Downton Abbey (2010)

Downton Abbey is an elegantly staged period drama about the aristocratic Crawley family and the servants who run their great Yorkshire estate in the early 20th century. The series begins when the death of the heir on the Titanic thrusts distant cousin Matthew Crawley, a pragmatic Manchester lawyer, into line to inherit Downton — setting up clashes between old‑fashioned duty (Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham), the sharp, witty dowager countess, and the modern, socially engaged new arrivals. Alongside the marriage prospects and family crises upstairs, the household staff — led by the steely butler and a devoted housekeeper — live full, often secretive lives of their own, creating a rich tapestry of loyalty, ambition, romance and rivalry. Watching Downton Abbey, you’ll be immersed in sumptuous costumes, finely detailed sets and restrained, emotionally charged performances. The show balances intimate personal dramas and witty social moments with larger historical shifts (social change, war and class upheaval), so viewers feel both the grandeur of country‑house life and the real consequences of change for every character. It’s a moving, character‑driven experience that blends romance, intrigue and social commentary, inviting sympathy for people “upstairs” and “downstairs” alike.

Actors: Hugh Bonneville, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern

Genres: Drama, Romance

8.7 /10 8.7 /10