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We hadn't caught any "Downton Abbey" on TV, but bought this DVD set based on the praise the series had received, and the question everybody was asking after the Christmas Special (included in this set): Is John Bates going to hang? How could I resist a cliffhanger like that?
At the beginning of season 1, it's 1912 and the prospect of WWI looms. But the denizens of Downton Abbey have other things to worry about. Such as meeting the stranger who will inherit the home out from under the family when the Earl leaves this Earthly plane. There are also tensions below stairs, as when John Bates joins the staff as the Earl's valet, but cannot perform all extra duties expected of him due to his war wound.
Spreading over both seasons is Lady Mary's scandal, which starts off hilarious - for the viewer, not for her.
Season 2 starts in 1916. England has been at war for a year and a half. In January, 1916, England began forced conscription. In 1918, the Spanish flu began its course, killing 20 to 50 million people worldwide over the next two years. All of these affect Downton Abbey. But the plot line that takes over at the end involves John Bates and his wife. His odious loathsome wife.
This is a review of the combined two-season set,
Downton Abbey Seasons 1 & 2 Limited Edition Set - Original UK Version
. Sometimes Masterpiece Theater-worthy series can be too drawn out, too much of little happening for a half hour at a time. But "Downton Abbey" is not one of those. Though there is plentiful character exploration, and there's a huge cast of characters to explore, the plotting is so excellently choreographed that we never got bored. As far as writing and dialogue, I thought "Downton Abbey" to be average for Masterpiece Theater. But as far as interesting characters and gripping plot-lines, this series is top of the line.
Everything you've heard about Dame Maggie Smith's character is true. She has many of the best lines in the show. Totally irksome, annoying and maddening. But often the truthsayer, and she sometimes surprises.
This 2-disc set has season 1 on the first disc. The second disc has season 2, the 2011 Christmas Special and the Limited Edition boxed set Special Features.
Special Features:
1. Fashion and Uniforms (17 minutes) This consists of film clips interspersed with interview snippets with the cast and crew. Most of the people are talking on set, with actors usually in their costumes. Commentators include Rosalind Ebbutt (costume designer), Alistair Bruce (historical advisor), Anne 'Nosh' Oldham (hair & makeup designer), Rob James-Collier (plays Thomas), Hugh Bonneville (the Earl), Dan Stevens (Matthew Crawley), Susannah Buxton (costume designer), Penelope Wilton (Isobel), Jessica Brown Findlay (Sybil), Laura Carmichael (Edith), Michelle Dockery (Mary) and Zoe Boyle (Lavinia).
Season 1 takes place in the post-Edwardian era, and the men wear tuxes and the ladies wear lovely beaded gowns over corsets - think Titanic style.
The 2nd season starts in the middle of WWI. Before the war, women in trousers were common only in the fishing industry. This is the beginning of the "panting" of women in all walks of life, though it's unlikely that Lady Violet, Dowager Countess, ever resorted to pants.
Though what is said in this special is interesting, it lacks depth, and with such a popular show, it's too bad BBC didn't have the funds to present something more comprehensive.
2. Romance in the Time of War (16 minutes) The format is the same as special #1, and apparently filmed at the same time. Many of the speakers in #1 also appear in this special, and there's new people: Julian Fellowes (writer and creator), Iain Glen (Richard Carlisle), Thomas Howes (William), Sophie McShera (Daisy), Lesley Nichol (Mrs. Patmore), Joanne Froggatt (Anna), Brendan Coyle (John Bates), and Phyllis Logan (Mrs. Hughes).
It is hard for us to understand, now, how massive a break with the rules it was for Sybil to marry the chauffeur. The reactions seems overblown to us, but this was earthshaking to a family like the Earl's in that time.
Zoe Boyle says that her hair took and hour and a half to set up every day. This is in part because she has an added hairpiece, but, still, it gives me an idea of why the ladies of that set couldn't do without a maid.
