Downton Abbey

I hopped on the Downton Abbey bandwagon real late (I tend to do that with books and music, too). What can I say? I tend to eschew the hype because I'm generally a skeptical person by nature and usually hype isn't worth the interest (case in point: there's a reason why I haven't watched one second of The Jersey Shore). But sometimes I'm wrong. It took me years to start reading Harry Potter and then once I did, I fell for the books hook, line and sinker. Same goes with the Masterpiece production of Downton Abbey. It has all the makings of compelling television: the high drama, the lavish costumes and decedent set decorations, the intricately-drawn characters, excellent pacing and captivating plotlines, even the time period is fascinating (the series starts on the day the Titanic sank and spans the years leading up to WWI, a period of time that saw dramatic political and social change, and the ushering in of the modern era). The acting is superb; Dame Maggie Smith is a personal favorite, the lady has the best quippy lines. Since I got a late start, I was able to watch the series in its entirety in one go on Netlix. Now I have to wait until the second season airs in January. Boo hoo (lucky Brits get to watch all the drama unfold on the BBC this fall). January can't come soon enough.

{Photos of the ravishing blueblood Crawley sisters via Note to Self}