showtime

Oh my friends. If you know me in real life you've probably heard me talk about television quite a bit. We're very selective about our shows here in the tiny St. Paul apartment, but I think we've got some good ones. Highlights include The West Wing, 30 Rock, The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men, Arrested Development and now.... Downton Abbey. Produced by Masterpiece Theatre and the BBC in 2010, this frickin' show is only 7 episodes long and it ABSOLUTELY KILLED ME. Downton Abbey is, in a nutshell, a drama surrounding the turmoil of a rich family and their servants during the 1900s. It starts with the sinking of the Titanic and ends on an EXTREMELY DRAMATIC NOTE - but I won't say what, for fear of the spoilerzzz.



This is seriously one of the most beautiful shows I've ever seen - the costumes are sooooo wonderful, from the footmen to young Mary - one of the Earl's daughters who (although not the kindest person herself) is having a pretty rough time finding a husband. The color palettes range from dull greys to rich greens and browns to white and yellow, and they all play perfectly into the mood of the scene. The set is GORG as well - they filmed it at a real castle, you know. Obviously I have mostly chosen photos of the younger actors to show, but I'm attached to every single character - including the totally badass Maggie Smith as snobby/kind/kniving Violet Crawley.





Please, my friends. Watch this show. It's on Netflix Instant and, if you're like me, you'll finish it in mere weeks and be waiting eagerly for season 2 (due in autumn of this year). ALSO: credit must go to Bryan for finding this show. I probably wouldn't have watched it if he hadn't started it up one night!

(all photos click through to the source)