3. House to Hospital (13 minutes) Commentators include some also appearing in special features #1 and #2, with the addition of: Donal Woods (production designer), Gareth Neame (executive producer), Jim Carter (plays Mr. Carson), Dame Maggie Smith (Countess Violet) and Elizabeth McGovern (Cora).
Most of the great houses of England were converted to some sort of wartime use. In real life, the families usually moved out of their mansions during their war-time incarnations. The producers needed the Earl's family to stay at home, of course, so they figured turning Downton into an officers' convalescence home would be more believable than if it had turned into a full-blown hospital.
Though Season Two's war scenes are brief, they are in excellent juxtaposition to the trials and tribulations of the people at home. As Elizabeth McGovern says, "You go from these horrific scenes of wartime in the trenches, with men being blown up. Then you cut back to these rather petty domestic battles that are being fought in the home front with every bit the passion and energy and commitment."
4. About VisitBritain (1 minute) This is a video ad, with no narration, for the VisitBritain website.
Happy Reader
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Customer reviews
Limited Edition Set Has 2011 Christmas Special, Not Otherwise Available on DVD!
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2012
We hadn't caught any "Downton Abbey" on TV, but bought this DVD set based on the praise the series had received, and the question everybody was asking after the Christmas Special (included in this set): Is John Bates going to hang? How could I resist a cliffhanger like that?At the beginning of season 1, it's 1912 and the prospect of WWI looms. But the denizens of Downton Abbey have other things to worry about. Such as meeting the stranger who will inherit the home out from under the family when the Earl leaves this Earthly plane. There are also tensions below stairs, as when John Bates joins the staff as the Earl's valet, but cannot perform all extra duties expected of him due to his war wound.Spreading over both seasons is Lady Mary's scandal, which starts off hilarious - for the viewer, not for her.Season 2 starts in 1916. England has been at war for a year and a half. In January, 1916, England began forced conscription. In 1918, the Spanish flu began its course, killing 20 to 50 million people worldwide over the next two years. All of these affect Downton Abbey. But the plot line that takes over at the end involves John Bates and his wife. His odious loathsome wife.This is a review of the combined two-season set, Downton Abbey Seasons 1 & 2 Limited Edition Set - Original UK Version. Sometimes Masterpiece Theater-worthy series can be too drawn out, too much of little happening for a half hour at a time. But "Downton Abbey" is not one of those. Though there is plentiful character exploration, and there's a huge cast of characters to explore, the plotting is so excellently choreographed that we never got bored. As far as writing and dialogue, I thought "Downton Abbey" to be average for Masterpiece Theater. But as far as interesting characters and gripping plot-lines, this series is top of the line.Everything you've heard about Dame Maggie Smith's character is true. She has many of the best lines in the show. Totally irksome, annoying and maddening. But often the truthsayer, and she sometimes surprises.This 2-disc set has season 1 on the first disc. The second disc has season 2, the 2011 Christmas Special and the Limited Edition boxed set Special Features.Special Features:1. Fashion and Uniforms (17 minutes) This consists of film clips interspersed with interview snippets with the cast and crew. Most of the people are talking on set, with actors usually in their costumes. Commentators include Rosalind Ebbutt (costume designer), Alistair Bruce (historical advisor), Anne 'Nosh' Oldham (hair & makeup designer), Rob James-Collier (plays Thomas), Hugh Bonneville (the Earl), Dan Stevens (Matthew Crawley), Susannah Buxton (costume designer), Penelope Wilton (Isobel), Jessica Brown Findlay (Sybil), Laura Carmichael (Edith), Michelle Dockery (Mary) and Zoe Boyle (Lavinia).Season 1 takes place in the post-Edwardian era, and the men wear tuxes and the ladies wear lovely beaded gowns over corsets - think Titanic style.The 2nd season starts in the middle of WWI. Before the war, women in trousers were common only in the