Downton Abbey -- Season 3 on PBS

[my little pony]

i gave it more thought than my own surgery last summer

[Asli]

Of course you're right PDilemma. I'm not arguing against you, just rambling about what you said. This is a thread about a soap opera no? So we are allowed to ramble!

[Artemis@BC]

The Facebook recap for episode 6 is up!

"Thomas, Jimmy, and 8 others are attending the event Super Awkward Breakfast."

BTW, it's for both episodes from Sunday. (Which were, technically, 7 & 8, not 6 ... but whatever.)

[Asli]

Surely after her affair with Pamuk, Lady Mary would not need a hymenectomy?

As for Mr. Pamuk, it's sort of hysterical that since he's supposed to be Turkish, the writers have automatically given him the surname of the recent Turkish Nobel literature prize winner, Orhan Pamuk. If they had consulted any Turkish person in the world, they would have learned that there were no surnames at that time, but only patronymics. So that guy should be called Mr <first name of his father> which could never be Pamuk because that word means "cotton wool".

Again, I'm not expecting realism, but it's sort of funny. Carry on.

[znachki]

The Facebook recap for episode 6 is up!

"Thomas, Jimmy, and 8 others are attending the event Super Awkward Breakfast."

"Mr Bates tags Miss O'Brien in a photo"

[zee703]

snip
As for the drama, as a rule American series are shown in their original versions throughout the world. We have all grown up with US TV. The number of drama among the list of programmes you have given is not even a drop in the ocean, when you think of the number of US shows broadcast in their original version throughout the world. OTOH, the number of British shows that are remade for the US is vastly superior to the ones shown in the original version. What's wrong with the ordinary American seeing a bit of the "outside world"? I mean the actual, contemporary outside world, not the butler serving tea to ladies dressed in lace!

I've been watching Are You Being Served, East Enders, As Time Goes By, even Fawlty Towers for many years. Original British programs. Now we're getting Midsomer Murders which is quite good. No butlers in any of these shows but tea is always served whether in a cafeteria or someone's kitchen. When I first began watching Are You Being Served, I met someone who was working in the States who told me that this program is modeled after a real old fashioned department store in London. Back to Downton Abbey, I'm glad they included the cricket game (not that I knew what the heck was going on even tho' I've heard it was supposed to have been the inspiration for the creation of baseball). When Tom looked at his in-laws sitting in the shade, Mary holding baby Sybil in her lap, it almost looked like a painting with the women (and the men) wearing creamy white clothes, all looking very serene.

[Lara]

Cracking up at the Facebook recaps - thanks for the link!

[danceronice]

I don't you think you can follow Top Gear unless you appreciate a certain kind of British humor and have a fairly detailed interest in automobiles (IOW, if all you know about it is it's about "wrecking cars", you are not the target market, have not watched in any detail, and probably won't appreciate it. Reading the magazine would probably clarify quite a bit.) The American one is coming into its own, but definitely has more an element of "blowing up stuff." It doesn't do as much for showing cars that I cannot afford to park next to as opposed to the UK version.

I think some British shows translate, some don't. "The Office" apparently did (I don't know, I don't like either one), but I cannot see how they thought an American version of "Coupling" would fly. (And I don't know why EITHER country would produce something like "Skins", but whatever. I'm not much a market for fiction shows in either market, though, the pay-network dramas pretty much blew my standard for anything produced for general broadcast.)

That is one thing for Downton, soap or not--it would be borderline-impossible to make an "American" version without rewriting it to the point it was an entirely new show.

[Artemis@BC]

That is one thing for Downton, soap or not--it would be borderline-impossible to make an "American" version without rewriting it to the point it was an entirely new show.

Yes, I was talking about that with a friend last night. We were trying to think up some even remotely comparable scenario that would work. The closest we could come was some post-slavery plantation setting ... but even that is still so far removed, what would be the point?

[Artemis@BC]

As for Mr. Pamuk, it's sort of hysterical that since he's supposed to be Turkish, the writers have automatically given him the surname of the recent Turkish Nobel literature prize winner, Orhan Pamuk. If they had consulted any Turkish person in the world, they would have learned that there were no surnames at that time, but only patronymics. So that guy should be called Mr <first name of his father> which could never be Pamuk because that word means "cotton wool".

I just assumed that it was an Anglicized version of a name, possibly 2nd or 3rd generation. Pamuk was public-school educated and very much acclimatized to British culture -- either he or his family (or, possibly a school or immigration officer somewhere along the line) would have changed his name to make fitting in easier.

[Asli]

I just assumed that it was an Anglicized version of a name, possibly 2nd or 3rd generation. Pamuk was public-school educated and very much acclimatized to British culture -- either he or his family (or, possibly a school or immigration officer somewhere along the line) would have changed his name to make fitting in easier.

