Current obsession: Downton Abbey

I was on the verge of falling into a deep funk.  Not only did I have to return to WORK, which really isn't bad except for the grading papers part which just might kill me this next week (so behind!  how does it happen?), but I found a new love, by total chance, and then this love affair ended far too soon.  See, upon our return from Colorado, I started browsing Netflix's instant movie options and stumbled upon this random series, Downton Abbey, which came highly recommended for me based on my preferences and movie-watching habits.  The people or computers at Netflix gave it a whopping 4 stars.  I was skeptical, but I figured that we could give it a try.
In the past week, we raced through the episodes.  Needless to say, I was HOOKED.  British period piece, beautiful clothes, well-acted and written, and a total soap-opera?  As quickly as we began the series, it ended.  I looked for Season 2 on Netflix, but nothing.
And then, this morning, I checked Slate.com and there was an entire article dedicated to "Downton Abbey".  Season 2 begins on Sunday!  I could not believe my luck.  Okay, I am obviously the only person in Los Angeles, maybe in the US, who was completely clueless about this series since it won not one, not two, three, four or five Emmy awards but SIX!  Apparently those people making decisions about a good mini-series got it right this year, and I didn't even know that!
So, my Sunday evenings are now blocked out and life has meaning.  While I would probably have been a scullery maid with terrible hair, posture and skin if I had been so unfortunate as to live in 1914 or so, I find it completely satisfying to watch this series.  And if those designers at Anthropologie had any sense, they should make a Downtown Abbey line of clothes or clothes AND housewares, and then they'd have all sorts of middle and upper-middle class American women looking ready to go out for a garden party!  I don't plan on wearing a party frock Sunday night, but I'll happily drink beer, enjoy some good, old-fashioned drama and be thankful that I don't actually live back then!

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