My mom got the season 1 and 2 dvd set for Christmas. When she finished with them (she finished them very quickly) she lent them to me. I'm hooked! I will have to be buying them for myself. It's so addicting. Does anyone else watch this show? It kind of makes me want to live in an old British manor... well as long as I'm one of the rich ladies being waited on hand and foot. LOL!

My wife and have watched both seasons. I have mixed feelings about the show. My wife loves it.

Hi Olivia; my wife started watching DA when either PBS or our local station started running them as in encore (fancy word for rerun). She got hooked, and got me to start watching too. Last night we saw the finale of Season 2, and will start Season 3 next week. I must admit the writing and acting are subperb. And I am still trying to figure out the relationship between Miss O'Brien and Tom.

Hi Cattleman. I'm wondering about the relationship between Mrs. O'brian and Tom too. There has to be something more there then just co-workers. I can't wait for Sybil to come back with her baby and the chauffeur to show up! I'm sure that's going to stir up some trouble.

We love Downtown Abbey here.
I have to admit that it took us nearly a year to watch the first series (season 1 for North Americans). We had it recorded on our Sky box and just didn't get around to watching it.
Series 3 has just finished here in the UK and we had a special on Christmas Day. Although series 1 was by far the best, I am still looking forward to the fourth series.

Dear Olivia, thank you for opening this topic.

I watched all three seasons, and I must say that the first season is the best one. It has a very strong plot structure, great characterization, and very subtle sense of drama.. but, as far as the third season is concerned, in my opinion, there are too many romantic elements, and the story lost its quality.

And, in a way, I must say that it portrays English aristocracy in a very sentimental, sensitive and positive way, creating a sense of nostalgia in the viewer, nostalgia for those golden times that are lost. However, the acting is brilliant. Especially, Maggie Smith. She is absolutely fantastic.

milan.

I identify myself as a fogey if I mention "Upstairs, Downstairs," the PBS series that is the forerunner of "Downton Abbey." I have a sense that the older show was far superior to DA, which I do watch. But since I haven't watched "Upstairs, Downstairs" for decades, my opinion about it shouldn't be taken too seriously. I feel that DA is more of a melodrama and just a teensy bit comparable to our own famous "Dallas," which was also a big hit in Britain.

I've only just seen this thread - I love Downton Abbey! We're watching Series III now here in Australia and are up to where Sybil has just made her own way back to Downton after her husband left Ireland in a hurry. Great acting - isn't Maggie Smith wonderful?

<3 it. i agree with rchapman about maggie smith, i find her to be my favorite actress in alot of movies and shows. i think DA and HP have been her best
i started to watch DA i think in the middle of season 2 so i kind of had to figure out whats going on,so i watched all of season 1 online.

I LOVE that show. I stumbled across it by accident while flipping channels and I was hooked from day one. My only complaint is that the seasons take a long time to air.