I've had time to watch yesterday's show. I think it is one of my favorites so far. As always, I enjoy Maggie Smith's scenes the most and I thought she was wonderful in this latest episode. Thanks, Beagledoitbetter and Kswl for the reminders of the references to the London house and Sybil's season.

Oh yes, I forgot about this - I was supposed to look into it. You know what's funny, DH and I needed our DA fix and so we tried nearly every BBC period series out there (eg North and South). And it seems that Bates is in every damn one. Now my Netflix pretty much doesn't suggest anything to me that isnt from the BBC. LOL

I'm busy working my way through all of the MadMen episodes for now. ANd trying to finish Middlemarch and our book club book.

Anyone read the "Real Downton Abbey" book? A neighbor lent it to me but I haven't got around to it yet.

mtnrdredux were any of the other BBC series good? I am going to be done w/ Downton Abbey and need a new TV show to watch when I finish these episodes.

Hi Beagles,

None were as good as Downton Abbey.

There was a remake or update or whatever you'd call it of Upstairs Downstairs, I think just 3 or 4 episodes, that was very good. It made me think I should look at the old, old, U/D, but the film quality of those was so poor (I think it was video), which kind of ruins a period drama for me.

There was one that was kind of fun, about women who go to work on rural farms to help the war effort. I think it was called "Land Girls"?

I wanted to like North and South, but it kept putting me to sleep. I tend to watch TV late at night anyway, so a lot of it will put me to sleep.

I think the BBC did a series based on Tess of the D'urbervilles, that might be worth a look. Also something like the Lark from Candleford???

On a totally different note. Mad Men is terrific, especially the early seasons. If you haven't seen it, I think there are 5 or 6 season to watch, all on Netflix. The early Glee episodes are also good.

Sorry, it is "Lark Rise to Candleford". I saw one episode. Again I think it was good but I feel asleep. It has "Mr. Bates" in it, as does N and S.

Mntnrdredux, it is "Larkrise to Candleford", a TV series loosely (and I mean loosely) based on the book written by Flora Thompson in the 1930s. I would recommend the book and the series was enjoyable.

You probably all watched Gosford Park?

Agree totally about North and South--- the main character was a snooze. I was hoping she would rob a bank, or whip out an AK-47 or something just to prove she was alive. Didn't happen, needless to say.

I also liked the remake of Upstairs, Downstairs, especially Eileen Atkins, but Keeley Hawes is not one of my favorite actors and I was sick of her after episode 1. (She's appeared in the first couple of seasons of Spooks and Atkins is in everything, literally, that is worthwhile on British television, including her new gig on Doc Martin.)

The other day I watched New Tricks (current program on BBC) recommended by a friend and there was Moseley from Downton Abbey, only this time he was a compulsive gambler who asked his estranged teenage tennis prodigy daughter to throw a tournament he bet on to pay his gambling debts. She was murdered by her mother, who knew the tennis coach was sexually abusing her, yadda, yadda, yadda... Not a patch on DA :-) All the same actors pop up in just about everything, there are thirty or so who seem to exchange roles every two or three years. My current fave is Benedict Cumberbatch, who---now that I have seen him in a few things, I recognize in everything else. Mtnredux, a really good period series is Cumberbatch's To The Ends of the Earth, a sort of Horatio Hornblower but more R Rated, in which he plays a passenger on a sailing ship to Australia.

LOVED Gosford Park, another Fellowe's effort.

There is a Middlemarch miniseries on netflix but I am reluctant to watch it since I loved the book so much.

Here's a list of some British shows I've enjoyed on Netflix's Instant play.

Evil Under the Sun - Agatha Christie's Poirot with Peter Ustinov and a young Maggie Smith. 'Love the clothes.

The Way We Live Now - An Adaptation of a Trollope novel with David Suchet. Great acting - lots of BBC regulars.

BBC Mysteries
Vera with Brenda Blethyn
The Last Detective with Peter Davison from All Creatures Great ans Small

BBC Comedies
Reggie Perrin with Martin Clunes from Doc Martin
Kingdom with Stephen Fry

Upstairs Downstairs season two is showing on PBS Masterpiece weekly now. Not as good as DA but worth watching.

I'm in love with the Masterpiece theater. It's absolutely the best tv I've seen in years.

Lukk, which U/D? The new one?

Well, KSWL, now that I know someone "personally" who vouches for Middlemarch I will redouble my efforts. I have been carrying it around since we went on vacation in July! Not at all like me. And too heavy to carry. : )

I wil add Cumberbatch to my list.

I'm adding all of these to my Netflix, this is great !

I'm doing the same, copying all those titles so I can view them on Netflix. Thanks Chickadee!!

mtnrdredux- yes - this is season 2 of the new Up/Down, the first episode aired Sunday Oct. 7. There are 6 weekly episodes, and last night they aired #3. It's listed under Masterpiece Classic on my local PBS.

