Encyclopedia of period British era – Downton Abbey

Slow, easy flowing and aesthetic period dramas have always been my favourite parts of Netflix. British period dramas are especially likeable and Downton Abbey on Netflix with its six seasons stretching across forty minute long episodes is a dream come true for a lazy viewer. A traditionalist family of an Earl living through the changes of time that were just natural in the early 20^th century but now become telling tales is the plotline of the series that does not falter one bit throughout the length of the series.

The Earl of Grantham has a rather ‘normal’ family for his time that ventures into the many facets of changing times in the pre and post World War I Britain. The notable addition to the plot that might have otherwise made the series very short is the consortium of the servants of the household. The lives of these servants and the elite family sometimes conjunct and sometimes march parallel to one another with the many characters getting their own arcs. Downton Abbey is a rather insightful vestige to the past of life in Great Britain – one that can really indulge a viewer and keep them hooked to the end despite its length.

No historian could really provide a better glimpse into the British lifestyle of the era to a layman better than a series made this well. The accents, costumes, dialogues, locations, setups and the properties recreated to perfection leave no doubt in the mind of a viewer about its originality. Complete recreation of an entire lifestyle of multiple characters that revolve around different ideologies (I could make a whole other post just about that), positions, opportunities and connections is a titanic task; much bigger than a viewer can fathom to comprehend. Downton Abbey has scripted a lengthy conjunction of characters that are rooted in the ethos of the time and country but are extremely different from one another. They linger away and return to the collective flow every now and then – hence making for a storyline. Downton Abbey does not throw too many hardballs at its characters, nor does it compromise with its appealing aesthetics even when there are circumstances it could. Beauty of the setup and of the storyline is an undrafted rule that the series sticks by, and it adds to the overall appeal of it.

The cast of Downton Abbey is the biggest delight of all. Maggie Smith with her rather snobbish persona and perfectly timed punch lines naturally stands at the apex of the cast, supported wonderfully by a range of actors who do justice to their roles to the last bit. Downton Abbey flows slow, steady and dignified throughout its lengthy materialization. For a lover of the genre, it is an absolute delight.