# Ab Fab and Downton Abbey return tonight **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 8, 2012, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ab-fab-and-downton-abbey-return-tonight/608857 "2012-01-08T22:24:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ab-fab-and-downton-abbey-return-tonight/608857/21 "2012-01-10T17:32:10Z")
The new AbFab was a lot better than the last revival of the series. (2003 was it?) ---
**Author:** ![PrettyVacant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/49beb7/32.png) [@PrettyVacant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PrettyVacant)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ab-fab-and-downton-abbey-return-tonight/608857/22 "2012-01-10T19:21:24Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > and _Downton Abbey_ a little soapier and sillier than I’d remembered. You’ll be able to whitewash the apartment block before S2 finishes… it’s a little… rushed. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ab-fab-and-downton-abbey-return-tonight/608857/23 "2012-01-10T19:39:42Z")
Never heard of Downton Abbey until now. As for AbFab I was kind of disappointed. I thought the cramming in of cultural references was stupid. Blogging, twitter, the Kardashians. Although I was surprised that they’re that well known on the other side of the pond. And a quick question. Even though I have a DVR I didn’t have a chance to rewind, so I missed how long Saffron was locked up for. How long was it? And holy crap, I just looked it up and Julia Sawalha (Saffron) is 43 :eek:. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ab-fab-and-downton-abbey-return-tonight/608857/24 "2012-01-10T20:51:27Z")
2 years. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ab-fab-and-downton-abbey-return-tonight/608857/25 "2012-01-10T20:52:07Z")
Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ab-fab-and-downton-abbey-return-tonight/608857/26 "2012-01-10T21:08:36Z")
Yeah, AbFab was better than I thought it would be, but not utterly brilliant. Question: what was the “pension office” part about? Is it like Social Security in the U.S.? ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ab-fab-and-downton-abbey-return-tonight/608857/27 "2012-01-10T22:15:02Z")
And June Whitfield is 86. She looked great for her age. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ab-fab-and-downton-abbey-return-tonight/608857/28 "2012-01-10T22:16:09Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > And June Whitfield is 86. She looked great for her age. They all do. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ab-fab-and-downton-abbey-return-tonight/608857/29 "2012-01-10T22:18:12Z")
That bit about the royal wedding from Bubbles was well worth the price of viewing. I love Downton Abbey. Great acting, fabulous writing. The only cast member I don’t like Elizabeth McGovern. She falls flat. The other problem with the casting is that I keep thinking Maggie Smith should castigating Harry Potter not Cousin Isobel. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ab-fab-and-downton-abbey-return-tonight/608857/30 "2012-01-11T02:02:00Z")
My husband and I have already done Series 2 of Downton Abbey (a bit over-the-top, I thought, but he loved it) and the Christmas Special. So we’re bereft of British period dramas, and have watched enough Jane Austen adaptations. We’ve moved on to Lark Rise to Candleford in the meantime! ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ab-fab-and-downton-abbey-return-tonight/608857/31 "2012-01-11T13:59:09Z")
> [@Savannah](#): > > My husband and I have already done Series 2 of Downton Abbey (a bit over-the-top, I thought, but he loved it) and the Christmas Special. _A Downton Abbey Christmas?!_ Do they have special guest stars, like the Osmonds and Charo and the dazzling Del Rubio Triplets? ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ab-fab-and-downton-abbey-return-tonight/608857/32 "2012-01-11T14:38:52Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > _A Downton Abbey Christmas?!_ Do they have special guest stars, like the Osmonds and Charo and the dazzling Del Rubio Triplets? Alas, I’ve heard not. But I did NetflixStream _Gosford Park_ recently–in which we have guest performances by [Ivor Novello](http://www.ivornovello.com/)–actually by Jeremy Northam. I caught _Downton_ & will soldier through. But I loved the new _AbFab_ & hope for more! ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ab-fab-and-downton-abbey-return-tonight/608857/33 "2012-01-11T14:44:03Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Alas, I’ve heard not. What a shame, I would enjoy that. Lady Violet: “That appears to be the doorbell. Carson, do see who it is.” Carson: “It’s Andy Williams and Claudine Longet, ma’am. And they have brought the Lennon Sisters with them.” ---
**Author:** ![PrettyVacant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/49beb7/32.png) [@PrettyVacant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PrettyVacant)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ab-fab-and-downton-abbey-return-tonight/608857/34 "2012-01-11T16:36:04Z")
I don’t think Fellowes needs too much encouragement in that direction, he strains to keep his camp sensibility in check as it is. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ab-fab-and-downton-abbey-return-tonight/608857/35 "2012-01-12T03:10:35Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Since the title of my thread was that the shows were airing last Sunday evening, then yes. 😉 Downton Abbey is on PBS and Ab Fab is on BBC America. > > The Downton Abbey season that started Sunday was season two, so yes again. Season one aired last year. I assumed they’d air in the UK _first_ so I figured that you lived in Britain! (assumed ‘Portlandia’ isn’t real…) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ab-fab-and-downton-abbey-return-tonight/608857/36 "2012-01-12T03:23:03Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > I assumed they’d air in the UK _first_ so I figured that you lived in Britain! (assumed ‘Portlandia’ isn’t real…) Oh, it’s real alright. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ab-fab-and-downton-abbey-return-tonight/608857/37 "2012-01-12T03:26:12Z")
> [@LavenderBlue](#): > > That bit about the royal wedding from Bubbles was well worth the price of viewing. > > I love Downton Abbey. Great acting, fabulous writing. The only cast member I don’t like Elizabeth McGovern. She falls flat. The other problem with the casting is that I keep thinking Maggie Smith should castigating Harry Potter not Cousin Isobel. McGovern’s accent was criticized upthread, but I’m pretty sure she is supposed to be a wealthy American who her husband married partly in order to save the property. Any British-sounding words she used would be the result of living in England for many years. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ab-fab-and-downton-abbey-return-tonight/608857.md?page=1)