Do you think we were all born in the wrong era and on the wrong side of the pond?

I loved North and South- I bought it- and also Lark Rise. At least until Sir Timothy left! I hope he comes back.
I am a hopeless romantic, loved Cranford but wanted much more for Mary.
If they bungle Downton's Mary and Matthew, I'll be upset.

Maire cate,

Oh wow, I didnt know that! Thank you! (oh and ps I know I owe you photos!)

Kswl, I loved "To the Ends of the Earth"! I thought I was the only person who saw that. The books were good, too--it's based on a trilogy by William Golding (of Lord of the Flies fame.)

I also really enjoyed the TV movies based on the Horatio Hornblower books starring Ioan Gruffud. He was very young and cute in them.

Lol, Christine, I thought I was the only person who liked Horatio Hornblower, and agree completely with your assessment of Guffud....very cute. Cumberbatch is equally adorable and young in To the Ends of the Earth. Better still, they can act. I don't have to turn the sound off as I have occasionally to avoid ruining Brad Pitt's looks.

Mtnredux: yes. I lived abroad as a teenager and have never got over it.

I've been watching Masterpiece Theater since the original Upstairs Downstairs aired. I think I've seen most of their shows including the mysteries that used to air on Thursday nights.

I prefer Cranford and especially Return to Cranford over Lark Rise to Candleford. The actresses are superb. Many familiar faces there too.

I think I mentioned this once before on this board, but I remember as a kid my parents LOVED Masterpiece Theater. I remember even seeing a few episodes of the original U/D as that was one of their favorites. I'd hear the music start and run for my room - how boring, a show about people with a funky British accent that lived a long time ago? What drivel! Love Boat is so much better! ;) Now, as an adult, I love the British shows! My kids aren't "subjected" to them as they are in bed by the time I put them on, or I set my DVR and watch them later so they won't have those memories.

Different era, but has anyone been watching the series, Call the Midwife which airs right before the new U/D series on Sunday nights? I'm really enjoying it so far.

mtnrdredux - you might want to sign up for the PBS newsletters. They'll send you an email every Thursday with notes about the following week's programs and upcoming shows. Mine is linked to my local PBS station too.

Here is a link that might be useful: PBS newsletter

Another wonderful episode tonight, with a few good zingers from Dame Maggie and some very satisfying plot turns.

One other very enjoyable bbc or itv show that is now on Netflix is Foyle's War. It's a good period drama that even my DH enjoys from time to time.

Someone mentioned Lark Rise to Candleford above, and I remember thinking that series was oddly similar to Little House on the Prairie, only with better acting.

I set the DVR to record the 2 hour season opening episode last Sunday. I finally sit down to watch it this morning. OMG, there were all sorts of skips and scenes frozen for a split second - I missed all sorts of dialog! What in the world happened? It's not a video tape that can suffer quality issues.

dedtired or anyone else in the Philly area: Do you watch WHYY and did you have any quality issues while watching?
I guess I need to find another PBS station to record it but my local station doesn't have it listed as an option. I don't want to re-watch the whole 2 hours from my computer screen nor do I want to watch future episodes that way.

Thankfully, I didn't miss Violet say to Robert "I thought you were a waiter" but I did miss many other comments made by many other characters. How annoying.

hhireno - I'm just across the Delaware River from Philly and Comcast is our provider. We didn't have any difficulty with the WHYY broadcast. I do watch it in HD - could that make a difference?

I checked my Comcast listing and I can also watch it on YARTS.
Season 3: Episode One is scheduled for this Thursday from 9 to 11.

maire_cate,
Thanks for the info. I recorded it in HD from WHYY so any problems must have been my darn cable provider. Fingers crossed it won't be a continuing problem. I should be able to watch it tonight without recording it. If the quality, or actually the lack of quality, is the same I will be calling and complaining to my cable provider. I'll be like Violet and won't stand for their impertinence and incompetence.

We all loved Foyle's War. We watched it all over a year or two through Netflix mail.

"I thought you were a waiter' was my favorite line of the night! Although I am seriously annoyed with Matthew. Just as well!

Hhireno, it was probably just a fluke thing, however, I have had problems like that occasionally with my DVR. A couple of times, it was happening frquently (pixelating and/or freezing up) so my provider had to replace the DVR. I'd recommend that even if youdo watch the program tonight as it is being broadcast, record it anyway. Then when you have time, you can watch a little bit of the recording to make sure it recorded smoothly. If not, then you can get the box replaced before you need to record again.

I actually laughed out loud at the waiter comment - thought that was the funniest comment in the whole episode. I love her! I'm looking forward to more interaction between her and Shirley MacLaine.

I'm glad everyone is enjoying Season 3. I thought it was better than 2, although the finale is a sad/shocker.

