After taking note of the online buzz regarding Downton Abbey (available on Netflix Instant Watch) I decided to give it a whirl. Admittingly, it isn't a show I would normally watch. However my wife is an avid lover of British Literature, the Elizabethan era, and the United Kingdom as a whole. Additionally, our upcoming travel plans include a trip to London, England. My past experience with TV shows is hit or miss. Some shows immediately draw me in (Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Eastbound & Down, etc. etc.) while other shows take a while to steep (Seinfeld, How I Met Your Mother). However there is also a category of TV shows that are very popular, and I feel that I should like them (Ancient Aliens, Madmen, Walking Dead, The Tudors) but it just doesn't pan out.
My first impression was that Downton Abbey would be a dry period piece with too many characters and plot lines that quickly transcend my attention span. However, I made a good faith effort to watch the entire first episode uninterrupted, without picking up my iPhone or going on the internet. Turning on the subtitles was a big help, since the dialect could make it quite difficult to understand at times. As it turns out, the show proved me wrong and captivated me within the first twenty minutes. The variety of characters and the plot was entertaining, and the cinematography is absolutely stunning. With TV series I tend to get oversaturated and grow tired of it if I try to watch too many at once. We have decided to watch the show in moderation and only together, while paying complete attention. PBS has done a stellar job with this show, and I am grateful that Netflix has picked it up. I'm looking forward to the remaining episodes in season 1 and I hope season 2 is a success as well.
If you don't have Netflix and you don't mind watching TV on your computer you can watch the show for free on the PBS website.
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