There was a mini series called The Buccaneers that shows up periodically on Netflix. I've never seen it on Amazon, but it is a costume drama with lovely costumes :-)

Many of the Downton stories were from the Carnavon family history. And the first plot thread about the entailment that prevented the oldest girl from inheriting is a tale right out of Fellowe's own life; his wife Emma was prevented from inheriting an estate because she is a woman. Mrs. Fellowes is quite exotic looking in a retro, devil may care 1930's kind of way. She wears the most marvelous turbans, always, and some are cool Pucci type prints.

There are a couple of good spoofs of DA floating around. Downton Tabby is pretty good, and Downton Arby's is ok. There are two spoofs that were done for Red Nose Day that are just hilarious! Google for the spoofs, they're all over the internet.

I will miss Downton!! :(

I don't want to talk about it - I'm in denial.

What did Anna and Bates name the baby?!

My kids thought that they named him "John". Because Anna says "we have a son, John". I'm like "no, no she just finally stopped calling him Mr. Bates"!

An older show, and my first awareness of Julian Fellows, and a show I loved, if not in DA heights love, is Monarch of the Glen.

Norman....the Bates Motel ;D

Well, I'm undone ;(

I enjoyed and savored every single minute of the finale. When Barrows was offered the Head Butler position, the waterworks started and it was downhill from there.

What an amazing series.

I never watched, but my sis is a big fan. She lives in the big city near me. There is an old restored theatre (beautiful) and yesterday they had a viewing of the final show and those who attended dressed in the period. My sister wore my late grandmother's fur stole. She attended with two friends and they had a ball!

I think I was happiest for Isobel. BTW, she wore the most beautiful clothes last night, pale grays and creams.

I loved it, and I too am sad that it's come to an end. That said, I hope this doesn't make me sound like a terrible person, but I had expected and hoped for a little more drama at the end. The stories were all wrapped up nicely and neatly, which is not what I heard in all the speculation about how it was going to close out. Not that I really wanted any of the characters to die, but it wasn't the ending I was expecting and I was a little bit disappointed because of that.

Otherwise, what a fantastic series. One of the very best, ever.

I'm glad it's over. This last season had become ho-hum and tiresome and silly. I'm fine that it ended happily for everyone. Hahaha for Anna giving birth in Lady Mary's bed.

Well, since it kind of started with a death in Mary's bed, it all came full circle!

It was nice to hear the characters say the first names.

A testament to the good writing was how Barrows' character played out. After Season 1 I was hoping he'd somehow disappear. Last night I was pulling for him to stay at Downton.

Yes, pure fiction how the loose ends came together. But it left me with a warm feeling. Not much to view these days that leaves me feeling so pleasantly entertained. I'm going to miss it.

I will miss it tremendously. I so looked forward to Sunday evenings. Downton was one of the very few things I watch on television.

I will really miss the opening music and scene with the call bells.

Something I wondered about but never saw mentioned was the dog named Isis. I wondered, when they killed her off, if it was because of the name? I always loved to see her walking with her master. I loved that Violet gifted Robert with a new pup, that was a nice touch.

Something I wondered about but never saw mentioned was the dog named Isis. I wondered, when they killed her off, if it was because of the name?

*****

I know there was a stink over the name "Isis", but I hope the writers didn't kill her off because of it. If they did, as they say, the terrorists have won.

I think everyone realized it was getting ridiculous, the dog can't be immortal (Maggie can, she's a Dame after all!)

I agree about Barrow, for two years they couldn't think of anything for him to do but be snarky. I'm glad he matured. But I can't imagine him coming back to work for the very people who still despise him. And I'm sad to think of Marigold going off to live without her cousins, the three of them lived like siblings. And Edith has to hire a nanny (can't risk Mrs. Pelham doing it, she disapproves of the child. Remember when Cora canned the nanny for discriminating against Sibbie?)

I love this show, and the ending was consistent in its unlikelihood with the rest of the series. NOW what to do on Sunday nights?

I never watched Downtown, tried to get into it but I've always carried a torch for Upstairs Downstairs and couldn't. But I know plenty of people who loved the series. I cried when UD ended too. It's like losing a friend, as if you really knew the people.

My favorite part of the finale was Violet egging Isobel on to fight for love and having it all turn out right in the end for her was lovely.