fishing industry. This is the beginning of the "panting" of women in all walks of life, though it's unlikely that Lady Violet, Dowager Countess, ever resorted to pants.Though what is said in this special is interesting, it lacks depth, and with such a popular show, it's too bad BBC didn't have the funds to present something more comprehensive.2. Romance in the Time of War (16 minutes) The format is the same as special #1, and apparently filmed at the same time. Many of the speakers in #1 also appear in this special, and there's new people: Julian Fellowes (writer and creator), Iain Glen (Richard Carlisle), Thomas Howes (William), Sophie McShera (Daisy), Lesley Nichol (Mrs. Patmore), Joanne Froggatt (Anna), Brendan Coyle (John Bates), and Phyllis Logan (Mrs. Hughes).It is hard for us to understand, now, how massive a break with the rules it was for Sybil to marry the chauffeur. The reactions seems overblown to us, but this was earthshaking to a family like the Earl's in that time.Zoe Boyle says that her hair took and hour and a half to set up every day. This is in part because she has an added hairpiece, but, still, it gives me an idea of why the ladies of that set couldn't do without a maid.3. House to Hospital (13 minutes) Commentators include some also appearing in special features #1 and #2, with the addition of: Donal Woods (production designer), Gareth Neame (executive producer), Jim Carter (plays Mr. Carson), Dame Maggie Smith (Countess Violet) and Elizabeth McGovern (Cora).Most of the great houses of England were converted to some sort of wartime use. In real life, the families usually moved out of their mansions during their war-time incarnations. The producers needed the Earl's family to stay at home, of course, so they figured turning Downton into an officers' convalescence home would be more believable than if it had turned into a full-blown hospital.Though Season Two's war scenes are brief, they are in excellent juxtaposition to the trials and tribulations of the people at home. As Elizabeth McGovern says, "You go from these horrific scenes of wartime in the trenches, with men being blown up. Then you cut back to these rather petty domestic battles that are being fought in the home front with every bit the passion and energy and commitment."4. About VisitBritain (1 minute) This is a video ad, with no narration, for the VisitBritain website.Happy Reader
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2012
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 31, 2012
At the beginning of season 1, it's 1912 and the prospect of WWI looms. But the denizens of Downton Abbey have other things to worry about. Such as meeting the stranger who will inherit the home out from under the family when the Earl leaves this Earthly plane. There are also tensions below stairs, as when John Bates joins the staff as the Earl's valet, but cannot perform all extra duties expected of him due to his war wound.
Spreading over both seasons is Lady Mary's scandal, which starts off hilarious - for the viewer, not for her.
Season 2 starts in 1916. England has been at war for a year and a half. In January, 1916, England began forced conscription. In 1918, the Spanish flu began its course, killing 20 to 50 million people worldwide over the next two years. All of these affect Downton Abbey. But the plot line that takes over at the end involves John Bates and his wife. His odious loathsome wife.
This is a review of the combined two-season set, [[ASIN:B008FYZIVY Downton Abbey Seasons 1 & 2 Limited Edition Set - Original UK Version]]. Sometimes Masterpiece Theater-worthy series can be too drawn out, too much of little happening for a half hour at a time. But "Downton Abbey" is not one of those. Though there is plentiful character exploration, and there's a huge cast of characters to explore, the plotting is so excellently choreographed that we never got bored. As far as writing and dialogue, I thought "Downton Abbey" to be average for Masterpiece Theater. But as far as interesting characters and gripping plot-lines, this series is top of the line.
Everything you've heard about Dame Maggie Smith's character is true. She has many of the best lines in the show. Totally irksome, annoying and maddening. But often the truthsayer, and she sometimes surprises.
This 2-disc set has season 1 on the first disc. The second disc has season 2, the 2011 Christmas Special and the Limited Edition boxed set Special Features.
