Product Description

Downton Abbey -- a sprawling, lavish Edwardian mansion nestled in the Yorkshire landscape -- needs an heir. Dame Maggy Smith stars as Violet, the stubborn Dowager Countess of Grantham matriarch of Downton. Hugh Bonneville stars as her son, the stoic, unflapple Lord Crawley. Elizabeth McGovern is his far-sighted American wife, Cora. From Academy Award-winner Julian Fellowes. This is the original un-edited UK version of the program.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16 in DVD
• Released on: 2011-01-11
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Formats: Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Running time: 368 minutes

Amazon.com
An addictive blend of suds and social commentary, ITV's Downton Abbey brings a microcosm of Edwardian society together under one roof. Lord Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville) and his family live a life of leisure, while a fleet of servants, including butler Carson (Jim Carter), attend to their every need, but two events conspire to shake things up: the sinking of the Titanic, which claims Crawley's heirs, and the return of his valet, Bates (Brendan Coyle). Since Crawley and Lady Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) have three daughters, his distant solicitor cousin, Matthew (Dan Stevens), becomes heir to the estate. With that, the scheming begins, since Thomas the footman (Rob James-Collier) views Bates as an interloper and Crawley's mother, Violet (Maggie Smith), feels the same way about Matthew's mother, Isobel (Penelope Wilton).

In the tradition of the BBC's Upstairs Downstairs and Robert Altman's Gosford Park, for which writer-creator Julian Fellowes received an Academy Award, the royals, servants, and middle-class relations struggle to get along. Sniffs uptight maid Miss O'Brien (Siobhan Finneran), "Gentlemen don't work," but that doesn't stop Mary (Michelle Dockery) and Edith Crawley (Laura Carmichael) from competing for Matthew's affections. Though it takes awhile to warm up to the tightest-wound characters, most everyone reveals their more vulnerable side before the first season comes to an end, and a new small-screen classic is born.

The entire sprawling cast is quite wonderful, particularly Bonneville, Carter, and James-Collier, who provide a fascinating study in contrasts (the latter is downright dastardly). Unlike the version that aired on PBS's Masterpiece Classic, this set offers seven parts rather than four. Extras include a featurette, in which cast and crew discuss the production, and an introduction to Hampshire's Highclere Castle, which doubles for Downton Abbey. The first season was a phenomenon in the United Kingdom, and Fellowes has promised a second season set during World War I. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Review
Crisp yet juicy, emotional yet subtle, serene yet funny. --Entertainment Weekly

Review
Viewers will be hard-pressed to find a more sumptuous, engaging drama than the Masterpiece Classic miniseries Downton Abbey. --Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable, if a tad flawed, Edwardian series
Julian Fellowes has mined his script for Gosford Park, and took a few cues from the beloved 1970s series Upstairs, Downstairs - Collector's Edition Megaset (The Complete Series plus Thomas and Sarah), to create Downton Abbey, a stunning and colorful drama set around the aristocratic Crawley family and the staff which serves them. Set between 1912 and 1914, Downton Abbey chronicles the conflict of class, gender, and politics, and serves it up with a refreshing dollop of sizzle and scandal. Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, and Dame Maggie Smith (as Robert, Earl of Grantham, Cora, Countess of Grantham, and Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham, respectively) are knock outs, but the rest of the cast are no slouches either, with the stunning Michelle Dockery at the forefront as Lady Mary Crawley, who is the selfish, proud, and vindictive eldest daughter you can't help but like. The actors and the stunning interiors of Highclere Castle, home to the Earls of Carnarvon, give Downton Abbey a glossy, sophisticated sheen, even when the script's twists and turns can be a bit of a let-down. Nevertheless, the drama is engrossing and invigorating, and a worthy addition to the collection of any period drama aficionado--and anyone who likes good drama, period!

Interesting Series!
ALERT: Possible Spoilers! But I'll try not to give away that much . . .

