The Cult of Downton Abbey (and Mr. Bates)

Back in the day, Downton Abbey is something you would have watched at your granny’s house if she didn’t have cable and it was raining outside. These days, seventh graders are having Downton Abbey parties. The fans include tons of women in their 20s and 30s, but men aren’t shying away from this hotpot of Edwardian intrigue either. Data from the PBS website suggests that the audience is substantially younger than normal viewers for a British period drama.

Why has the US gone gaga for this stuffy, silver plated, British costume drama?

Mr. Bates

Mr. Bates has become an unlikely sex symbol. Twitterers are gushing at this former drunk and jailbird with a cane. Who would have thought a limping valet would get the blogosphere so hot and bothered. Does the lame duck syndrome bring out our protective streak? Maybe it’s his quiet dignity, his soft spoken Irish accent. Is there a wanton sex god stuffed into his button down collar and sombre suits waiting to ravish a worthy woman? Any woman can see Mr. Bates understands and respects women, especially his paramour, Anna. When he brought Anna breakfast in bed, you could hear the sighs around the world. To be sure, Mr. Bates has unleashed a tidal wave of lusty thoughts for female Downton viewers.

Countess Violet

Countess Violet’s show stealing zingers have made Downton Abbey must watch TV. Lord Grantham may be the heir, but this mouthy matriarch is the real boss at Downton Abbey. The countess is a sharp tongued social observer and queen of the withering put down. Gawker called her a ‘one woman insult machine’.

Check out a compilation of “Shit the Dowager Countess Says”:

It’s Pretty!

Dressing for dinner… Drinks in the drawing room. Corsets, jewellery and sumptuous dresses. Downton fans dress up in vintage items for the premiere parties. What can we say, Downton fashion is coming uptown. Sure it was a simpler time, but it was also a time of beautiful clothing. Lots of the characters are good looking people in their 20s, running both upstairs and downstairs. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? Women are now wondering why there’s no house maid or valet to help them get dressed before dinner.

Shirley MacLaine

Perhaps as an homage to American fans, Oscar winning bon vivant Shirley MacLaine is joining Downton Abbey for it’s third season. And in America, audiences neither young nor old are immune to her charms and over-the-topness.

Americans secretly like British stuff

Many people, including us, believe that Americans are secretly enamoured of the Brits, from their class system down to their fried bread. Just not their teeth. And there’s no better place to see all things British than a show about class warfare and repressed sexuality that takes place in a British country house in the early 20th Century. But this ain’t no documentary. In fact Downton Abbey leans toward cliched when it comes to the English upper crust. For many fans and secret lovers of British stuff, this offers a nice escape from suburban foreclosures and MacDonalds for dinner.