Downtown Abbey is a British television series. First aired on September 2010 in the United Kingdom and on January 2011 in United States. The series was created and wrote by Julian Fellowes, an English film director and screenwriter. Downtown Abbey is one of the most successful British series, it is set in Highclere Castle. Best known now, by Downton Abbey. It is a fictional drama series which relates the story of a country house family called “Crawly” who live an idyllic and bustling life alongside their servants who are, on the whole, living a different life but are just as strongly graded as their masters so that, within their world, the butler is King and the housekeeper is Queen, with all their hopes and dreams. So what kind of relation does the two side (upstairs and downstairs) entertain between each other? And which impact it had on the series?

In Downton Abbey life, not everyone is the master, indeed, Robert Crawly is the head of the house; with his wife Cora a rich American lady. They have three daughter. Mary is the eldest one and she has the merit of being clever and determinate. Robert and Cora have no son, so Mary is the heir of their fortune. So they think that it is preferable for their daughter to marry a member of the family to not lose their fortune and their prestige. Edith is the second daughter and she is not as strong as Mary. She is less self-confident may be because she is not very beautiful. Sybil in contrast has always been the rebel one, she is interested in many domain of life, like politics and poverty, and she is very helpful and generous. However, life for these three ladies has not been very complicated. But it is not the case downstairs where women of the same age as Anna, Daisy or Amy whom did not receive lot of prsents from life. At the beginning of the first season we can clearly see that there are huge differences between the Crawly family’s life and their servants’ life. It is not only in the way of life but also in the way of thinking, and even in the way they dress. For example, the ladies of aristocracy had to wear a dresses for each occasion; one in the morning, for the teatime, and another in the evening, all beautiful and classy dresses.in contrast; Maids were not as lucky as their ladies. "The maids had to make their own uniforms of two dresses: a print dress with a plain apron for cleaning in the morning, changing into a black dress with a more decorative pinny for the afternoons and evenings. indeed the same situation was for men too, I give you a sample example, when during the war, the aristocracy even though they did not necessarily participated in the war, they have different uniforms, generally the red one for great occasion, whereas for the footmen and common people the uniform was the same, it was green. Downstairs, we can see that life is not easy and that people everyday life is turning around upstairs people. They wake up in the morning to satisfy their masters’ desires who were living largely uncomplicated lives.

The crawly family, however- and I really love this side of them- are very kind with their servants, and in many episodes we can see them very close to them and the member of the family always try to help them, and I like this human side shown in the series. Yet, it was much criticized, indeed the press' main criticism of the accuracy of Downton Abbey was that the show presented the two classes of people -- the servants and the served -- as too interconnected and friendly. Generally, in series or movies playing the 19^th and the beginning of the 20^th century setting, usually, point a purely professional relationship (master and servants) in which there is no feeling of mercy. But, as I remarked, I really found Downton different, so that in many episodes as I already mentioned; we can notice that the member of the family are very close to their servants; for instance, Mary is very close to Anna his maid and she tell her about all her secrets. In the first season when the Turkish men died in her bed, the first person she called to help her was Anna, and in other episodes, Mary again is very sentimental with Mr. Karson and we find her in one episodes in the fourth season, crying in his arms, which was moving. Robert Crawly is also very friendly with his valet bates, and in an episode in the third season, when Bates is released from jail, Robert run to him and hold him with wild joy. Cora also entertains good relationship with her maid Sarah and they discuss lot of things together. We can also mention Sybil who helped a lot a maid to become a secretary in the first season also, and finished married with the chauffer of the family ‘Tom Branson’.

In general, the most important thing that I wanted to say is that Fellowes while writing the script had made something not usual in this kind of stories between the aristocracy and their servants. In my opinion he was different and original, in a way that instead of writing just a simple story as we are used to see on TV about the continuous struggle between masters and servants, we have in this masterpiece a purely professional relation -upstairs, downstairs- which is in the same time a beautiful story of humanism. But still as Thomas say in one episodes of the fourth season “Robert is friendly, but we still call him SIR!” in fact it is exactly the truth. While the upstairs preach kindness, they do not pass an occasion to put their servants to their places when something goes wrong. for instance; Cora in one episode of the first season had heard her maid Sarah talking downstairs about a guest that came in the house, even though Cora did not like this person too and gossip about him with her, she immediately asked her to stop talking about the guest and to never repeat it again.it is in this kind of situation that we can see that in Downton Abbey the differences may not be crystal clear but it is present.

