The last time we left the Dowtown Abbey Thomas the footman did everyone a favour and resigned, the Crawley parents discovered the miscarried baby was a boy therefore lost an heir, Anna and Bates became the new Harry and Ruth of British television, Edith nearly sold out her sister Mary over her tryst with the late Kamal Parmuk, while Mary being Mary listened to her stupid aunt to hold off marrying Matthew, and Matthew told her off about waffling on her decision to marry him.
The above paragraph does not do justice to what happens in season(‘series’ to the Brits) one of the popular show.
I realized the different between the serials my mom watches and the ones I watch, usually comes down to English country sides and people who look like people not what plastic surgeons want to create. Add Dame Maggie Smith and the whole thing transfigures into can’t miss television. Plus this comes from ITV showing the Beeb doesn’t have a monopoly on period drama.
People called the show derivative, while some have called Julian Followes (Gosford Park) an outright plagiarizer. I lean more towards the former. Let’s face it people adopt bits from this, that, and every other place. How many movies borrowed from Shakespeare? In fact how many movies borrowed from Austen’s work? (Two off the top of my head: Clueless and Bridget Jones’ Diary. ) I admit the scene in season 1 of Matthew proposing to Mary after rescuing her sister Sybill from a riot felt like a page torn from the John Thorton playbook. Those who watched Elizabeth’s Gaskell’s North and South know how well that went.
It doesn’t make it any less addictive to watch.
Do I agree with snobby elitism? Yearn to be a servant in a grant house? Want to wear Edwardian fashion? (I think Lady Mary wore a pair of shoes that look like my Clark Artisans.) Yes, the show is historically inaccurate in places regarding speech and manners. It’s.a.show. It’s a show not a documentary. If the series inspires people to go to the library and read about the period, Julian Fellowes has done something History teachers can only dream about–make a period come alive.
Unpaused Life 
Hey Fatima,
Love the new blog site it looks a hundred percent better. Glad to know you are still working hard on this, good luck making future contacts as well. How your story coming along about the race, that was awesome in class. Anyways don’t bad mouth yourself on your blog I always thought you were cool, there’s nothing wrong with you! So quit bitching,If you were an idiot I’m sure I would have told you by now! I’m not good at keeping shit to myself.
Taking a new class at u of w in screenwriting it’s awesome, funny classmates, too cool.!Already writing a script adaptation of the chorus girl by Anton Chekhov hope it turns out. Liked the You tube videos on your site anything fun always brings people but what do I know I have never blogged! Good luck with your writing and finding a new man.
My girlfriend and I were waiting at the airport, her moms flight was delayed and we went to the Stella’s at the airport for something to eat. While we waited there was I guy there looking like he was up all night so I started talking to him, turns out he was a slam poet in town from Vancouver. He was waiting in the airport because his greyhound bus was delayed. I remembered what Chandra had told us they give poets a per Diem, to live on, but it is so little you have money for either food or shelter not both. So I kept thinking to myself I want to give this dude $20 I know he is poor. When he is about to leave, he hands me a copy of his poetry book, signed telling me good luck with my writing courier. So I gave him twenty bucks turns out this Guys name is Johnny MacRae you have no Idea how rare it is to see that name spelled the same way as mine, (fuck I’m probably related to the guy, but I wouldn’t know it I know hardly any of that side of the family). Anyways keep talking to people about your writing you never guess who you’ll meet.
Stay cool homey,
Matt MacRae(from creative writing)
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