I really enjoyed the 300 shorts. Some brought tears to my eyes! TY

I love Downton Abbey but apparently now there are all sorts of Downton products to purchase. I'm not sure that the commercialization is doing it any favors.

I too wonder if they missed the boat on their popularity with this movie. They stopped TV production because some of the major parts actors' did not want to continue...so now they know this was a good gig and are making a movie? Everything has its time and I am thinking they missed theirs.

I loved Downton Abbey but I'm fearful that the movie won't stack up to the series. So I won't be spending money to go see it. But then again I can't remember the last movie I went to anyway, I hate sitting in dark theaters with strangers where you can't see what's crawling around on the floor in the dark (this is Florida) and I'm afraid of getting bedbugs on me.

I'm mulling whether to see it or not; have the series on DVD and haven't watched the first few seasons. I'm with you on critters in movie theaters, ritaweeda.

I don't think Downton held a candle to Gosford Park, which was inspiration for the series. Maggie Smith was superb, as was the writing.

Thanks, Maire! I know someone who saw the movie ahead of widespread release, and she said it was wonderful.

Was Gosford Park an inspiration for the series? I always thought my all time favorite was - Upstairs Downstairs. That's why I never watched Downton Abbey, I didn't think it compared to UP/DN. Well, I did see snippets of some of the episodes. Very similar to UP/DN, but I think UP/DN did it better.

For fans, I think the movie would be something they would enjoy. Some years after UP/DN ended, a spinoff was done mainly featuring Rose the maid (Marsh), but I don't recall it being very good.

Gosford Park was written by the same person who wrote Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes. He found a niche to exploit. I am sure the U/D was his initial inspiration.

I more or less enjoyed the original series (loved Gosford Park by the way) but was always confounded by the to me bizarre dynamic of the household. The first time the Butler goes to the Earl to resolve some sort of domestic crisis I was-say what? What does poor Cora do? That was her job as Mistress of the house. Did she ever meet with her housekeeper and go over the daily menus' and domestic issues? Earls do not make decisions about footmen and scullery maids. They turned Lady Grantham into a decoration and I couldn't see why. A normal wife would have had fits about interference into her personal realm. It tainted the series for me...a sort of niggling irritant.

"The first time the Butler goes to the Earl to resolve some sort of domestic crisis I was-say what? What does poor Cora do? That was her job as Mistress of the house. Did she ever meet with her housekeeper and go over the daily menus' and domestic issues? Earls do not make decisions about footmen and scullery maids. They turned Lady Grantham into a decoration and I couldn't see why. A normal wife would have had fits about interference into her personal realm."

Perhaps it was because Lady Grantham was not born into English nobility. Yes, she came from a wealthy family, but from an American wealthy family. Lord Grantham married her for her money. He didn't begin to fall in love with her until a year or so after they were married. Many of the servants (e.g., Mr. Carter, Mrs. Hughes, Mrs. Patmore) had been with the Grantham family for years and years, working in Downton Abbey. Maybe they thought that Lady Grantham wouldn't really know how things should be run.

Lady Grantham came from a wealthy American family who would have the same sort of arrangement of staff and responsibilities borrowed from the British. She had been married for over twenty years to Lord Grantham and had plenty of time to learn the British nuances and in the case of this particular household had the services of a particularly nice Housekeeper. Now some Ladies left everything to their housekeeper which was entirely possible here but in this case they go to the Earl. He would be the last person on earth they would turn to unless it had something to do with the cellars, stables or hunting or some usual male area of expertise. This Earl doesn't even seem to have a domestic turn. Occasionally there were men who refused to allow their wives to manage the house but women deeply resented it and said so. I think they did it in this series because how else do you include the Earl when he didn't seem to take much of an interest in horses and hunting. But it is all wrong.

It's a shame that some folks cannot tolerate a little artistic license.

If it doesn't bother you Lindsey that's fine. I am steeped in domestic history. It is a favorite subject with me so I was bothered in ways others wouldn't notice. I said it tainted the series for "ME". It was interesting that Gosford Park was infinitely more accurate as to the management of a "great house' but of course that was a big part that it was about.