Secrets of the television series about the English aristocrats, thanks to which he conquered the whole world: "Downton Abbey"

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The British have long and, apparently, forever earned a reputation as snobs, and they themselves, perhaps, will not agree to part with such a national peculiarity. Maybe this is the secret of the popularity of the six seasons of the series "Downton Abbey" - the aristocrats of foggy Albion appear before the viewer in a rather predictable role, while their reactions to certain events become unexpected - not something you expect from true snobs. For the world, "Downton Abbey" is the best version of England, which only fits into the established patterns.

What is the attraction of the series for the modern viewer

Not so many years separate the events of the series from the present time - and yet this is a whole era. Downton Abbey begins with the news of the death of the Titanic, which comes to Crowley's house and makes irreversible changes in the life of the family. Because the most progressive vessel at that time destroys the heir to the earl's title and fortune, drags the Downton owners' plans to the bottom - to give one of the daughters, Mary, the opportunity to marry a cousin and remain the actual mistress of the estate.

Throughout the series, old, even hopelessly outdated English traditions collide with the rules of the new world - and one by one they give way. England parted with the Victorian era, but in a changing world, the old manners were surprisingly preserved, there was always a place for dignity and nobility - such, in any case, most of the aristocrats appearing in the series appear before the viewer. However, villains and scoundrels are inevitably assigned their role here - otherwise the plot would not have turned out so attractive, the peculiarity of "The Abbey" is that they retain their unique English restraint, show the necessary courtesy, and generally "keep their faces."

The heroes of the series have to go through all the cataclysms that befell Europe at the beginning of the last century: the First World War, the Spanish flu epidemic, the Irish War of Independence. Other important changes are taking place in the background - the widespread introduction of electricity and the telephone, the struggle of women for their political rights, the appearance of cars on the streets. It becomes clear that the old way of life in the new life is no longer possible, and throughout the entire period, while the plot of the series unfolds - from 1912 to 1926 - the viewer sees how the old age-old foundations of English high society are changing.

Several dozen servants, who once made up the staff of a self-respecting country estate, are reduced to several - lackeys are becoming a thing of the past, not every aristocrat uses the services of a valet, the number of maids is decreasing. Perhaps, only the style of communication with the servants remains unchanged - respectful and tactful, much more polite than in relation to their own family. It is noteworthy that, going down to the kitchen and the servants' quarters, Countess Grantham apologizes for disturbing the people who are there, despite the fact that she pays them and owns all the premises of the estate: the aristocrats strictly observe the boundaries of what is permissible.

Loyalty to tradition and attention to detail

The writing of the script was entrusted to Julian Fellowes, who won an Oscar in 2001 for his original screenplay for the film Gosford Park. Fellows himself grew up in a family of an aristocrat, his father worked as a diplomat in Cairo. To make the series as reliable as possible, he paid special attention to details. A consulting historian worked on the set, and Fellowes' wife, Emma Kitchener, also performed these functions. Interestingly, the remnants of the old English order affected her as well - being the heiress of Marshal Kitchener, a hero of the First World War, she nevertheless could not get his title of count, since it can only be passed on to the masculine. Due to the lack of such heirs, the Kitchener branch was extinguished.

The series is set primarily on the fictional Downton estate in Yorkshire. Nearby is their own train station, from where the heroes travel to London. Since the journey takes several hours, you have to stay in the capital for the night - there the Crowley family has their own home.

Highclere Castle in Hampshire acted as Downton, while the town and outdoor scenes were filmed in Bampton, Yorkshire. The creators of the series had plenty to choose from - there are many old buildings in England, but Highclere was distinguished not only by its picturesque view, but also by a long history full of events.

The fifth Earl of Carnarvon, the owner of the castle, once financed the search for the tomb of Tutankhamun, in connection with which the "Egyptian trace" has been preserved in Downton: Lord Grantham's dog is called Isis (Isis), after the name of the ancient goddess. During the First World War, the castle, like Downton in the series, was used to house a hospital - military personnel underwent rehabilitation here.

The castle, which at the time filming began, was in some decline, has attracted so many tourists in recent years that the owners have managed to restore more than half of its premises. The series itself includes the main facade of Highler, as well as the dining room, library, living room and large hall. The servants' quarters were rented in a London studio - those in the castle were not suitable for creating the atmosphere of the last century, as they were modernized.

The famous Bridgewater House, a building dating back to the 17th century, became Crowley's London home. In just six seasons of the series, more than seventy sites became filming locations.

The creators of the series paid great attention to the appearance of the actors, the costumes were not allowed to be washed often so that their appearance corresponded to the era. Even experts on British history, one of whom was Queen Elizabeth II herself, a fan of the series, could not find a significant amount of inconsistencies. On the contrary, many of the events in the series were real - take, for example, the scandal with the Turkish diplomat.

Such exactingness and accuracy were dear - the budget of each episode of "Downton Abbey" was about a million pounds. But they also brought a lot - the first episode alone was watched by nine million viewers. The series received 3 Golden Globes, 15 Emmy awards and was in 2011 entered the Guinness Book of Records as receiving the highest rating from critics.

The stars of the series

The cast of Downton Abbey is another undoubted success of the project. In the credits, everything is much more democratic than on the screen - the names are listed in alphabetical order, and the division into major and minor roles is not obvious. Still, the first is Hugh Bonneville, who plays the Earl of Grantham, a character who is usually at the center of events. By the time filming began, Bonneville had already starred, and after the series, his career continued to develop just as well. On account of the actor, among others, roles in the series "Poirot Agatha Christie", "Doctor Who", the films "The Adventures of Paddington" and "The Adventures of Paddington-2".

The Count's wife, Cora, is played by the American actress Elizabeth McGovern, who once played a married couple with Bonneville in the 2008 TV series Freeze. One of the versions why the American woman got into the number of the characters of "Downton Abbey" was called the desire of the creators of the series to attract viewers of the New World. Julian Fellows himself denies this, claiming that Lady Grantham needs a narrative, because she sees what is happening from a slightly different angle: for her, English life is not an established paradigm once and for all, and therefore viewers can evaluate the events of the series through her eyes. And besides, in a number of episodes, other Americans appear who, in English reality, either get trapped, or ridicule British customs, or are perplexed about their strict observance.

Jessica Brown Findlay, who played the earl's youngest daughter, Lady Sybil, was spotted in the cult British TV series Black Mirror, and Jim Carter, who played Mr. Carson's butler, in the films Shakespeare in Love, Richard III.

Rose Leslie, who plays one of the maids, comes from an old Scottish clan and was herself raised in the family castle. Dan Stevens, who played the heir to the title of Earl Matthew Crowley, at the end of the third season expressed a desire to leave the project, and therefore his character was prepared for death as a result of an accident. And here, in turn, it turned out symbolically: after all, it was progress that was able to kill the bearer of one of the oldest English privileges.

But the main, of course, the star, whose role was taken away for quotes, became Maggie Smith, who played Violet Crowley, the Dowager Countess. And in September 2019, the feature film Downton Abbey was released, set in 1927, when King George V and Queen Mary visit the estate. In Russia, the premiere of the film is scheduled for November.