Downton Abbey 2

[Guest hangarman]

I noticed the Chauffeur was wearing repro Mk 8 goggles! Just watching it on ITV + 1, though i missed spooks as well.....

Hangarman

[Mark Hone]

Carson was complaining that the nights were drawing in so that implies it's Autumn!

[Seadog]

Prompted by the fact that the new series is apparently set in WW1 I made the great mistake of watching the first episode tonight. It was about as interesting as watching paint dry, wooden acting, wooden actors and a plot resembling Coronation Street in period costume. The plot of this sad saga appeared to be on a par with the average Mills & Boon novel the only redeeming feature being the constant advertisement breaks which at least gave some respite to the dire viewing experience.

Norman

[IPT]

Looking forward to next week's episode then?

[tharkin56]

never watched it before either, but also had the white feather question...

what was the position on self inflicted wounds, out of curiosity..

[GRANVILLE]

never watched it before either, but also had the white feather question...

what was the position on self inflicted wounds, out of curiosity..

The 1st of the series just had to be watched, but I must admit that for me the advert breaks completely ruin it and if I'm to watch any more it will have to be via the recorded copies with suitable fast forwarding.

As with so much in life, its easy to pick holes from the comfort of the keyboard, and in the case of the reenactment scenes notice errors along the way. I just feel the sheer logistics of a set such as this is easily lost on many of us and for that reason alone I would have to take my hat off to all those involved in the production.

Dave

[Mk VII]

Did anyone work out what the officer character's regiment is supposed to be?

[Stebie9173]

I think it was supposed to be the same as Lord Grantham's regiment - the North Riding Yeomanry, I think it was, a fictitious regiment as standardly used in most fiction.

Steve.

[delta]

I found the programme to be interesting and entertaining - much like Spooks.

The story line was good and, whilst there were some "inaccuracies" in dress and locations, they did not spoil the overall effect.

[alex falbo]

We won't see the program here in the States until October or so. I managed to scrounge a site with the first episode up. I'm a member of the GWS and Trevor directed to me to the series.

I'll admit at first watch, I really didn't pick up the inaccuracies since I was enjoying beautiful settings of Dowton (particularly that library!!!) and the gritty trench scenes. Unfortunately the Somme period still being portrayed as 1914-15 pressure to enlist seems a bit clumsy in retrospect but I enjoyed the program. What I wonder however, is whether we'll ever see a Great War film about the Somme or Arras portrayed in a military perspective (General to conscript) like the Longest Day. And not following the tired old mindless generals routine. Goodness knows the War itself provided enough drama to provide engaging material.

Paul, gave me a good laugh. Watching the first few seconds had me combing the cut of the uniform, insignia, cap, etc for what was wrong and on the third go I noticed the belt orientation!! lol

[Mark Hone]

I enjoyed the programme, as I did the first series, but I found the dropping of a major historical clanger in the first few minutes, on which much of the plot subsequently turned, a bit of a distraction. As far as I could see there would have been no difficulty in setting the first episode in 1915 which would have made all the discussion of volunteering and conscription perfectly accurate. Of course Taff would have had to replace the dustbin lids with flat hats in the trench scenes! I know it might seem a bit pedantic but it's a pity Julian Fellowes doesn't make a bit more of an effort to get the historical background correct. The first series had that very odd timing of the news of the outbreak of war, for example. As I recall the original 'Upstairs Downstairs' did a pretty good job of interweaving historical events accurately into the fictional goings-on at Eaton Place, without destroying the drama.

[Alan Tucker]

The white feather episode was very contrived. When is the last recorded example of its general use? Probably 1915?

[Steven Broomfield]

I'd never watched it before, and I must say it didn't bear too much comparison with Upstairs Downstairs; overall it was a touch dull. I'll try angain next week, though, as it might just be a case of getting to know the characters.

I must say that the Aviva adverts, "Gary's Story," were irritating in the extreme, and as someone pointed out, rather more frequent than one might have thought decent.

[ianw]

I enjoyed the first series but must say that last night's episode did not enthrall. My attention drifted off much too easily even with the Great War content.

It didn't strike me as being as tightly written as the first series.

It still looked very nice though and is a good demonstration of how enticing HD TV can be.

[bmac]

Didn't watch the previous series so spent some time working out who was who. Being a nerd, though, several minor gripes. I, too, assume at least some of the episode took place in late summer/early autumn 1916 ('nights drawing in...'). I wondered about the beautifully boarded trenches (on the Somme post 1st July?) and did I spot dugouts with entrances facing No Man's Land or did I doze off at some point? Like the house though.

[jon_armstrong]

dugouts with entrances facing No Man's Land or did I doze off at some point?

You did.

It was the first episode I've ever seen, but I couldn't work out why they put "The Somme, 1916" at the start. Putting something more vague like "France, 1915", or even nothing at all, would have solved most of their chronology problems at a stroke. There didn't seem to be any particular reason it had to be 1916, and all the other points they wanted to make such as looming conscription, white feathers, etc - all of which it was perfectly reasonable want to include - would have worked better a year or more earlier.

