No one could have predicted the impact that Downton Abbey would have when it began airing two years ago. While ITV Drama pilled all of its eggs into the Downton Abbey basket, even in their wildest dreams the ITV execs couldn’t have predicted the results.
Now available in more than 100 countries worldwide, Downton Abbey has become a TV colossus.
The secret of the show wasn’t the nostalgia, it wasn’t the costumes, it was the characters. Having the series show both the glamour and riches of the gentry and the common sense day to day lives of those in service was a master stroke, as it gave the show the ability to weave a fantastic tapestry of characters in to the mix.
It was the characters and the human drama they created that were the fulcrum of the show’s appeal. Without Bates, Anna and the rest being likeable, we simply wouldn’t have cared about their lives. By also keeping the problems they faced fairly down to Earth, everyone could relate and identify with at least a couple of the characters in one way or another.
The culture clash was also integral to the show, the interaction between the classes a completely alien concept to those more likely to watch police detectives running after robbers than people drinking tea.
Downton, in its first season at least, also managed to solve the problem most costume dramas have. Pacing. While most shows in the genre may take an hour to move the plot along, Downton only took 30 minutes. Throughout the ten episode series, massive developments were made. By not dragging its heels, the show made sure no one got bored quickly.
The second series suffered from not following this formula, going for silly story lines and taking it’s sweet time about it too.
Off the success of Downton Abbey, the BBC have launched both a reboot of Upstairs Downstairs and the novel adaptations Birdsong and Parade's End.
While the latter two may have made their way to screen without the help of the Earl of Grantham and Upstairs Downstairs was already in production when Downton came out, the massive success of the ITV drama gave them an audience just begging for more.
To some level, even the success of period news drama The Hour could be attributed to the rise of Downton. It may be little more modern, but the attraction for slicked back hair and slightly out-dated formal wear has never been higher.
Period drama had been all the rage in the mid to late nineties. Fuelled by a national in love with Pride and Prejudice (or simply Colin Firth striding out of a lake) more adaptations of Austen, Bronte and the like were made than you could shake a stick at. Or a remote control in this case.
Although the UK’s love for a good old bonnet rustler hasn’t faded too much, it’s not to the same frantic levels as it was in their heyday.
While that time will come for this era of costume drama, Downton Abbey looks to surf on it all the way to the bank.
Downton Abbey starts again his Sunday on ITV1
FemaleFirst Cameron Smith
Tagged in Downton Abbey