He was a diplomat on an official mission and the son of a minister. Not some immigrant whose name would have been changed by an immigration officer so he would "fit in!"

Of course the elite of the Ottoman Empire was fluent in French and English and/or German from childhood and knew about the culture of these countries, somewhat like the Russian aristocracy.

[PDilemma]

I don't you think you can follow Top Gear unless you appreciate a certain kind of British humor and have a fairly detailed interest in automobiles (IOW, if all you know about it is it's about "wrecking cars", you are not the target market, have not watched in any detail, and probably won't appreciate it. Reading the magazine would probably clarify quite a bit.) The American one is coming into its own, but definitely has more an element of "blowing up stuff." It doesn't do as much for showing cars that I cannot afford to park next to as opposed to the UK version.

I think some British shows translate, some don't. "The Office" apparently did (I don't know, I don't like either one), but I cannot see how they thought an American version of "Coupling" would fly. (And I don't know why EITHER country would produce something like "Skins", but whatever. I'm not much a market for fiction shows in either market, though, the pay-network dramas pretty much blew my standard for anything produced for general broadcast.)

That is one thing for Downton, soap or not--it would be borderline-impossible to make an "American" version without rewriting it to the point it was an entirely new show.

Yes. And I certainly don't understand British humor as my DVD shelf of Monty Python's Flying Circus, Keeping Up Appearances, The Office, and about 95 British comedy movies proves.

Today is apparently my day to have everyone explain to me everything I don't understand and am completely wrong about. If you really need some fun, why don't you call me up like my brother did TWICE and yell at me about how I did something very vague that doesn't make sense that is screwing up your kid.

Geesh. I'm so sorry I mentioned f*cking Top Gear. It was basically a joke about people that don't know DA is soapy. That is truly all it was.

[my little pony]

i love bbc america but it makes me sad that it seems like they spend 23 hrs a day on top gear i really hate it. but i hate cars.

[Japanfan]

I'm bother by Thomas's promotion to underbutler, above Mr. Bates. There is no way he should have been offered a position above Bates. This is not consistent with the characters or the storyline. Thomas should really have gone with a reference - or, should have been returned to the position of first footman.

Although I can have sympathy for Thomas to a certain extent given that he's gay, his personality has nonetheless been lacking, he's been downright mean and nasty. Since he's not popular and has not earned the respect of the house, it doesn't make sense to promote him to underbutler.

[smurfy]

i love bbc america but it makes me sad that it seems like they spend 23 hrs a day on top gear i really hate it. but i hate cars.

Also I hate they show Star Trek- Next Generation (love the show!). That is an American made show, and most likely could be on any of the other us cable channels.
I know Patrick Stewart is in the show, but I want British made shows that I normally would not get to see.

[jlai]

I'm bother by Thomas's promotion to underbutler, above Mr. Bates. There is no way he should have been offered a position above Bates. This is not consistent with the characters or the storyline. Thomas should really have gone with a reference - or, should have been returned to the position of first footman.

Although I can have sympathy for Thomas to a certain extent given that he's gay, his personality has nonetheless been lacking, he's been downright mean and nasty. Since he's not popular and has not earned the respect of the house, it doesn't make sense to promote him to underbutler.

At first, I thought it's really unfair, but then the Lord really bent over backwards for Bates, I mean, paying for the legal expenses and getting his old job back and all. So by contrast, the favor he did to Thomas was by comparison, small.

[jlai]

Yes. And I certainly don't understand British humor as my DVD shelf of Monty Python's Flying Circus, Keeping Up Appearances, The Office, and about 95 British comedy movies proves.

Today is apparently my day to have everyone explain to me everything I don't understand and am completely wrong about. If you really need some fun, why don't you call me up like my brother did TWICE and yell at me about how I did something very vague that doesn't make sense that is screwing up your kid.

We're just making silly small talk here, that's all. I'm sorry if you had a bad day.

[4rkidz]

I've just watched tonight's 2-hour episode. So is there only one remaining?

What the heck.. there was another hour on I turned off the TV after an hour I'm going to have to track it down again like last time.. it would be so much easier if I could just get pbs on my kitchen tv (where I live with my lap top).. the big TV is downstairs and I hardly go down there but that is the TV that has all the fancy channels and time shift stuff.. so many channels when you only grow up with 4!

[4rkidz]

i love bbc america but it makes me sad that it seems like they spend 23 hrs a day on top gear i really hate it. but i hate cars.

I love top gear, the adventure and the competition the three of them have and I'm not even a big car fan.. I just love the banter and the youngest one is really cute

[Artemis@BC]

What the heck.. there was another hour on I turned off the TV after an hour

Does your PBS affiliate do repeats? The Seattle one repeats last Sunday's eps tonight at 3:00 am tonight (well, Wed. morning) and then again 7:00 pm on Sunday, right before the finale special episode.