“This is Thomas, the evil footman…”
Before I watch Uptown Downstairs Abbey links, can anyone reassure me they won’t spoil anything for Season 2? I’m watching on PBS, so only 2 episodes in so far.
The parody is of Season 1.
It wasn’t/isn’t uncommon for whole wings in big houses to be unused for a variety of reasons. Often those wings are in bad repair (I think Downton is suppose to date back to the dissolution of the monastic houses), need to be wired or rewired for gas or electricity, or closed off just to save money or time (cost of heating or time spent cleaning them).
The “real” Downton Abbey is Highclere Castle. There have been dwellings there for 1300 years but the main building is mostly a Victorian reconstruction. It actually became a hospital during WWI.
If parts of Downton were in poor repair, we probably would know. I’ll bet Cora’s money went into modernization…
They’re all aired. Last year. I saw 'em on my televisual box.
Highclere was featured on a recent show on cable- I think on the Travel Channel but I can’t swear to it. What I thought was amazing from the info on that was that its owner, the Earl of Carnarvon own about 6,000 acres surrounding the castle, much of it in developed real estate and rental housing, and their rents and revenues from it come to well over $1 million U.S. per month, but every penny is eaten by taxes and upkeep of the mansion. Their main source of income for their own personal use is from tours of the house, which is why the TV show was a godsend: in addition to the money they get from the production company it’s become one of the most popular tourist attractions in England.
The Countess of Carnarvon did say she goes nuts when they’re filming because the production crew doesn’t always treat her antiques with delicacy or respect, basically moving up a 300 year old chair and writing table the same way they’d pick up a chair and writing table from Ikea.
yay, thanks!
I’m sure I read the production uses the same 4 rooms or so, plus a reception hall/ and stairs. Maybe it seems more from the variety of angles.
On the parody, does anybody recognize the housekeeper arriving as Mrs. Danvers (Joanna Lumley) leaves? I’m wondering if she’s a cameo.
The website for BBC/PBS’s reality show Manor House is extremely helpful in understanding the mechanics of running a great house; the virtual tour, though not of Highclere/Downton, shows you the servant’s rooms (small but surprisingly well appointed) as well as the famous silver staircase at that house, Manderston. Among other things it tells what the duties of a second footman or housemaid (vs. a first footman or butler or housekeeper or scullery maid) are; the person who seems to have the worst job would be the hallboy:
This is all before 7:45 a.m., mind, and his daily duties go until 9:00 p.m.. Though he couldn’t complain too much as he was paid £16(approximately $1462 in 21st century USD) per year for the job (plus bed and board of course).
I also loved this:
I think we should bring this custom back.
All housemaids should be Maria or Consuelo. Anybody who works on your lawn should be Bobby if pre-puberty, Bob if puberty to middle aged, Robert if middle aged to elderly, and Mr. Robert if you cannot fathom his age without carbon dating, unless he does your topiary in which case he should be addressed as Mr. Miyagi regardless of gender or ethnicity.
Similarly, all waitresses in restaurants with average entree price under $9.99 should be Sugar, waitresses for places with entrees priced $10-$34.99 should be Connie, and in places where entrees start at $35 or higher should be Olivia. All waiters may be addressed as Kevin or Ricky.
Street prostitutes should be Vickie, hotel escorts are Vivien, and mistresses should be Mrs. Danson-Bowler regardless of age or marital status. Likewise, personal assistants should be addressed as either Susie (by the employer others) or Mrs. Rutherford (by employer and others), regardless of age, marital status, or gender.
Not in the United States, but I’m guessing you know that.
<Laughed so hard I almost peed.>
Not really. Though now you mention it, I do remember that being mentioned in another thread.
Know of her, never seen her.
Why would Bates so willingly return to service? Surely he could make a better living working in the pub?
And why do O’Brien and Thomas so dislike Bates in the first place?
Why do you think he could make a better living in a pub, necessarily? He’s just an employee and surely Grantham can afford to pay him more than the landlord could.
Being a valet to an Earl would be a pretty choice position for a working man. And there would’ve perks, like the best clothing and certain amenities afforded by living in a great house.
Thomas first started hating Bates because he got the job of valet, which Thomas wanted. Also, he was the one who discovered Thomas’s pilfering.
Also Bates would be closer to Anna and able to see her on a daily basis (including eating with her). And regarding the pay; historically one of the major perks about working in a great house was that your room & board were taken care of. It might not seem like much today, but you got 3 proper meals a day, a roof over your head, a proper bed (to yourself, unless you were a junior maid), clean clothes, etc.
Many great houses provided cottages or special quarters for married servants. It worked out well for both parties as it tied the servants closer to the manor.
I didn’t realize until Gosford Park (also by Julian Fellowes, of course) that it was customary for guests to tip the butler. Does anybody know if lower servants received tips as well?
As much as it galls me to side with very rich people, I feel the Granthams are being far more than obliging towards the convalescent home and didn’t blame the Countess a whit for her “pray let not the door hit your ass as you depart” attitude towards Mrs. Crawley. And since the house is completely private property I would have said “No”, or if asked for elaboration “Hell no”, to Thomas being there in the first place but once there I’d have banned him from the servant’s quarters or any place else other than the convalescent wards themselves.
On the PBS site for Manor House it states:
I hope they don’t plan to follow Ethel from the manor house to the whorehouse.
I happened to catch a few minutes of this the other evening. I thought I recognized one of the actors. I said to myself "I’d swear I’ve seen that guy before. Deja vu."Yep, he played Deja Vu in Top Secret.
Is it being aired by episode in the US or is it like last time, with two episodes being aired everytime?