When I was small, I wished and wished that I could be a maidservant and wear a cap, a collared dress and a white, frilly apron. I wanted to walk around with good posture and curtsy to the ladies and gentlemen. I wanted to serve tea and carry trays of delicacies.
Watching Downton Abbey is reviving my dream! If you've never seen it, it's a period drama that begins in 1912. It's about the intertwined yet separate lives of the Grantham family and their servants. There are some bits I would leave out (and some casting changes I would make), but all in all, Downton is my dream show. I understand why everyone loves it! Besides the alluring historical setting and everything that comes with good writing (conflict, suspense, secrets, irony, etc.), there's a special key aspect about Downton that makes it so lovable.
Was that minute long enough?
I've thought about it, and I think the answer has a lot to do with Downton's success. The show, the movies, the books, and the organizations all have in common a large but selective group of friends. Or in other words, a "fellowship" or a "family," the kind of thing to which we all want to belong. Downton hits that spot by following not only one or two but 16 close-knit primary characters. They all interact with each other according to their personalities, like a family. Not only that, an array of viewers can relate to their favorite or second-favorite be it self-sacrificing Bates, gullible Daisy, spirited Lady Sibyl, or down-to-earth Matthew Crawley.
In your mulling, what did you come up with as a common factor? What else do you think contributes to Downton's appeal?
Indeed! I think this is what sets lovable movies apart from non-lovable ones! You forgot to say, Band of Brothers! Even though there's so many characters, their personalities and relationships are established so firmly that it's interesting to watch. There are many other un-rememberable war movies and when I think about it, it's because none of the characters were defined at all and it's all a jumble of indistinguishable characters.
ReplyDeleteOh yes! How could I have forgotten about BOB? One of my first TV show frenzies. I want to be able to write such diverse and such firmly established personalities.
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