# Not wild about Downton Abbey - Am I the only one? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 28, 2012, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wild-about-downton-abbey-am-i-the-only-one/645352 "2012-12-28T04:27:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wild-about-downton-abbey-am-i-the-only-one/645352/21 "2012-12-28T18:20:25Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Is it because the studio scenes are shot on video and the outdoor locations are shot on film? _Fawlty Towers_ has that jarring shock when it does that. I suspect that’s it. And the outdoor camera work isn’t smooth at all. Did the steadi-cam exist in 1975? ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wild-about-downton-abbey-am-i-the-only-one/645352/22 "2012-12-29T20:07:31Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Contrast _Downton_ with _Poldark_, from the 70’s. I’m watching _Poldark_ now. The opening credits are laughably bad. The interiors are obviously stage sets. When you see Ross leave his house, you know nothing happened in that house, that all you’re seeing is an actor in the doorway of an abandoned manor house. The outdoor scenes look washed out and scenes that are supposed to be happening at dawn are obviously happening at mid-day. > > But the story is so well done and so perfectly paced, it’s easy to ignore the way it looks. _Downton_ is just the opposite. I find this sort of thing true of most of the classic British miniseries: The walls of 165 Eaton Place in _Upstairs, Downstairs_ look as flimsy as the stage set they truly are; the handful of sets used for _I, Claudius_ are even more stagey; except for the costumes, the original _Forsyte Saga_ has production values similar to contemporary soap operas in modern dress (and when there’s a very quiet scene, you can hear the stage crew moving around). But they had writers and actors that carried the stories so well that you don’t really notice the sets, or at least don’t care much when you do. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wild-about-downton-abbey-am-i-the-only-one/645352/23 "2012-12-31T07:16:49Z")
I like it because of the historical backdrop. the production values seem high. Everything about it is leagues above any reality show. Good scenery, antique everything. What’s not to like. ---
**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:** [December 31, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wild-about-downton-abbey-am-i-the-only-one/645352/24 "2012-12-31T13:25:41Z")
What’s not to like? The writing. I grew up on British costume dramas presented on Masterpiece Theatre. Yes, production values were sketchy–but we watched those shows on little boxy TV’s, not HD screens. _Parade’s End_ was excellent–intelligent dialog, great performances & sumptuous backgrounds. But it was “too clever” for the usual _Daily Mail_ commenter. Anyway, being based on a series of novels, those 5 hours are all we’ll get. I have a region-free DVD player; the show will appear on HBO next year… ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wild-about-downton-abbey-am-i-the-only-one/645352/25 "2012-12-31T14:50:46Z")
I think the comments by Magiver and Bridget Burke sum this up perfectly. That is, what is your reference point? If you compare it to the all time best TV ever it falls short. If you compare it to the bulk of new content series programming on TV it is much better than the competition. For me, the criteria is if I enjoy that 60 minutes and I do. Popular culture can never be over or under rated. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wild-about-downton-abbey-am-i-the-only-one/645352/26 "2012-12-31T14:53:49Z")
I loved _I, Claudius_, when I saw it back in 1995 or so. Recently, when it was on TV again, I found it too stagey and “teleplay”-ish. It was hard to watch. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wild-about-downton-abbey-am-i-the-only-one/645352/27 "2012-12-31T15:02:53Z")
“What is it, Sebastian? I’m arranging matches.” ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wild-about-downton-abbey-am-i-the-only-one/645352/28 "2012-12-31T15:25:53Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > “What is it, Sebastian? I’m arranging matches.” _snerk_ ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wild-about-downton-abbey-am-i-the-only-one/645352/29 "2012-12-31T16:32:33Z")
Watched the first 2 episodes and gave up. Just didn’t do anything for me. I did like _Upstairs, Downstairs_ back in the day, but couldn’t get into the new version. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wild-about-downton-abbey-am-i-the-only-one/645352/30 "2012-12-31T16:40:26Z")
I’ll admit I wasn’t impressed. It seemed too much of a soap opera to me - villains making plots and such. I prefer my drama to have real people not stereotypes of good and evil - more _The Sopranos_ and less _Dallas_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wild-about-downton-abbey-am-i-the-only-one/645352.md?page=1)