However, I was impressed that they didn't subscribe to oft-represented image of, aside from a handful of shirkers, the entire population rushing down to enlist in August 1914, and showed people who, for a variety of reasons, weren't in a hurry to be in uniform.

[Chief_Chum]

"The white feather episode was very contrived. When is the last recorded example of its general use? Probably 1915?"

I knew an elderly lady (a friend of my Great Aunt) whose brother was working at Ransomes aircraft factory in Ipswich in 1917. He was given a white feather by a woman whose brother had been killed at Arras and objected to men in "cushy" jobs not doing their bit. I guess they couldn't win.

"did I spot dugouts with entrances facing No Man's Land"

No, the dugout entrances all face away from the Germans although, by Autumn 1916, it would be pretty fair to assume that their trenches could previously have been occupied by the Imperial German Army who would have left their east-facing dugouts...

Glad to see the programme generating so much debate! In the rough cut I had seen the opening was captioned "October, 1916" but the reason it is set mid-Somme is that the writer was keen to leave a two year gap between the two series so that the characters had time to develop new storylines rather than pick up where they had left off in 1914. We were happy with the trench scenes; the stuff in Blighty wasn't our department.

Cheers,

Taff

[Peter Doyle]

I'm glad that 'Upstairs, Downstairs' has had a couple of mentions in this thread. The series dealing with the Great War has some beautifully written stories (each episode being both self contained and part of a continuing time line), and deals with several key issues. Downton looks good, of course - with a big budget, but 'Upstairs, Downstairs' really outshines it in every way.

Interestingly, the male characters in 'U,D' were seen to be wearing the insignia of real regiments (Middlesex, Life Guards, RWF etc), whereas the 'DA' ones were (RAMC excepted) fictitious. I wonder why?

Best wishes

Peter

(I was going to ask if Taff could come around and dig a trench for me in the back garden - but I'm not sure the wife/son/cats have the stomach for going over the bags...)

[rumplestiltskin]

I watch it the following day on iplayer it takes out the monotonous breaks

The 1st of the series just had to be watched, but I must admit that for me the advert breaks completely ruin it and if I'm to watch any more it will have to be via the recorded copies with suitable fast forwarding.

As with so much in life, its easy to pick holes from the comfort of the keyboard, and in the case of the reenactment scenes notice errors along the way. I just feel the sheer logistics of a set such as this is easily lost on many of us and for that reason alone I would have to take my hat off to all those involved in the production.

Dave

[Muerrisch]

I was forced to watch it, sort of, newspaper in hand. Newspaper won. I then failed a comprehension test afterwards!

All you clever folk:

other than non-conscription Somme autumn 1916, can you list real errors for me, so I can spoil the Memsahib's experience?

[we did not watch the first series, good call!]

Adverts by far best bit.

[IPT]

At first I was imagining I was a groom, and trying to decide which of the daughters i'd like to assist in mounting.

Then I saw sense and concentrated on checking the chap's army belts.

[Mark Hone]

I think that the Bates as Job angle is in danger of being overplayed. How did he end up hitched to that harpy in the first place? Like his supposed nicking of the regimental silver it makes no real sense at all.

[squirrel]

Not bad as an attempt to start all the threads for rest of the series - Somme battlefield could have been a bit chalky though.

And did M'lud really not know until it was explained to him that a "Colonelcy" was an honorary position?

Would the "heir" really have worn a greatcoat and SD cap over Mess Dress?

[GRANVILLE]

I watch it the following day on iplayer it takes out the monotonous breaks

I can only assume the i-player version I've just taken a look at is the same as your own, but I regret to say it still has advert breaks throughout the programme. I'll stick to Sky recordings and fast-forward.

Dave

[clive_hughes]

Having wandered into the back room to join the ladies in watching the start of this:

The first thing I see is the regiment dashing back to its trenches having been (presumably) repulsed in an attack. Heir more or less tells an NCO to sort the men out, then repairs unto his (nice, light) dugout where a message awaits telling him that the Devons are about to relieve them.

A bit soon, we might think, given that they might have been fighting hand-to-hand in the enemy 2nd line at the same time if all had gone well, but doubtless welcome news! Then Heir remarks casually that it's him for a quick spot of Blighty leave (this, with the blokes outside still being rallied by the poor NCO and maybe having to face a second attempt, or to brace for a counter-attack).

I wandered out again at that point, musing over the fact that any officer trying to skip off to England in the middle of an action was unlikely to get very far, and also might face certain disciplinary measures.

I was informed subsequently by my wife that on the Heir's return to the trenches (when? At least ten days later roughly speaking, to be accurate) the poor old battalion is still getting gyp in the Front Line, the naughty Devons having failed to turn up...

Mr Gillingham's uniforms I much admire, but all this is verging on fantasy - unless I missed some crucial explanation of course? Was it all a dream or a series of flashbacks?

Clive