Downton Abbey

Possibly one of the loveliest shows... ever. I am posting this on my homepage until I get more viewers, and then I will start organizing them into tabs.

Downton Abbey is a brilliant show. For those of you unfamiliar with the plot, it's essentially about a large English estate, Downton Abbey, and the people who live there. This includes the "upstairs" people, the family, who are upper-class nobility, and the "downstairs" people, who are servants. Both the downstairs and upstairs people get equal screentime, compelling stories, and plenty of drama. One of my favorite things about this show is the way it's presented. It's a Masterpiece Classic on PBS here in the US. It's a historical drama, set just before and during World War I, when class distinctions in England were fading fast. It's not the type of show you would expect teenagers to watch, what with the popularity of "Jersey Shore," "Gossip Girl," "Pretty Little Liars," and all the other shows typically assumed as the primary programs for teens to watch. When I began watching it back in the first season, I only had one other friend who knew of it, and she started watching at my insistance. Now, I hear dozens of kids at my school, from all "cliques," talking about it in the halls and classrooms. I suppose that's why I root for it. It's a classy, well-written and acted, simple drama. It's proud to be old-fashioned, and doesn't seem to care about focus groups and what elements will get the highest ratings from the target group. It is what it is. Despite all this, teens are watching it, and that gives me hope in a sort of "TV Revolution." I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I would love more of us teenagers watching Downton Abbey and less of us watching the afore-mentioned "teen-marketed" shows. Let's get some quality television in us while it's here!

-Susan D. Holmes