Big budget Upstairs Downstairs As Julian Fellowes admitted, this is a blatant rip off of the old classic, Upstairs Downstairs, but with a massive budget thrown at it.
Maggie Smith excels at the Lady Bracknell-esque Dowager, and has the most acerbic and humorous lines in the show. Her liberal counterpart, Mrs Crawley, is played equally as well by Penelope Wilton.
But WHO? cast the part of Lady Mary? Oh Lord. Michelle Dockery has as much acting ability as a cabbage. I can't forget her line, "Heavens, you startled me", delivered with as much feeling as a plank of wood 😑. An obnoxious character who could have really been acted with great aplomb by someone more talented. Indeed, all the Grantham women (except Dame Maggie) were dead as doornails. I've never seen a person "simper", but Elizabeth McGovern managed it in every scene.
Downstairs, the actors cannot be faulted. Each one was perfectly cast and all played their parts superbly - notably, Joanne Froggatt, Rob James-Collier, Phillis Logan, Brendan Coyle, Kevin Doyle and Jim Carter. Utter brilliance from all of the servants.
Storylines: why was Lord Grantham's dalliance with Jane cut so short? And Lady G with Richard E. Grant? More could have been made of these and the interactions seemed inconsequential and gratuitous after they were ended so anticlimactically.
Downstairs storylines very good -although more could have been made of Thomas's attempt "to be like normal men" rather than him just having a sore on his bum and a pallid complexion.
The trials faced by the Bates were well plotted and spun out.
Overall, this show could have been improved by better "Upstairs" cast and less dangling plots, but it has been a pleasant distraction. I certainly would never have subscribed to the "Downton Fever" which gripped the UK when it was first shown.