The waiter comment was wonderful! :-)

I went to buy season one of DA on Amazon, one version says
"original UK version"
and another option does not say UK, are they both the same ?

No they're not and I find it a little annoying. The UK version is slightly longer. Because of how PBS decided to show each episode it has been edited to fit our time frames. If you check the running time of each disc you'll see the difference. The Executive Producer of Masterpiece, Rebecca Eaton defended this editing by stating that viewers in the US need a faster paced show and the differences are not significant.

Here's an explanation from IMBD -

........"There are a few minor differences, which are only found between the UK version and the US televised version. The DVD version in the US is the original 7 episodes, as shown in the UK.

The US televised version loses about 30-40 minutes of the show, with a couple of minor subplots missing or cut down significantly. Some scenes have also been re-arranged, as the US televised version was shown in 4, longer episodes and the UK version in 7 shorter episodes. There are also a couple of short extra scenes that are shown in the US televised version and the UK version.

Whilst these few differences are quite minor, if you have the chance, it is well worth seeing the DVD version, which is the original UK 7 episodes."..........

kswl,
Is Shirley MacLaine in more episodes or just the first one?

fourkids,
What a great idea to record it & check the recording, but sadly I read the idea too late. I'll do that next week.

The whole show is so visually appealing, isn't it? I loved the shot last night as they were unrolling that large, beautiful rug across the wooden floor, as Anna stepped over them carrying a vase of flowers.

Does anyone think the long sleeve bridal dresses will help bring that look back? The strapless look has outstayed its welcome.

I think MacLaine is only in the first episode.

Since I've only ever watched these on ITV I didn't realize the US version was abridged. American viewers don't "need" a faster-paced show, the edited version obviously fit into station lineups better. Or something. It's hard to determine what could be left out of any episode that wouldn't make any difference.

Am loving Downton as always.

I have to disagree about North & South, loved it. Although I admit it is a bit slower than some. And along the Haskell line, if you haven't seen Wives & Daughters, I highly recommend it. It is excellent.

And check out Daniel Deronda as well.....and see our beloved Lord Grantham being deliciously evil.

Kswl: good to know I must steel my heart for a 'sad shocker'. I can bear alot...just not losing Maggie Smith before the very last episode...maybe.

I had thought Edith had more empathy than she showed in this last episode. To make Sir Anthony her "life's work" is rather a slap in the face and he did the right thing.

To make Sir Anthony her "life's work" is rather a slap in the face and he did the right thing.

I knew it was over the moment she said that.

This is a bit *out there* but I always get visions of Sheldon Cooper (Big Bang Theory) when Lady Grantham pops off one of her over the shoulder remarks! They both deliver these one line assessments of a situation or person with an air of total certainty that they are right. I'd love to see the 2 characters in a room together! I know...... way too much time on my hands :/

I did too terriks, but I hate analyzing things as I watch. I do know what is going to happen at the end, and I can see already how they are leading up to it for a clean emotional break.

I am enjoying season three. I also loved North and South, and the Forsyte Saga--although my favorite character there was Soames, and not his evil wife and Jolyon, who I think were supposed to be the 'good' guys.

One of the first BBC Masterpiece-type shows I ever watched was "Flambards", back in the late 70's or early 80's. I do wish they would remake it with a little more...shall we say romantic tension? I watched parts of it again a year or so ago and couldn't believe I had found it "so romantic, sigh" back when I was a kid.

"To make Sir Anthony her "life's work" is rather a slap in the face and he did the right thing.
I knew it was over the moment she said that."

Me too...

Not of same period, but other terrific British series:

-- Wish Me Luck -- British women spies in France during WWII
-- The Grand -- big family-owned hotel, lots of interesting characters and family intrigue
-- Kingdom - w Stephen Frye
-- Fortysomething - w Hugh Laurie

And I loved "Island at War", also on Masterpiece. Channel Islands during WW2, with a little romance, danger, and philosophy mixed in.

Google Suburban Princess and Downton and you can watch the whole season 3 at once.

Have you seen If Downton Abbey took place on Facebook?

LOL, Terriks, thanks for that link... what a HOOT!

That is soo funny!

Did anyone watch last night's episode? I've never liked that kitchen (so dark and gloomy, but I know appropriate) but now I never want to see it again. Poor Anna! I wanted to scream myself, when that singer was yelling over her cries for help :(

Every time they would catch the singer a certain way, I would think, "CHER!"

Nancy

I appreciated having Kiri Te Kanawa sing as I'm a casual opera fan, but overall, this story line is appalling if not unauthentic for the period. (I've read ahead...)

Last night was the first episode of D/A which didn't draw me in. Found myself thinking the writers appeared desperate and may be running out of creative story lines. This makes me sad as I have so enjoyed it until now.