Mary's character really evolved in this and the last episode as well, kinder and gentler. That she didn't explode about Daisy taking the hair dryer was significant but then bending down to unfasten Anna's boots almost made me giggle.

I did feel like many of the wrap ups were rushed. Last week, I also felt this way in regards to Mary's marriage; it felt crammed into the episode. I understand why- the couldnt have two weddings in the finale- but some of the lusciousness of Downton was the languid pace and when that disappears I find it less enjoyable.

I really could have done with something other than a marriage for Edith, I had such hopes for her! I would have loved her to tell Bertie to take his title and shove it and then start hanging out Dorothy Parker or Gertrude Stein.

I'm sorry, but all three child actors were terrible, not just speaking their lines badly, but looking incredibly unnatural and uncomfortable in every scene. They kept being picked up and carried about like oversized dolls. In all of Britain, there had to be three child actors who weren't this terrible.

Agreed, Linelle.

I didn't realize there were two Marigolds!

Also, two Georges!

Although I enjoyed the series, the last 2 episodes seemed almost too 'sappy'. I understand wanting to end 'Happily Everafter', it was all a little too sweet and predictable.

Here's a link to an article for some shows to watch to see some of the actors.

Article, what some of the actors are now filming

I agree, the ending was a little more predictable than I was hoping for, but overall, really enjoyed the series. We visited England last year and were going to visit Highclere castle, but it was closed for filming!

To celebrate the end of the series, a small group of us got together and had a fancy British tea, then watched the final episode. We all made food we had never made before, so that was fun as well.

I agree with those who felt the ending was just too pat but I'm such a sap that I loved it anyway. It was a bit much for the editor to catch the bridal bouquet with a smiling Branson standing near.

Localeater made a good point about the 'languid pace' of Downton. Too many plots were wrapped up in the last two episodes. I think the only person who didn't find a soulmate was Thomas. But it was delicious to see the meddling Wenker and greedy Amelia Cruikshank get their comeuppance. And while I was a little disappointed that it doesn't look like Edith will be very involved with publishing at least Robert finally acknowledged Cora's managerial abilities.

DH and I are going to miss our Downton Sunday evenings.

I am probably one of the few people on the planet who has never watched it - but after reading this thread, think I would like to.

Does anyone know where I can view it? I think there are 6 seasons? I think it was on Netflix for a while, but is no longer. I know I could buy all of the seasons, but don't want to do that. My husband thought he heard it was on Hulu? We don't have cable, do have Netflix. Thank you.

My daughter left me a bookmark for cokeandpopcorn All the seasons and episodes are there. Many are on PBS's web site too. It was a great ending and yet it left it easily picked up...I think it so odd all the praise and excitement over this being the #1 British show to do so well and they stop at the top of their game. Saying that in many ways the stories are ready to be put to rest. I just want to go back to 1900 or farther back and see where the family was. I watched episode #1 just to prep well for last night. All that talk about the Dowager's husband--he sounded like an ASS...just sayin.

No green thumb, it's probably available on DVD or blu-Ray at your library. We came to it midway through the second season and checked out the first season to catch up.

No-green-thumb - "our" netflix has six seasons of Downton available. Maybe we are using different versions of the site? I am still ordering dvds by mail.

Like others here I was expecting more bite to the finale, not that I would have wished anything unhappy for any of the characters, but still... And as someone else mentioned, I much preferred Upstairs, Downstairs to DA. More leisurely and intricate. My favorite of all is the BBC's original version of The Forsyte Saga. Black-and-white and stagey sets, but oh my, the acting and the story!

All that being said, DH and I just finished 6-7 weeks of watching Mad Men for the first time. Blew us away, knocked us out, what an incredible achievement. DH, who has to be dragged into the den to watch TV, began planning his evenings around viewing the show. Don and Peggy and Roger and Joan. Just fantastic!

John and Anna Bates son will be known as Master Bates. Yikes.

I cried at the end. I agree that the final episode was rather twee, and wrapped things up a bit too neatly. We all love happy endings thought don't we? I was holding my breath during the wedding when the minister says "speak now or forever hold your peace" that someone would shout an objection.

Like Marigold's father, back from Germany!

"Twee" - the perfect word for this episode. Except for the Dowager, who is never twee.