I found about this series after watching the final episode of Sherlock on PBS. I'm a huge fan of period dramas and after seeing the trailer for Downton Abbey, I knew I had to give it try.

Downton Abbey opens in 1912, following the sinking of the Titanic on which the heir of Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham's estate, dies. This leaves the family in a bit of a tizzy trying to figure out who would be next to inherit the estate since the Crawleys have three daughters who aren't entitled to the entailment. Enter Matthew Crawley (the gorgeous Dan Stevens a.k.a "Edward Ferrars" from the 2008 Sense and Sensibility--whistle, whistle) as next in line and of course, not everyone is thrilled with the idea.

Meanwhile, we have the privledge of witnessing the bitter but incredibly fascinating sibling rivalry of the two eldest of the Earl's daughters, Mary and Edith. Mary was engaged to the original heir of Downton Abbey but it was Edith who truly loved him. As if that wasn't enough, the oldest, Mary, is seemingly the favorite of the girls' mother who's almost sole occupation is to marry her off (especially now that the entailment has gone to a "stranger" and her father will not fight it). Edith, on the other hand, is constantly overlooked and according to her mother, Cora, will more than likely be the one to take care of her and the Earl in their old age. The Earl's youngest daughter, Sybil, however, is the personification of quiet strength. Super sweet but definitely not a push over, she is a firm advocate for Women's Rights and doesn't have any qualms about expressing her opinion, even if it means getting in trouble with her father.

Downstairs, we have the arrival of the mysterious Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle, Robert Timmens of Lark Rise to Candleford--whistle, whistle again!!) who develops feelings for head housemaid, Anna and vice versa but their station (and his secrets) make their romance a bit difficult. Put off by Bates' arrival and the idea of the "lower station" of footman is the uber-villianous Thomas (I guarantee, you will hate this guy!). Aided by the equally nasty Miss O'Brien, they plot to get rid of Mr. Bates at almost all costs.

Of course, there are tons of subplots: Matthew's determination not to be changed by the inhabitants of Downton, the butler's "shameful" past, a maid's dissatisfaction of working in service and hopes for better employment, secret (and some not so secret) crushes, and lots more.

Interspersed throughout the series are a number of memorable characters. Most notably, the fabulous Maggie Smith, who lends a lot of sass (and some hilarious one-liners) to this series as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham (the Earl's mother). We also have Jim Carter (Captain Brown from Cranford) as Carson, the loyal butler of the Crawley family and Penelope Wilton (Mrs. Hamley from Wives and Daughters) as Isobel Crawley, the mother of new heir Matthew and recurring sparing partner of Violet.

This season of the series ends at the Crawleys' garden party at which the Earl informs his guests that they are at war with Germany. Up to that point, a scandalous secret about Lady Mary is leaked that virtually ruins her reputation and she plots revenge on its revealer. A new "development" arises that may alter Matthew's chances for gaining the Earl's estate. Matthew, who himself finds a sparing partner in Mary, inevitably falls in love with her. She says that her feelings are mutual but he is unsure whether she wants him for himself or because of his prospect has heir to her father's estate.

I found this to be a thoroughly entertaining series. Can't wait for Season 2.

Be Alert....varying editions..
There appears to be two (2) editions of Downton Abbey....in watching the past 3 episodes as presented on my PBS station, I have become increasingly aware that the editing was very "jumpy"....short short sequences to a meaningful story line.....then, I discovered that there is an edition, UK edition, that is full length....meaning there are 7 episodes in total....the edition being shown on my local PBS station, is all of 4 episodes....and the shifty scenes that I am observing on the Sunday night presentation have been edited for USA viewers.
To me, this is ruinous to a finely produced English landscape, pre-world war I.

Just be more alert to this. I am not aware of any information from my PBS station to this effect, that I am indeed viewing a condensed version of Downton Abbey....

I have just purchased DVD, UK edition of Downton Abbey to view in my home....this should be a more in-depth story, without the shifting of scenes that add up to being difficult to the entire story line.