Special Features:
1. Fashion and Uniforms (17 minutes) This consists of film clips interspersed with interview snippets with the cast and crew. Most of the people are talking on set, with actors usually in their costumes. Commentators include Rosalind Ebbutt (costume designer), Alistair Bruce (historical advisor), Anne 'Nosh' Oldham (hair & makeup designer), Rob James-Collier (plays Thomas), Hugh Bonneville (the Earl), Dan Stevens (Matthew Crawley), Susannah Buxton (costume designer), Penelope Wilton (Isobel), Jessica Brown Findlay (Sybil), Laura Carmichael (Edith), Michelle Dockery (Mary) and Zoe Boyle (Lavinia).
Season 1 takes place in the post-Edwardian era, and the men wear tuxes and the ladies wear lovely beaded gowns over corsets - think Titanic style.
The 2nd season starts in the middle of WWI. Before the war, women in trousers were common only in the fishing industry. This is the beginning of the "panting" of women in all walks of life, though it's unlikely that Lady Violet, Dowager Countess, ever resorted to pants.
Though what is said in this special is interesting, it lacks depth, and with such a popular show, it's too bad BBC didn't have the funds to present something more comprehensive.
2. Romance in the Time of War (16 minutes) The format is the same as special #1, and apparently filmed at the same time. Many of the speakers in #1 also appear in this special, and there's new people: Julian Fellowes (writer and creator), Iain Glen (Richard Carlisle), Thomas Howes (William), Sophie McShera (Daisy), Lesley Nichol (Mrs. Patmore), Joanne Froggatt (Anna), Brendan Coyle (John Bates), and Phyllis Logan (Mrs. Hughes).
It is hard for us to understand, now, how massive a break with the rules it was for Sybil to marry the chauffeur. The reactions seems overblown to us, but this was earthshaking to a family like the Earl's in that time.
Zoe Boyle says that her hair took and hour and a half to set up every day. This is in part because she has an added hairpiece, but, still, it gives me an idea of why the ladies of that set couldn't do without a maid.
3. House to Hospital (13 minutes) Commentators include some also appearing in special features #1 and #2, with the addition of: Donal Woods (production designer), Gareth Neame (executive producer), Jim Carter (plays Mr. Carson), Dame Maggie Smith (Countess Violet) and Elizabeth McGovern (Cora).
Most of the great houses of England were converted to some sort of wartime use. In real life, the families usually moved out of their mansions during their war-time incarnations. The producers needed the Earl's family to stay at home, of course, so they figured turning Downton into an officers' convalescence home would be more believable than if it had turned into a full-blown hospital.
Though Season Two's war scenes are brief, they are in excellent juxtaposition to the trials and tribulations of the people at home. As Elizabeth McGovern says, "You go from these horrific scenes of wartime in the trenches, with men being blown up. Then you cut back to these rather petty domestic battles that are being fought in the home front with every bit the passion and energy and commitment."
4. About VisitBritain (1 minute) This is a video ad, with no narration, for the VisitBritain website.
Happy Reader
Limited Edition Set Has 2011 Christmas Special, Not Otherwise Available on DVD!
By Happy Reader on December 30, 2012
We hadn't caught any "Downton Abbey" on TV, but bought this DVD set based on the praise the series had received, and the question everybody was asking after the Christmas Special (included in this set): Is John Bates going to hang? How could I resist a cliffhanger like that?By Happy Reader on December 30, 2012
At the beginning of season 1, it's 1912 and the prospect of WWI looms. But the denizens of Downton Abbey have other things to worry about. Such as meeting the stranger who will inherit the home out from under the family when the Earl leaves this Earthly plane. There are also tensions below stairs, as when John Bates joins the staff as the Earl's valet, but cannot perform all extra duties expected of him due to his war wound.
Spreading over both seasons is Lady Mary's scandal, which starts off hilarious - for the viewer, not for her.
Season 2 starts in 1916. England has been at war for a year and a half. In January, 1916, England began forced conscription. In 1918, the Spanish flu began its course, killing 20 to 50 million people worldwide over the next two years. All of these affect Downton Abbey. But the plot line that takes over at the end involves John Bates and his wife. His odious loathsome wife.
