As you’re finally getting settled into the routine of a new semester, you’re probably noticing that things are already getting pretty busy. With new classes and a new schedule to get used to, and maybe a few new resolutions to go to the Plex more often – not to mention fitting in time to see your friends – it can often seem like you have little time for anything else. But if one thing is true, it’s that you could really use some downtime. Instead of tuning into yet another Real Housewives marathon this weekend, do yourself a favor and check out television’s latest hit, Downton Abbey.
Set in rural England during the early 1910s, the show chronicles the upstairs-downstairs dynamic of a traditional English manor and family. Upstairs, the Lord and Lady Grantham, their three daughters, and their granny, the Dowager countess (played by the ever-amusing Maggie Smith) go about their day-to-day business with aristocratic aplomb and propriety, while the servants downstairs provide an unending supply of intrigue and drama. In the first season, much of the airtime is dedicated to the dilemma of finding a male heir to the Grantham estate, and the love life of Mary, the eldest daughter, who serves as the cause of many a scandal at Downton. Now in its second season in the US, the show is a testament to the fact that great acting can indeed be found on television – a particular Season 2 episode had this writer in tears within the first two minutes, and completely smitten with a certain male character within the next fifteen.
With everything from tragic romances to gut-wrenching World War I scenes, to a steady supply of English eye candy, Downton Abbey is a must-see. The first season is available online on Netflix Instantplay, and you can catch the most recent Season 2 episodes on the PBS website. It airs Sunday nights at 9 pm on PBS. Take our word for it: it won’t take more than five minutes for you to be hooked!
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