Yeah, you're right. It's been 30-something years since I saw that, and probably not all of the episodes then. My wife and I were watching it a few years ago but only got through the first series when Netflix dropped it. What a great show that was, though.
Yes, it was. Fun Fact: The actress who played Rose was at one time married to Jon Pertwee (the Third Doctor).
It's a compelling, classy, soap opera. I think the first season is probably the best because there's a season-long plot point ("the entail") that carries through and ties everything together. The overarching plots in subsequent seasons aren't as strong, imho.
Oh yes Jean Marsh, she showed up on US TV a fair bit, too. Including The Twilight Zone. "Corry, Corry, Corry, Corry..."
It's addictive. I've seen the entire series twice, and the first four seasons twice more (that's all Netflix Canada had at the time). There are heroines to cheer, villains to boo and hiss at, and a mild-mannered, pleasant dog named Isis. And Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess Violet is my favorite character.
The teaser trailer dropped this morning. It doesn't tell one anything, most of it could be stock footage from the series, but it's still lovely, and it's a sweet touch that the cast list is given in character rather than actor.
To be honest I never tend to read reviews for films, I like to make my own mind up. I actually don't think there are that many films I've gone to see in the cinema that I haven't liked. I'll definitely be going to see the film when it comes out. And give it a go. I didn't like the way Mary treated Edith either and a lot of the time Mary did annoy me, but I don't think I've really disliked her, I've definitely never hated her. And I think she and Edith had started to patch things up a bit. I'm still not happy that Sybil died.
Did we really need any more Downton Abbey at all after Matthew died at the end of Season 3? Probably not but I still watched it. And I'll definitely be there for the movie! Probably not for a midnight showing, as that would be far too late for my mother, who most certainly would need to come with me to see it. (There are hardly any TV shows that we can watch together and Downton Abbey is the ONLY one in the last 20 years.) Is there a place where I can get a #TeamEdith t-shirt? People need to know where I stand when I go to see the movie! Although, honestly, I'm kinda over most of the upstairs people. I'll mostly be watching for the holy trinity of Mr. Carson, Mrs. Hughes, & Mrs. Patmore. There's also the delightful awkwardness of Mr. Molesley. And my secret crush on Daisy! (Did I say that out loud? Dammit!) My pitch for a follow-up: I think they should do a prequel TV series about Violet when she was a young woman. I think it would be interesting to see how someone grows up into being such a tart-tongued wit with just enough heart underneath.
I've mentioned this before, but there's a crossover story posted on fanfiction.net that combines Downton Abbey and Firefly. For some reason, I'm reminded of her line when some young man is trying to flirt with her: "I'm never excited." (paraphrase; might be "I never get excited.") When I started watching this show, I never expected that Violet would turn out to be my favorite character. Of course such a series would have to include her affair with the Russian man (don't recall his name).
That sounds... delightfully bonkers. One Saturday afternoon years ago I toyed around with a Downton Abbey meets Peter Wimsey (of Dorothy Sayers fame) story. And then never touched it again. The basic idea: Between late seasons 5 and early season 6, Robert discovers a prized book from his collection is missing. Edith, due to her society connections in London, telegrams Lord Peter Wimsey and invites him up to York to investigate. Had I continued with it, Edith and Peter would have had a flirty relationship, Mary would have expressed some interest in Peter and been rebuffed, and Peter would have concluded that Marigold was more than just Edith's "ward." And Peter and his butler Bunter, as World War I veterans themselves, probably would have had a scene with Thomas.
A crossover with Doctor Who seems obvious. Wouldn't it shock Violet if her frenemy Isobel turned out to be Harriet Jones, lost in time and had to make her way in the world by marrying into the Crawley family, and the Tenth Doctor finally shows up to bring her back to her own time? Of course Violet would have many opinions about the TARDIS and Harriet/Isobel's original time.
I think there's a lot of stuff hinted at or mentioned offhand that could make it's way into a Violet spinoff. She mentioned her father a few times and left me curious as to what kind of man he was. Or then there was that one time when Matthew was apologizing for breaking a vase and Violet replied, "Don't be. I received it as a wedding present from a dreadful aunt. I have detested it for half a century."