All in all, in my opinion Downton Abbey could not be differently writing, during the Edwardian Era society was divided into two kind of people, the household and the workers. In Downton, the two classes of people are the servants and the served. Fellowes has maybe not really describe the real situation that were occurring in that period of time between these two classes, by making the ‘the served’ too friendly and too kind, yet, Downton Abbey is entertainment, not documentary. Even so, Julian Fellowes, had a definite historical goal. He conceived of the series as an illumination of country-house life in the early twentieth century, particularly of the separate but interconnected orbits of the aristocracy and the servants. In that goal, Fellowes succeeds with panache.

What’s new in Downtown abbey?? You may ask. Well it all new!!

 The 4^th season has bring lot of change in the lives of our beloved characters, unless many of them were not from the party this time; Sybil of course, Mrs. Sarah O’Brien and what a loss for downtown after Matthew died! I really miss him and nothing is the same after he left the series. And by the way I have to comment his so ridiculous death, I think that Julian Fellows was not very inspired when he wrote the departure of Matthew from the series. I really think that it missed originality.

 However, his death was a real shock for the audience as well as the crawly family; Mary spends very hard time trying to forget him and to carry on her life, and his mother Isobel did not really recover unless she keep living.

But at the same time I find this 4^th season very exciting, it was mostly full of romance which was missing in the 3^rd one. Mary & Blake & Gillingham, Rose & Jack Branson & Bunting, Isobel & Lord Merton, Harold & Madeleine, Martha & Lord Aysgarth, Daisy & Ethan, Hughes & Carson as you see LOVE was from the party!!! I think that through all this romance, the season was interesting!

But our main concern is still the relation ‘Downstairs and Upstairs’ and I think that we are served in this side too, even though the Crawly are very kind.

But as Thomas has Sayed in one episode, when he was talking to Jimmy He told him that Mr. Crawly is very friendly and Thomas answered: “yes, but we still call him SIR” I find these situation very funny and so true.

But we can notice in some episodes that the differences are and still present in Downtown, like the episodes in which Mr and Mrs. Bates are not allowed to enter at the restaurant because they are servants until Mrs. Crawly came in and order the waiter to let them enter. This example is more related to the differences in society. Like in another episode, there was a party at the house and the servants were far behind and the aristocracy in front of the singer.

Season 3:

What a crispy season!!! so much happened in Downtown Abbey, and so much of it was in my taste tragic, especially that one of my favorite character died; I mean of course Sybil; the third daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Crawly .

But still one of the best moment of this season was to see Mathew an Marie walking to the church and saying ‘yes’ to each other, it was actually a moment that I was waiting for too long.

New characters entered in the house, which had made some change in the routine of the Downstairs lives. Thomas, however; was very unlucky especially in love that season, and Mr. Bates had face very difficult times in prison fortunately his beloved wife Anna was there to support him and Mr. Crawley who helped in his release. And we cannot forget Mrs. Hughes who discover that she was ill, she had a concert.

And poor Edith and her relationship misfortunes. After a complicated courtship between her and Sir Anthony Strallan, the two finally plan a wedding and make it all the way to the altar—where Anthony leaves her, sobbing and rejected.

Yet, nothing had really change in the relation ’upstairs, downstairs’. Nothing at least in downtown , but in Mrs. Isobel’s house a new maid come in, it was Ethel who were a maid in Downtown but had to leave her work there because she was pregnant and after her son’s grandparents take him away from her; she become a prostitute. Mrs. Isobel find her and she proposed her to become her cook to start a new life. But it was not that easy, some people like Mr. crawly and Mr. Carson who refused to accept the fact that a prostitute worked for the nobility.

However, Mr. Crawly had finally accept but only partly Tom Branson_ Sybil’s husband_ in the family. Mr. Crawly had put lot of effort to finally accept him because Tom was still a Chauffer for him. In one of the scene; when Lady Sybil was given birth to her daughter, and when they had to decide which doctor to trust, he refused to take Tom’s point of view, unless; he was the concerned one.

And in another situation, when Tom was in trouble and was followed by the police, Mr. Crawly clearly said that, he is going to help him only for Sybil’s sake. Through this kind of situations; we can say that in downtown Abbey, nobility stays nobility; and working class stays working class.

