Sep

Downton Abbey returns!

Dan Stevens as Matthew Crawley (L), Hugh Bonneville as Lord Grantham (R)

My favorite guilty pleasure is back on Sunday night! The wonderfully addictive and ever-so-fun historic serial drama: Downton Abbey. Last season saw the introduction of the aristocratic Earl and Countess of Grantham and their three lovely and eligible daughters: Lady Mary, Lady Edith and Lady Sybil. The Earl married the Countess, an American heiress, for her money — but by chance, fell in love with her over the years. With no sons and an entailment on the estate — please don’t ask if you don’t already know ;-) (try reading some Jane Austen and you’ll get the idea!) — various members of the family, such as the Dowager Countess of Grantham, scheme to marry off Lady Mary, the eldest daughter, to a distant cousin and recent heir-apparent to the Earldom: Mr. Matthew Crawley. We also follow the trials and tribulations of the Abbey servants, a group of people who have given up almost all of their freedom, but who take enormous pleasure and pride in serving well and honestly — can you imagine!

People in the UK have gone quite Downton Abbey mad! Pick up almost any newspaper and you’ll see the characters are referred to like they actually exist!

If you missed the first season you can still get the boxset, I’m dying for mine in order to see all the behind-the-scenes extras, like the filming in the real Highclere Castle (who have actually changed their Internet header to: The film shoot location for Downton Abbey!) and interviews with writer, Julian Fellowes (also writer of Gosford Park).

Stay tuned! It’s back on ITV1 on Sunday September 18th.