We wrote a couple of weeks ago about the wildly popular BBC-produced British t.v. series, "Downton Abbey", which was quickly snapped up by PBS for broadcast in America. The show made headlines when a PBS executive stated that the show would have to be edited for American audiences who might find the drama too complicated.
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(rob james-collier as "thomas")
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Well, "Downton Abbey" premiered last night, and we can now see why the show was so popular in England. It starts as a slow, stuffy, pre-World War I drama, but the behind-the-scenes backstabbing and scheming quickly turns it into a high class, soap opera pot-boiler. It is so very good!
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And what self-respecting British costume drama would be without a devious gay somewhere in the mix? "Downton Abbey" doesn't disappoint; they give us "Thomas" the gay, jealous footman played by the very handsome Rob James-Collier. The bedroom scene last night between Thomas and The Duke was absolutely delicious.
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Most of the stars of the show are lesser known British actors, but most Americans will recognize Elizabeth McGovern, ("Ordinary People", "Ragtime"), and the scene-stealing Maggie Smith. Smith's hilarious line concerning a "weekend" was worth the price of admission alone.
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"Downton Abbey" is incredibly entertaining, and at the end of last night's ninety minutes, we couldn't wait to see more. It really is that good. If you missed last night's show, you can watch the episode on the PBS website; you'll want to catch up on the story before next Sunday's night's episode.
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