So ... I've been watching Downton Abbey (anyone out there who isn't?). I came to it late, but am finally caught up as of last night. Don't worry--no spoilers here. Actually I had already caved and bought the first two series DVDs so we could watch it straight through and avoid any spoilers.
I confess that it's set in one of my least favorite periods for novels or films. I probably wouldn't have gone past the first episode of the first season except for two things: the characterization and the acting. Oh, the plotting is great, too, but plotting alone never holds my interest very long. Too many unexpected twists and turns actually annoy me. But I haven't found one character in this who isn't "memorable"--and the acting so far is stunning. It seems to me that whoever cast this crew must be a genius. Each actor perfectly fits the role. You simply forget you're watching a group of actors, and given that they're living their lives in the Edwardian and post-Edwardian age, that's quite a coup!

BJ