Downton Abbey

For those of us so impressed with ITV's , period drama Downton Abbey that we bought the box set just because we missed the last episode in the first series, the news of the second series' commencement tonight is welcome.

There were many reasons why Julian Fellowes' drama (the first series, anyway) hooked so many.

Despite class divide, servants' stories were as compelling as employers' and were given equal air time.

All human foibles were present, showing that despite the early 1900's setting, we humans never change.

Greed, jealousy, sibling rivalry, sexual desire, ambivalent sexuality, unrequited love, political ambition and secret pasts -to name but a few.





Scathing (and revealing) one-liners from the Dowager Grantham Maggie Smith "What on earth is a weekend?" she enquires in amazement, when a working class character explains that he isn't available until the weekend.








Oceans of vindictiveness from embittered lady's maid O'Brien (played brilliantly by Siobhan Finneran).








Buckets of will-they-or-won't-they sexual tension between Brendan Coyle and Joanne Frogget








Add to the mix, sumptuous Downton itself, costumes to die for, rolling hills and serene filming minus frantic editting or squealing phones. and you know what I will be watching for the next seven weeks.




Any more fans out there?