On Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 5:52 PM, Tom Wolper <[email protected]> wrote:
> > I read in one review > that series creator Julian Fellowes is rather conservative and the > question arises whether the relationships across class lines as > represented in Downton Abbey are a rose-colored look at the > aristocratic past or whether other writers who used the time period > and classes as subjects for their dramas felt they had to call > attention to the stark inequality by exaggerating the characters of > those involved. > > Everybody seems so damn decent - not just the family and staff, but > also the villagers and suitors who come to call on Mary. When I think > of young men of that day it brings Wodehouses' characters to mind and > these suitors are so gentle and considerate that it threw me off. > > Julian Fellowes is in fact now Baron Fellowes of West Stafford and sits in the House of Lords taking the Conservative whip (with a big C)! He's been awarded this honour since (although not because) Downton aired. Our second house remains unelected... I suspect that we do get a very slightly rose-tinted view of the period, with far more enlightenment from an early 21st century perspective than perhaps was usual, but it makes a change in these dramas. Incidentally, still to be shown on PBS is the "other" story of a moneyed house and its serving staff - the new Upstairs Downstairs. It takes place in the same household as the previous series, but this time is set in the run-up towards the Second World War with the emergence of fascism across Europe. There was a lot of criticism about Upstairs Downstairs not being as good as "Downton" after it aired at Christmas on BBC1, and of course the overall setting is very similar. But I found Upstairs Downstairs ultimately better. Downton had just a few too many soap elements in its plotting, whereas Upstairs Downstairs was tougher. It's all relative though. There's only three hours of Upstairs Downstairs, and we still don't know if it'll return, but I do hope we get a proper series, as there's room for both. If nothing else, it's nice to get a period drama in Britain that isn't based on a novel. Adam -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
