British Period Drama

After the Tudors *swoon* Jonathan Rhys Myers (he was partly what kept me hooked to the show) I didn't think I could get into another period drama again, but alas! came Downton Abbey.

Overview

Downton Abbey is a British television period drama series, produced by British media company Carnival Films for the ITV network. It was created and principally written by actor and writer Julian Fellowes, and premièred on ITV on 26 September 2010.

The first series picked up a number of awards and nominations after its initial run. In 2011 it entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the "most critically acclaimed English-language television show" for the year, becoming the first British show to be so recognised.

The series is set in the fictional Downton Abbey, the Yorkshire country house of the Earl and Countess of Grantham, and follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants during the reign of King George V. The first series spans the two years before the Great War beginning with news of the sinking of the Titanic, which sets the story in motion. The second series covers the years 1916 to 1919, and the 2011 Christmas Special December covers the 1919 Christmas period, ending in early 1920.

Highclere Castle in Hampshire was used for exterior shots of Downton Abbey and most of the interior filming. The servants' living areas was constructed and filmed at Ealing Studios.

The village of Bampton in Oxfordshire was used for filming outdoor scenes, most notably St Mary's Church and the library, which serves as the entrance to the cottage hospital. The Yorkshire towns and cities of Easingwold, Kirkby, Kirkbymoorside, Leeds, Malton, Middlesbrough, Ripon, Richmond, Thirsk and York have been mentioned by characters in the series.

In one of the episodes Maggie Smith (using the Telephone for the First time) made a reference to Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) awwwww, and it was also nice to watch a series, which made a lot of references to towns in Yorkshire.

The fictional Downton Abbey also reminds me of the Harewood House in Leeds. We visited there once, it was quite interesting and insightful. 

Pictures of our visit below:

 Harewood House

 Beautiful Scenery

The Fashion of Downton Abbey

The upstairs characters fashion sense, varies a lot from the downstairs characters. Lady Mary, Edith and Sybil's Edwardian style of clothing included light fabrics and colours, then moved to beaded works, and loose wears with empire waists during the war.

Soft and Flowery

The Three Crawley Sisters (Upstairs)

Daisy (Downstairs)

For a modern version of these styles, Ralph Lauren's Fall 2012 collection was inspired by Downton Abbey.

Best of Lady Grantham (Maggie Smiths quotes) as we await the 20's in Season 3 which starts in September. 

Cora: "Are we to be friends then?"
Lady Grantham: "We are allies, my dear, which can be a good deal more effective."

"What is a weekend?"
Doctor: "Mrs. Crawley tells me she has recommended nitrate of silver and tincture of steel."
Lady Grantham: "Why, is she making a suit of armor?"

Lady Grantham: "You are quite wonderful the way you see room for improvement wherever you look. I never knew such reforming zeal."
Mrs. Crawley: "I take that as a compliment."
Lady Grantham: "I must've said it wrong."

xx.L

Overview from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downton_Abbey 

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