What is it about British period dramas that captivates us, especially us Yankees on this side of the Atlantic? Is it the elegance of the costumes? the chivalry and manners? the grand mansions nestled in luscious, bucolic English countryside? the romanticism of a bygone age? the horses and carriages? the life of endless upper-class leisure? Do we crass, egalitarian Americans secretly yearn for the formality and hierarchy of the (not-quite-defunct) British class system portrayed in these productions? Doubtless those dreamy accents have something to do with the magnetism of the British period drama, for me anyway.Whatever the specific appeal of these BBC programs, they've managed to hook me in (without much resistance) ever since my parents first let me watch Pride and Prejudice with them on Masterpiece Theatre when I was eight or nine years old. I had an instant crush on Mr. Darcy that endures to this day.
At the moment, it's not the romantic tension of Elizabeth and Darcy that I crave but the soap opera-esque storylines of Downton Abbey. As I've crossed the line from recreational user to full-on Downton junkie in the past couple of weeks, I've found its characters making their way into my dreams at night and its theme song on permanent repeat on the radio in my head during the day. Whatever crack-cocaine BBC uses to make this show, I want more of it!
You fellow Downton addicts will get a kick out of this parody I recently stumbled upon, "Downton Arby's." (Click this link if you can't see the video below.)
(If you haven't seen the show yet, head over to Netflix, where you can watch the first season on instant play. I promise, you won't regret it.)
3 comments:
I too am a fan. No idea what's caused the obsession but it is a fabulous show!
despite living in the uk and the show has the lovely maria doyle kennedy in it, i have never seen it. Don't like period dramas anyway-and there are loads of other supposedly can't miss classics i just can't be bothered with said the crabbit man
I LOVE Downton!!
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