Matthew just give us a tease of some possible good news in the future?

Updated On: 2/6/12 at 07:18 AM

[kec]

Posted: 2/6/12 at 7:29am

After seeing the preview I thought perhaps the soldier was the previous heir, but after listening to his story, I, too, thought perhaps he was an imposter.

I, too, am concerned that Bates will be accused of her murder

[madbrian]

Posted: 2/6/12 at 9:35am

I thought the scene with Isabel, Cora, and Violet was poorly handled. Isabel wouldn't be that naive, particulary with Cora and Violet mugging it up. I wonder if Mes. Bates's death might be her ultimate revenge; a suicide staged to implicate him in her murder.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 2/6/12 at 10:13am

Of course Bates will be accused of her murder...the question is did he actually do it?