In addition to the beautiful story that relate this charming series, I chose it also because it picked up some historical events that takes us back in time; and in the second season of the series we are served. It opened on a war setting, that announced the beginning of the first world war which has totally change the lives of the inhabitants, furthermore; the house is going to be transformed into a hospital and its gentlemen into soldiers and army agents, and its ladies to tender nurses.so how much does this war affect our dear characters? And does it change anything in the relation they had between each other (mainly downstairs, and upstairs relation)?

In 1916 the war blew up in Europe, and men has to enlist in the army; whatever their society class, Mathew crawly as the first episode of second season had shown, became an Officer on the front, he is now equal to the other, no classes matter, they are all in the same situation, fitting for the same ground; Thomas and William joined the war too, very horrible things happened there.

To sum up, Thomas has as usual find a way to save his neck, he gets injured on purpose in order to be sent home, William and Mathew fought courageously but they unfortunately get injured together at war. Matthew suffers a back injury that means he will likely never walk (or perform, shall we say, husbandly duties) again!  And William died peacefully after his marriage with Daisy who did not want to marry him but did it because he was dying.

In the house lot of things have changed too, starting with the décor, the small country hospital due to not enough room for all the recovering officers, Lady Grantham is approached by Isobel Crawley and Dr. Clarkson about turning Downtown Abbey into a convalescent home, and it is what happened, Cora is resistant, but the entire family is persuaded to help any way they can, and offering their home seems to be the best solution.

This shakes up the roles of both family and staff, but everyone get involved in this humanitarian aid; starting with Sybil, who went to a nursing school and become a nurse to help the injured soldiers, Mary, Edith and the servants provided assistance too. And we can mention that somehow this war has unify them and give to downtown abbey a more realistic image than in the first season which was more superficial in my point of view.

However; romance had been also present in this second chapter, and disillusion as well, mainly to poor Mary who had been announced that Matthew is now engaged to a young woman named Lavinia Swire, and it is not everything, not yet! Lady Edith’s fumbling lead in the romance department (it’s really not wise to set your sights on someone who’s already married), Lady Mary hooks up with Sir Richard Carlisle although it seems like more of a business proposition than a romance. Especially when he offers to cover up her indiscretion. And Sybil finds herself falling for chauffer Tom Branson, which is not at all befitting a lady of her status.

Ahh what a passionate season! Full of suspense and romantic intrigue, still the only good news we receive this season is that the war is over.so what next!

From the very first episode of downtown abbey, the first thing that immediately appeals us is the number of the servants who work in the house for a family composed only of 5 persons, they actually constitute the majority of people who live in that house. We also notice through the following episodes the relation which relates these people, which seems to be really superficial at the first sight, some questions have crossed my mind; does this kind of relation really exist between servants and their employees? How can this servants be so faithful and respectful to their masters? Has it been taken from reality or is it just a fiction?

So beautiful the days when the rich people lived in castles, served by an army of people, when each person had his personal servant! Beautiful the days when everyone knew their place and where the classes, though separate and unequal, were at least able to be polite to one other. That is actually what makes this series so charming and nostalgic, this break from reality can seems crazy but at the same time very intrigue, because you want to know if everything is going to stay like that ,or is something going to happen. What actually I liked about this series is that we feel like we are reading a book, like pride and prejudice or Jane Austen and other classical book related to this period, it is actually very smartly written and beautifully plays by the actors.

However; the first season can actually be define as upstairs/downstairs season, it was a story teller about how two different classes of the society leaves together in an astonishing mansion, all with the same life's stories (work, family, friendship, love…etc.) but, so differently live. Whereas the upstairs, had only to snap their fingers to have everything they wanted to, the downstairs sacrificed all their lives and even their families to work and stay alive.

However, a small summary of the season is required to see what the exiting things about this season;

Upstairs:

Lord Grantham’s aim was to make sure his daughters inherited his fortune, but unfortunately that all fell apart when Lady Mary’s intended was aboard the Titanic! Mary’s reaction was as icy as the glacier that sunk the boat.

Enter Matthew Crawley, the distant third cousin of Robert and his mother Isobel. Robert and Cora were hoping for a match between him and Mary, which Matthew wanted less than anything in world, even if the spark between them was almost immediate.

Pamuk The handsome Turkish visitor from afar provided the first major scandal for Downtown, when he seduced Lady Mary then promptly expired in her bedroom in a rather compromising position. He died in her bedroom; Cora and lady’s maid Anna helped remove him from the bed, the implications of that sordid night were drug out for two seasons.

Forbidden love between Sibyl and her car driver activist, and Matthew and Mary’s premature engagement.