That's exactly what I was thinking -- Marigold's father would rush in and shout "I object!". Might have happened if it had not been the last episode.

Sable, Madmen is my all time favorite.

I enjoyed DA very much, but at it's heart it was a middle brow soap opera. It had some really absurd story lines ,... the soldier with Amnesia way back ... all the back and forth between M and M ... a 35 yo dying in flagrante delicto ... Anna and Mr. Bates and their interminable prosecution.

I loved it, but it was pretty fluffy. I see Mad Men as deeper.

We leave soon for our trip to India, with a one day layover in LHR on the way... alas Highclere is closed!! Other wise the kids would have loved to go.

And yes, Fellowes drew out the "does any object" part, for sure. It did seem that the last two episodes boil down to "and they all lived happily ever after". Even so, I was glad to "see them happy".

I love a happy ending and a good weep! My friends and I had a Sunday night dinner party, then watched DA for the last few years. I couldn't attend last night and so had to wait until tonight to watch. I'm glad they didn't black out the last episode in order to sell more DVD's.

I thought it was wonderful.

You can watch them all here. This link is for Season 6 but there are arrows to go backward and you could start at the beginning if you wanted to.

http://www.watchepisodes1.tv/downton-abbey-season-6-episode-1-s06e01_207364

I always tell me kids when they set the table, "make Mr. Carson proud".

It does not work of course.

Mtn - what did your children think of the show? I don't happen to know anyone with teens who watched regularly. Did they have favorite characters? I'm really curious as to your son's opinion.

My 30 year old daughter stopped by the house one Sunday as I was catching up on a missed episode. She watched for a few minutes and then commented "Oh this is one of those movies where nothing happens" which is how she characterizes my favorite Merchant Ivory productions.

Count us in as a pair that will miss our Sunday (actually Monday) "Downton time". We don't have anything to watch together now... well, not until Homeland returns in Sept. (For those who remember my split with the bf, we are working on a reconciliation-- and even when we weren't actively doing so, we kept our Downton nights)

We reflected last night as to what it was about DA that drew us in. It isn't something that either of us would normally jump to watch based on the synopsis. We agreed it was the wonderful characters/acting.. and also the right dose of the right kind of comedy.

We got a little punchy this season.. having fun predicting the odd turns. Very early in the season, I said Thomas would go off into the woods like a wounded animal and off himself... and eventually he attempted just that. Of course the whole season was about packaging everyone's stories with a bow... and I am ok with that but was a little let down in the final episode. BF was very ok with all the happy endings though he recognized we had to suspend belief a bit to enjoy them. He's not usually a fan of suspended belief but he said he just enjoyed the characters so much that it worked for him. I took on a bit of his role as the cynic. It was a little too perfectly tied up for me.

But then what else could they do?

Are you ready to relive that final episode? If so, you might enjoy this. I like Susan Branch - her blog is very sweet, and I highly recommend her book A Fine Romance: Falling in Love With The English Countryside.

If you haven't watched the final, there are definitely SPOILERS in the link so don't go there.

http://www.susanbranch.com/2016/03/but-i-blame-the-weather/

I watched the final yesterday with mixed emotions, I'll really miss this show too but I have to agree that it seemed a little rushed. Still, I'm happy that they gave a happy ending to all, even hints that Mrs. Pattmore will find love with Daisy's father in law and Mr. Molesley with Ms. Baxter. I enjoyed hearing Carson call Mrs. Hughes by her first name and her tell him she loved him. And I loved seeing Violet and Isobel Crawley get past the hospital business, act as friends again.

Maire,

My three were total addicts as teens and preteens, as were many of their friends. They liked the things we all did; the setting, the characters, the plots and subplots.

My son liked the history angle, but he is used to being outnumbered and is a good sport about romcoms and the like.

One thing I thought was funny was how they cheered on Mrs Hughes and Carson's relationship, even though they usually joke about anyone over 30 and call it "old people romance, ewww". They also all love Maggie Smith; quite a testament for her to have preteen fans.

I have been looking for what we can watch next as a family. There are some ideas below, a few i've not seen mentioned before as salve for grieving Abbeysinians.

