Downton Abbey season 3 started this week.  I am not sure how popular this series is in the Uk, certainly I know nobody else here who watches it.  I only got interested because American friends rave about it.

 I stopped watching the first series because to me it just seemed a re hash of upstairs downstairs with similar story lines.. The same theme of social inequality and interdependence as before.  The historical content was also the same, Even having a main character die as the result of Spanish flu.

  Now the characters have developed.  Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess  is wonderful, with a witty script that gives her these cutting observations….  and we have all been hooked by the “will they, won’t they ” romance of Lady Mary and Matthew. The plot lines move fast and your interest is kept all the way through.

Now it has got to the 1920’s it has become much more unique.

Last week they repeated season two from the beginning and so I could catch up with the story lines. I had missed.

This series opened with the wedding preparations of Lady Mary and of course kept us guessing till the last moment.

The introduction of Shirley MacClaine as the other Grandmama, Coras mum,  inevitable brought sparks to the place and scenes between her and Maggie Smith described  on TV  this morning as  “a one liner tennis match!”. Excactly!

Cora couldn’t help laughing.

 Another acid tonged matriach!

…and of course the lovable Mr Bates is still languishing in prison with Anna fighting for his honour.

 Hugh Bonneville as ( the cuddly) Lord Grantham is marvellous.. Even cries in a cuddly way….love him…..so glad he has found happiness after his redundancy  from his job on 2012!  ( a  hilarious spoof series about the team who organised the Olympics) J

Just shows what a good actor he is.

I am hooked, and can’t wait till next Sunday.

Love Denise

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7sleeps till Boston!