Downton Abbey

I had no interest in watching Downton Abbey, despite all the positive reviews I'd been hearing. A World War I period drama involving class and an English estate seemed....not my cup of tea.

Thinking about it now, it's a little odd given my love of another WWI Masterpiece Theater piece, Flambards. Although its initial romance broke my heart, so maybe it does make sense.

A few months ago, PBS reran the first season and I decided I'd DVR the first episode and see what all the futz was about. Turns out, it is a terribly compelling show and now I have seen all but the last episode.

I've been ill the last week, so I finally mainlined season 2, the 2011 Christmas episode, and the first three episodes of season 3. In doing so, I gave a lot of thought as to why I found it so compelling.

It is beautifully shot, with lovely costumes, sets, and scenery. The music enhances the feel of the look and of the stories being told. The writing is excellent, both in terms of dialog and story. All that just make good tv, but alone cannot count for the devotion it inspires. I think that comes from a few elements.

For one thing, it has none of the wearying over emotionalism of so much American television. This isn't to say there aren't emotions, but they are typically shown with a facial expression rather than outbursts. The drama is civil rather than dramatic in a drama queen sort of way. I'm allowed to relate, to empathize with each character rather than having their emotions dumped upon me. Most of the time the characters have the decency to control themselves, and most of the emotions expressed make sense in their context.

Even with that control, the characters have dark sides. There has been such cruelty at times that I have been truly surprised at the actions taken. Undoubtedly, the show's ability to surprise is key to it being so compelling, and something I did not expect from a WWI period drama.

Again, thinking back to Flambards, I'm not sure why. That show had scandal and surprises, but not quite the depth of human character at play here.

The pacing is refreshing, too. The story moves. We've gone from April 1912 to May 1920 in 19 episodes. And in that time, the numerous players have had at least one story of their own with true stakes. Real stakes make a story more intriguing.

I do recommend Downton Abbey, but only if you are willing to become one of the people who gushes about how good it is. I also recommend Flambards, although cautiously as I suspect it has not aged well. It was based on a series of books, which might be safer.

Maybe it was both the romance in Flambards and the one in Jewel in the Crown that made me not want to watch more Masterpiece Theater. Downton Abbey is not so sentimental of its romances, nor as tragic. At least not as far as I've seen to date. But then there is no one hero or heroine who is the focus, so each romance can be enjoyed for what it is. Along with all the other elements in the lives of the characters.