This is a review of the combined two-season set, [[ASIN:B008FYZIVY Downton Abbey Seasons 1 & 2 Limited Edition Set - Original UK Version]]. Sometimes Masterpiece Theater-worthy series can be too drawn out, too much of little happening for a half hour at a time. But "Downton Abbey" is not one of those. Though there is plentiful character exploration, and there's a huge cast of characters to explore, the plotting is so excellently choreographed that we never got bored. As far as writing and dialogue, I thought "Downton Abbey" to be average for Masterpiece Theater. But as far as interesting characters and gripping plot-lines, this series is top of the line.
Everything you've heard about Dame Maggie Smith's character is true. She has many of the best lines in the show. Totally irksome, annoying and maddening. But often the truthsayer, and she sometimes surprises.
This 2-disc set has season 1 on the first disc. The second disc has season 2, the 2011 Christmas Special and the Limited Edition boxed set Special Features.
Special Features:
1. Fashion and Uniforms (17 minutes) This consists of film clips interspersed with interview snippets with the cast and crew. Most of the people are talking on set, with actors usually in their costumes. Commentators include Rosalind Ebbutt (costume designer), Alistair Bruce (historical advisor), Anne 'Nosh' Oldham (hair & makeup designer), Rob James-Collier (plays Thomas), Hugh Bonneville (the Earl), Dan Stevens (Matthew Crawley), Susannah Buxton (costume designer), Penelope Wilton (Isobel), Jessica Brown Findlay (Sybil), Laura Carmichael (Edith), Michelle Dockery (Mary) and Zoe Boyle (Lavinia).
Season 1 takes place in the post-Edwardian era, and the men wear tuxes and the ladies wear lovely beaded gowns over corsets - think Titanic style.
The 2nd season starts in the middle of WWI. Before the war, women in trousers were common only in the fishing industry. This is the beginning of the "panting" of women in all walks of life, though it's unlikely that Lady Violet, Dowager Countess, ever resorted to pants.
Though what is said in this special is interesting, it lacks depth, and with such a popular show, it's too bad BBC didn't have the funds to present something more comprehensive.
2. Romance in the Time of War (16 minutes) The format is the same as special #1, and apparently filmed at the same time. Many of the speakers in #1 also appear in this special, and there's new people: Julian Fellowes (writer and creator), Iain Glen (Richard Carlisle), Thomas Howes (William), Sophie McShera (Daisy), Lesley Nichol (Mrs. Patmore), Joanne Froggatt (Anna), Brendan Coyle (John Bates), and Phyllis Logan (Mrs. Hughes).
It is hard for us to understand, now, how massive a break with the rules it was for Sybil to marry the chauffeur. The reactions seems overblown to us, but this was earthshaking to a family like the Earl's in that time.
Zoe Boyle says that her hair took and hour and a half to set up every day. This is in part because she has an added hairpiece, but, still, it gives me an idea of why the ladies of that set couldn't do without a maid.
3. House to Hospital (13 minutes) Commentators include some also appearing in special features #1 and #2, with the addition of: Donal Woods (production designer), Gareth Neame (executive producer), Jim Carter (plays Mr. Carson), Dame Maggie Smith (Countess Violet) and Elizabeth McGovern (Cora).
Most of the great houses of England were converted to some sort of wartime use. In real life, the families usually moved out of their mansions during their war-time incarnations. The producers needed the Earl's family to stay at home, of course, so they figured turning Downton into an officers' convalescence home would be more believable than if it had turned into a full-blown hospital.
Though Season Two's war scenes are brief, they are in excellent juxtaposition to the trials and tribulations of the people at home. As Elizabeth McGovern says, "You go from these horrific scenes of wartime in the trenches, with men being blown up. Then you cut back to these rather petty domestic battles that are being fought in the home front with every bit the passion and energy and commitment."
4. About VisitBritain (1 minute) This is a video ad, with no narration, for the VisitBritain website.
Happy Reader
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 26, 2012
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