No one ever expectedDownton Abbeyto be the sweeping success that it was.
After all, it wasn’t the first period drama to come from the BBC to PBS.
However, from the moment thatDownton Abbeyhit our screens back in 2010, audiences were hooked.
The show became thetop PBS drama ever.
In many ways, the show was the perfect mixture of breathtaking period costumes and modern-day soap opera.
It may surprise you to learn thatDownton Abbeyis setduring a major pandemic the Spanish Flu.
It’s safe to say that this pandemic was just as devastating as COVID.
And yet, in theDownton Abbeyuniverse, it’s pretty easy to miss the pandemic altogether.
In fact, it only lasts for half an episode or so!
It’s pretty weird to watch this fictionalized version of the 1919 pandemic where are the masks?
Aren’t they all terrified of leaving the house?
No wonder we didn’t really notice the pandemic the first time.
AsThe Washington Postpointed out, the show operates in a world of intrinsic ethical justice.
When characters do wrong, they are punished; when they do good, they are rewarded.
No wonder the film feels different compared to the show.
However, what you may not have noticed is the problematic aftermath of the horrific scene.
After all, it was a pre-Trump, pre-Brexit world.
These days, theinequalities in our societyare all too clear.
In fact, in a post-COVID world, inequalities are even more evident than ever.
In fact, oneblogeven named him its ninth favorite character!
However, rewatchingDownton Abbey, we begin to realize that Lord Grantham is actually pretty problematic.
AsKQEDpointed out, this is exactly Lord Grantham’s problem.
He also ignores a medical professional who says his daughter should give birth in a hospital she passes away.
He even starts an affair with one of his maids in a moment of mid-life crisis.
We never noticed it before, but Lord Grantham is kind of the worst.
In fact, many of us are even working full-time from our homes.
One major shift from the pandemic is a new interest in the simple pleasures of domesticity.
However, these days, the charming domesticity ofDownton Abbeyfeels a lot more enjoyable and relatable.
Apparently, the show’s crew weren’t sure where to film the scene.
Woods asked the house’s manager, Lady Carnarvon, for a suitable room.
“She said, ‘Come and look at mine!'”
Apparently, the real luggage room of the estate is actually in the tower.
“It’s a stunningly beautiful room,” Woods recalled, “for what effectively keeps luggage.”
However, it turns out, the tower isn’t exactly safe.
“There’s liability problems.
… We couldn’t go up there [now],” Woods explained.
No wonder we only saw the room once!
But what you may not have realized is that each character has their own specific look.
As for Lady Mary, her look is a total contrast.
“Her wardrobe is quite linear and androgynous,” Robbins said.
We love learning about these little touches in the costume design that highlight the personalities of each character!
In 2006, the house made a surprising appearance in John Legend’s music video for “Heaven.”
The house was also used for the 1987 version ofThe Secret Garden.
However, you may not have spotted all of the brand-new rooms that appeared in the film.
Wow, they certainly went to town!
His wife, Mrs. Bakewell, refused to serve her.
“Her husband did but it wasn’t very nice,” Ethel says.
However, only the most astute viewers will notice that a lot of the show is actually historically inaccurate.
One of these eagle-eyed viewers is none other than Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II!
Wow, we have to say, we’re impressed!
As she explained, “Life was hard and gritty in the early [1900s].
None of the Downton characters’ ages make any sense
Downton Abbeyactually covers a couple of decades.
A few viewers began to question the age problem, as theDaily Mailnoted.
One wrote, “Does the Earl of Grantham use Grecian 2000 or something?
Even Maggie Smith, who played the Dowager, noted that the ages really don’t make sense.
It couldn’t go on and on and on…
It didn’t make sense!”
It’s a pretty good point what’s with all of these horrible female feuds?
We have to admit it would have been great to see some strong female bonds on this show!
