Posts tagged Downton Abbey
DOWNTON ABBEY: DUMBED DOWN FOR AMERICA!!!
Jan 3rd
Sorry my American friends!
You all know how much I’ve been raving over the last 6 months about superior UK import Downton Abbey which starts this Sunday on PBS.
I noticed that the 7 episode series had been trimmed down to just 4 episodes for the US version but had assumed this was just a case of UK / US timing adjustments. But now I hear news that the series has actually been CUT from 8 to 6 hours because PBS doesn’t think Americans are smart enough to follow the plot… wow, patronizing, much?
THE TOP 10 TV SHOWS OF 2010
Dec 31st
It’s that time of the year again – our chance to countdown the best of the 2010!
And while there was plenty of bad TV this year (much of it on E!) and several former favorites which disappointed (Glee, True Blood, American Idol), there was enough strong shows to prove once again we’re in a golden era of TV viewing…
Here’s my picks for 2010 – in no particular order!
MAD MEN: Hands down THE best TV show of the year was undoubtedly Mad Men, a show that’s pretty much TV perfection. I mean seriously, did the show even put a single foot wrong all season?
I’ve been a Mad Men fan from day one but I’d be the first to admit the first couple of seasons could be a tad slow at times. But since the sensational third season Mad Men hasn’t looked back. Season 4 offered us a new agency for a new era, the fall and rise of Don Draper, a triumphant and independent Peggy and a tragic Joan. Best episode of the series – undoubtedly The Suitcase – the Don / Peggy double-header which saw the duo fighting and bonding over the course of a single night. It’s why Emmys were More >
FIRST LOOK: THE NEW UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS
Dec 17th
In TV timing is everything…
It’s one of the reasons why Survivor is a smash in the States, while Big Brother is a more minor summer hit. It’s partly why Lost became a phenomenon and other arced mystery series like Flash Forward and The Event, didn’t. And it’s why no network wants to ever come second when it comes to getting their concepts on screen.
Now this Christmas in the UK sees the return of Upstairs Downstairs, the classic 1970′s drama series following the lives of a wealthy London family, and the staff that work for them. A remake has long been promised – but in typical boneheaded BBC fashion the show has taken a long time to return to our screens… which of course has allowed competing network ITV1 to jump in and produce THEIR Upstairs Downstairs-like smash, Downton Abbey. Now the original just feels like sloppy seconds!
I’ve written about Downton Abbey a LOT here at Remote Patrolled – for me it was undoubtedly one of the series of the year – dramatic, clever, addictive and surprising (check out my Richard Recommends for more) And I wasn’t alone in thinking that way – the show has been ITV’s biggest drama smash in More >
DOWNTON ABBEY: COMING TO AMERICA – BARELY!
Nov 11th
Why ITV’s Smash Is Unlikely To Find An American Audience
This last Sunday saw the series finale of Downton Abbey, the Brit TV sensation that came to a dramatic close after a painfully brief 7 episodes.
I’ve posted about Downton here on the site before (see my Richard Recommends for more) and I have to say the show only got better as it continued. So I was thrilled to hear the show had been sold to a US network and would be airing from January 2011. But who snapped up the rights I wondered? BBC America? HBO? AMC?
Nope PBS. How predictable. How depressing. And how sad for the show.
Here’s my problem with PBS. No one watches it. There is pretty much zero chance Downton Abbey will become a pop culture phenomenon airing on the network. PBS generally don’t spend money promoting shows and in all likelihood the series will slip away, unseen and unnoticed. The problem is perception. PBS looks and feels ‘worthy’ and ‘hard work’. It doesn’t feel fun. And Downton is a whole heap of fun…
I already know Downton will be scheduled in the ‘Masterpiece Theater’ slot – lumped alongside stodgy remakes of Dickins and Jane Austen. The audience who love More >
RICHARD RECOMMENDS: DOWNTON ABBEY
Oct 11th
Okay – a bit of an unusual Richard Recommends this time around…
Yep, my latest TV addiction isn’t actually currently showing here in the States. It’s Britain’s new Sunday night period drama Downton Abbey – and seriously guys it’s terrific!
As you all know, I can be quite snobby when it comes to British TV in general (too many soaps in prime time, bad sitcoms, confused network brands) but for me Downton Abbey is EXACTLY the kind of show the UK does terrifically well. It’s classy, smart, beautifully acted – and thanks to the magic of the internet I’ve been able to keep up with every magnificent minute from 5,000 miles away. I suggest you do the same – unless you would rather be stuck watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Exactly.