Downstairs:

The staff of Downtown was thrown into upheaval by the arrival of Mr. Bates, an old friend of Lord Grantham in need of job who was assigned to be Robert’s valet.

Enter jealous footman Thomas and co-conspirator O’Brien, who almost get Bates ejected from the house by trying to frame him for stealing.

The kitchen staff triangle of love originated: William in love with Daisy, Daisy in love with Thomas, and Thomas in love with …. Himself.

And let’s not forget The Crawley’s cook, Mrs. Patmore and her treatment of Daisy as her personal servant were revealed to be the symptoms of a larger problem: her failing eyesight. Lord Grantham made a surprising offer to save her sight.

What was going on your week end? well i will tell you mine, a part of sleeping  and enjoying these two days’ rest, i had a great pleasure re watching one of my favorite series, however it was not for my own advertising this time but reentering the great castle of downtown abbey and re meeting its inspiring and so charming personages was a required and indispensable detour for me to expose you the story of the incredible mansion of downtown abbey, and share with you the enjoyment i have each time i watch this Britain period drama full of interest, excitement and charm. 

As you noticed this blog will be all about the British series of 'Downtown abbey' and before i start talking about the real point of this blog and developing it, a small Introduction of the series is imposed. 

Overview:

Downtown abbey is a drama series set in the fictional downtown abbey, a Yorkshire country house in which lived the aristocratic Crawly family, and their devoted servants, the story happened during the beginning of the twentieth century under the reign of king George V. the fictional story imagined by Julian Fellowes relate the story of the lord Crawley , his wife and their three daughters ( the main actors) defiling through the years starting from 1912 in the first season to 1922 in the fourth season.

Each of the seasons relates great events in the history of Britain, and the effects that they had on the Crawly family’s life and on the British social hierarchy. 

 The characters:

I decided to give my own point of view about the characters and describe them in not a very subjective way but with adding my opinion about them. 

Robert crawly, Earl of Grantham. (Hugh Bonneville)

He is a devoted husband and a lovely father, he wanted a son who will be the heir of his fortune but he did have only girls. He is an honest and a right man, who always try to take the right decisions to manage his home in the best way.

Cora, Countess of Grantham. (Elizabeth McGovern) 

She is the wife of Robert crawly, an American woman who came in England when she was 20, she is the beautiful daughter of Isidore Levinson, a dry goods multi-millionaire from Cincinnati. She hand down all her fortune to her husband who as all people now marry her for her wealth. She is a good wife and a concern mother. 

Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham. (Dame Maggie Smith) 

She is the mother of Robert, and the mother in law of Cora, she was opposed to their marriage, she wanted a heir for her son who Cora could not have, so she was insufferable to her American daughter-in-law. She is immensely proud and have a hard temperament, she always tend to interfere herself in the private life of her son’s family life and want to impose her word.

 

Lady Mary Crawley. (Michelle Dockery)

A beautiful lady who all the single men of the aristocratic want to marry, she is the first daughter of Robert and Cora and so the heiress of their fortune, she as her grandmother is proud of herself and also clever. Her parent wanted her to marry one of his cousin who died in the sinking of the titanic, and after the arrival of Mathew Crawley as heir of lord Grantham (Robert crawly) her father wanted her to marry him. She did not appreciate him at the first sight but some changement are going to occur later. 

                                                

Matthew Crawley. (Dan Stevens)

Matthew is a third cousin, once removed, of Lord Grantham. He came to downtown abbey after the death of the cousin of Mary who was supposed to be the heir of Robert. He was a simple employer in the city, his father was a doctor and after his death he stayed with her mother Mrs. Isobel Crawley. He is a very simple man, not used to the life of the wealthy people, he is honest and showed a lot of bravery when he participate to war world 1. He fall in love with Mary, who he is going to marry after many battles.

These are the main characters briefly described, and the rest of the crew are:

     Lady Edith Crawley. (Laura Carmichael) 

The second daughter of lord and countess Crawly, not very good looking and seems to be a little bit jealous of his old sister Mary. 

                                               

Lady Sybil Crawley. (Jessica Brown Findlay)

 The third daughter of the couple, a courageous girl and a rebel one who is interested by politics and women rights.  

Another character that I love watching is one of the domestic, he is responsible of the house wellbeing and the chef of the servents.

                                              

  Mr. Carson. (Jim Carter)  

i like the character that he incarnate, because he is a devoted servant and a reliable one, he knows all the secrets of the crawly.