Funny you mention Merchant Ivory.I did have them watch a Room With a View a few years ago, and it is now my girls' favorite movie (mom is proud). Though they had quite a fit of giggles at the full frontal adult male nudity as characters frolicked around a swimming hole.

http://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/2014/02/21/period-pieces-watch-love-downton-abbey.html

"Poor Mr. Beebe!" (favorite quote from that scene in RWAV) ;)

Add me to the list of those who misses show. The last episode felt like one of those Christmas cards you get From a family you've known forever and includes a separate sheet of paper with a lengthy family update. It's always all good.

Before it was obvious that everything was going to be neatly tied up, I was on alert for any tragic turn. At least twice I looked at the hairdryer as a potential Instrument of destruction. (And I'm not talking about Daisey's initial hairdo) I thought she might drop it into the tub and electrocute herself, or I thought Anna might fall down the stairs while carrying it back to mary's bedroom and tragically lose the baby. Glad neither one happened. ( can you tell I write fiction? )

jo

Mtn, I agree thaT Mad Men was deeper (much) than DA. While all the characters were flawed (some deeply), this served to often accent our pleasure with their honorably-achieved "highs". The questions of ethics and morality were addressed in every episode. And then - Jon Hamm. I would be looking at him and DH would be looking at me and grinning. I also Loved the women's costumes.

Thinking about other family viewing. There is the BBC production Fall of Eagles, magic for history buffs, so perhaps payback for all those romcoms your son has watched? This is the story of the four dynasties which ruled Europe prior to, during, and after WW1 - British, Russian, German, and Austro-Hungarian, and what happened to them. Beautifully produced, splendid acting, and the story is made quite clear, although it would be good to have a large map of Europe available in order to follow the action. Nothing that we would call sex and no cussing. No explicit violence that I can recall; e.g. the assassination of the Russian royal family is mentioned, but not shown, and the battles are described via maps and shadowy figures, but nothing gross. Patrick Stewart as Lenin is wonderful!

And then - also for history-loving folks. The American 1980s PBS production Oppenheimer, with a young Sam Waterston (in IMO his very best role) as J. Robert Oppenheimer, "father" of the atomic bomb, and the Manhattan Project. At times exciting, but also talky, with the complicated romance and marriage of Oppie to his unlikeable wife. It follows most of Oppie's life, including what the government did to him following the war, with good questions about not only the dropping of the bomb, but also about how the feds treated suspected Communists (I have no sympathy for Russia-loving Communists of that era, but Oppie was an innocent man unjustly pursued). Also no explicit sex or cussing or violence. There is a suicide, but if the kids sat through Barrow's attempt, this will be okay. DH and I agree that this is our favorite PBS-style series of all time, although MM might take precedence now. Maybe not. Waterston is terrific, as is the actor who portrays Poirot as Edward Teller. The story of our pursuit of this series after we first watched it in the early 80s is a saga in itself, which I'll spare you!

Mtn - reading about your family viewing sessions brought back so many memories of the times we did the same. My kids are all in their 30's now so it's been quite a while since we've been able to share that kind of experience. I don't think we ever watched a long running series together, it usually was a movie night when we all managed to be together AND agree on the film.

Now it only happens when we're together at our place in upstate PA. The kids will bring a movie and we'll gather in the great room with 5 dogs and lots of popcorn.

I was unaware that DA might appeal to that age group. Except for my nieces and nephews I don't think I have any teens among my acquaintances. How endearing that they rooted for a Carson/Hughes match. And yes I have to agree that your son is a good sport.

I checked your link to DA substitutions and I think I've watched most of them. It's really a great list. Lark Rise to Candleford is another well done drama. The author has a wonderfully poetic way of describing nature and the rural life of 2 small villages and the characters who inhabit them. The BBC production follows the book fairly closely with the voice of the adult narrator setting the scene. Brendon Coyle who played Mr. Bates also has a major role in the series.

My favorite Merchant/Ivory is Howards End - another drama centered on social conduct among the classes. It has a superb cast with Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompkins , Waness Redgrave and Helena Bonham Carter.

Yup, Maire, love Howard's End too. And I named one of my DD in part after Helena (it's her middle name; she also has a grandmother with the name Helen and another grandmother with the middle name Helena, but i was thinking of the lovely HBC!)

DH's FB friends said they would miss seeing pictures of us dressed in almost-period- attire at the previews.