Downton: A Love Letter

I

am

obsessed

with

Downton

Abbey.

This ought not to be surprising; if you know me, you’re aware that my love story with an Abbey is nothing new. But this is a lovely televisual substitute.

I have prepubescent-style crushes on Branson (Allen Leech), (Matthew (Dan Stevens) and Bates (Brendan Coyle), and even on Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) and his Lab. I want to have a talk with Lady Mary (Elizabeth McGovern) about that awful maid of hers, and with Daisy (Sophie McShera) about how she should appreciate William (Thomas Howes) more. I want to be adopted by Isobel Crawley (Penelope Wilton; yes, I know who you are.) or by Carson the vaudeville butler (Jim Carter, who, fun fact, is married to Dolores Umbridge). And I want to be the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) when I grow up.

Yes. I’m obsessed.

I love the writing (although the occasional anachronism hurts – I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who noticed evil Vera’s “As if!”) and how rounded the characters are. Oh, and my sweet lord, the dresses. It’s funny. It’s sexy. It’s absolutely wonderful. Sigh.

(If you’re a Twitterer, BTW, here are other Twitters for the Abbey folk: Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay), Ethel (Amy Nuttall), Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol), Edith (Laura Carmichael), (Samantha Bond) – and a list of them all here.)