Upstairs, Downstairs, who cares?
Oct. 16th, 2012 08:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chelseagirlSomehow the DVR turned up the first two episodes of the new Upstairs, Downstairs, season two. (Very confusing as they ought to be airing one per week, instead of which, it seems to have recorded one at 4am . . . ) I was fond of the original, though it was very long ago that I saw it -- I remember almost nothing about the Bellamy family, although I have vivid recollections of Rose, Mr. Hudson, and Mrs. Bridges.
I watched the first season before I got around to watching the first season of Downton Abbey, but since then, I've gotten very attached to Downton (even though I am currently annoyed at it for various *spoilers*). As a result, it's sort of erased the first season of the new U,D -- I cannot for the life of me remember who played the mother last season, although I am about to Google it (the character is now deceased, although her Sikh private secretary is still at Eaton Place), because Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess Grantham has completely overshadowed her. I loathe the fascist-leaning chauffeur-flirting rebellious sister character Persephone even more than before, because she is the Anti-Sybil. And . . . no Rose. Written out with a few references -- her return was my favorite thing about last season, if only for nostalgia's sake.
Downtown Abbey has its many problems, not least of which is its wildly inconsistent writing, but the characters are vivid, and I grew attached to them quickly. Here, I can't even remember the family-who-have-replaced-the-Bellamys' name, and there are so many good-looking men with slicked black dark brown hair that I keep mixing up the lead guy with his various friends and colleagues. Random "hi, here is Ambassador Kennedy's son Jack" just feels random. I can't quite get a handle on Keeley Hawes' character, except she really likes fur and seems to want to take the noncontroversial option more often than her husband does. Although at least she ended up working for the Jewish refugee children in the second episode, so maybe she will have a character growth arc. That plot was handled far more clunkily than it could have been, in any case.
The previews for episode three indicate that Rose will at least be making a cameo appearance, and there is a new character played by Alex Kingston who is an unglam, un-socially-skilled female academic and aunt (sort of River Song minus all the *oomph* and time traveling) -- I always do adore Alex Kingston. So it's not the worst way to spend an hour. But I can't say I'm excited about it in the same way I am about Downtown Abbey, despite that program's many flaws.
I watched the first season before I got around to watching the first season of Downton Abbey, but since then, I've gotten very attached to Downton (even though I am currently annoyed at it for various *spoilers*). As a result, it's sort of erased the first season of the new U,D -- I cannot for the life of me remember who played the mother last season, although I am about to Google it (the character is now deceased, although her Sikh private secretary is still at Eaton Place), because Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess Grantham has completely overshadowed her. I loathe the fascist-leaning chauffeur-flirting rebellious sister character Persephone even more than before, because she is the Anti-Sybil. And . . . no Rose. Written out with a few references -- her return was my favorite thing about last season, if only for nostalgia's sake.
Downtown Abbey has its many problems, not least of which is its wildly inconsistent writing, but the characters are vivid, and I grew attached to them quickly. Here, I can't even remember the family-who-have-replaced-the-Bellamys' name, and there are so many good-looking men with slicked black dark brown hair that I keep mixing up the lead guy with his various friends and colleagues. Random "hi, here is Ambassador Kennedy's son Jack" just feels random. I can't quite get a handle on Keeley Hawes' character, except she really likes fur and seems to want to take the noncontroversial option more often than her husband does. Although at least she ended up working for the Jewish refugee children in the second episode, so maybe she will have a character growth arc. That plot was handled far more clunkily than it could have been, in any case.
The previews for episode three indicate that Rose will at least be making a cameo appearance, and there is a new character played by Alex Kingston who is an unglam, un-socially-skilled female academic and aunt (sort of River Song minus all the *oomph* and time traveling) -- I always do adore Alex Kingston. So it's not the worst way to spend an hour. But I can't say I'm excited about it in the same way I am about Downtown Abbey, despite that program's many flaws.
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no subject
Date: 2012-10-17 04:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-17 09:44 am (UTC)Is Adrian Scarborough cute husband guy? .I should remember his name since Hallam has all those Victorian-poetry connections; I just wish he could have a red-headed colleague or something. The women don't all have the same hair and wear the same suits . . .
Well, that'll be as soon after Sunday as I can watch it . . . Now I'm intrigued.
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Date: 2012-10-17 07:26 pm (UTC)http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0769083/
I was also excited to see him in Who this season.
Hallam is played by Ed Stoppard, son of Tom.
I am NOT watching Season 3 of DA. Not yet, anyway. I'm not ready yet. Should I? Yes, of course I should.
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Date: 2012-10-18 01:48 am (UTC)Oh, him! I keep thinking he's the one who played Rose Tyler's dad and of course he's not. But then I realized I finally *had* seen him on Dr. Who this season.
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Date: 2012-10-22 11:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-22 06:18 pm (UTC)What did you think of Percy's NEW lover? That was what depressed and horrified me the most.
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Date: 2012-10-25 06:11 pm (UTC)I don't find her remotely appealing, so I do not understand the fascination she holds for everyone else. (And, again, Anti-Sybil: rebellious in a bad way instead of rebellious in a way that makes her everyone's social conscience . . . At least she seemed to be understanding the consequences of fascism *finally*.)
Dunno, I'm finding the whole thing surprisingly heavy-handed.
no subject
Date: 2012-10-25 06:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-28 11:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-29 12:23 pm (UTC)Oh, Alex Kingston, I am watching for you.
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Date: 2012-10-29 08:05 pm (UTC)Also, I HATE Percy even though I LOVE Claire Foy a lot. There's just something darker and not quite right about this show, as opposed to Downton, which has an upbeat vibe even when the worst shit goes down. I can't explain it.
ALEX KINGSTON. My hero.
no subject
Date: 2012-11-01 03:34 pm (UTC)Downton Abbey effs up all the time and yet I can't wait for the next episode. Dunno how they do it, but it's a big difference.
Hey, have you ever seen Moll Flanders with Alex Kingston and Daniel Craig? That was the first thing I ever saw her in, and she was so fabulous then, too.