<p>I’m anxious for Fellowes’ next series, which he says will be about the industrial tycoons of the US in the “gilded age.” We had a chance to visit Newport, RI this past summer, right before I started watching Downton. It really gave me a feel for what is was like in these grand houses! It will be interesting to compare the attitudes and values of the American tycoons to those of the Crawleys!</p>
<p>On a personal note, I learned while doing some geneology this fall that one of my father’s aunts was a maid for a wealthy PA family. I knew her, but I was young when she passed away. How I wish she were here now - I’d love to hear her stories!</p>
<p>“In a similar, if more elevated, vein, a BBC dramatization of the four Ford Madox Ford novels collectively known as ‘Parades End’ will arrive on American television at the end of the month. (HBO will air the miniseries beginning on Feb. 26.) The screenplay is by Tom Stoppard, and Benedict Cumberbatch, of ‘Sherlock’ fame, stars. 'Downton’comparisons will abound, though some viewers will be disappointed to find ‘Parades End’ lacks a mansion and wisecracking old ladies not to mention the complete absence of attention paid to the servant class.”</p>
<p>Parade’s End is a GREAT book, especially if you have an interest in the period. I was just chatting with the clerk in a local bookstore about it two days ago.</p>
<p>Consolation,I’m with you. I’ve been waiting & waiting for Parade’s End, and will have to keep waiting, b/c I don’t have HBO. I keep debating buying the British DVDs and resetting my computer to play them. </p>
<p>If Fellowes’ next series is about the Gilded Age, then double the reason to buy To Marry an English Lord. The Gilded Age in NY and Newport is fully canvassed there. BTW, I think the Crawleys are quite Americanized. I think that when Robert fell in love with Cora he adapted his mores to fit hers.</p>
<p>Well, we’ll need something else to watch because by the end of the month DA will be finished and we have to wait 10 months for any more! That is very sad… </p>
<p>While we’re on the subject of books, to anyone interested in the WWI period, I cannot recommend Pat Barker’s Regeneration trilogy too highly. I’m reading another of hers set in that era, Life Class, right now. And I think upthread we might have mention Vera Brittain’s Testament of Youth, which was made into a really, really great BBC series.</p>
<p>Oh, hi everyone!!! I just caught up with you all (through an evening’s marathon run through the last 3 episodes. Now I just have to be sure to get the TV tomorrow night to keep up.)</p>
<p>So, anyway, though I’d inadvertently found out about Sybil’s death about a week ago, I am sitting here with totally swollen eyes from crying over it! I liked her so much! It was a relief for there to be one sister who was never b***y. I liked her independence, and I do think Tom’s kinda gorgeous, so I hope they keep him around. And since I’m married to a sorta radical Irishman (though American-born), I must confess I have a weakness for them. Iwish we’d seen more of Sybil and Tom’s life together.</p>
<p>Anyway, aside from the fact that i"m going to have a headache from stuffing up over her death, I have spent the last hour catching up on this thread. You are all hilarious–love the DA FB’s!!! And good on the history, religion, etc.</p>
<p>And I almost don’t dislike Mary anymore, though she started reverting to type over the whole DA mismanagement dispute. Sheesh, she’s tough.</p>
<p>(and about her and Edith–yes, what Edith did was awful, but as i recall, she only wrote the letter after Mary deliberately stole the attention of a possible suitor from Edith–possibly the first appearance of Lord One-Arm, just to prove she could. not cool! Still not enough justifcation to write the letter, but I do understand the provocation. Oh, and she brushed off Matthew that time, too.)</p>
<p>So, anyway, glad to be joining the thread! See you after tomorrow’s show! (possibly not till Monday, though. It’s easier to watch this on my laptop than to commandeer the one tv in front of everyone.)</p>
<p>Haven’t been able to get on here until now. Tonight’s episode is 2hrs. long where I live, and it’s the one I saw by accident during Christmas vacation. It will make more sense tonight (I hope).</p>
<p>Here’s a great 10-part TV documentary about World War I-- “The First World War.” It describes not only the military events but also the cultural and political changes that saw the demise of three empires and the general breakdown of the old social order. Extensive quoting of literary lights such as Siegfrieg Sassoon, Rupert Brooke, and Robert Graves. The only availability I found is on YouTube: [The</a> First World War - E01 - To Arms - YouTube](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube) But it seems to be all there.</p>
<p>Robert Graves (poet and author of I Claudius) wrote a memoir, “Goodbye to All That,” which chronicles his war experiences and the aftermath.</p>
<p>garland, I may be wrong, but I thought that what Mary did was let him think that Edith though he was an old pest, and she only did so after discovering that Edith sent the letter. But I could be wrong. It has been quite a while at this point!</p>
<p>Hmmm… I now have the season 3 DVD, and I only saw an one-hour episode. Perhaps they will be running two episodes back-to-back tonight to make one two-hour show. So I guess I will have some new material to watch on the TV tonight.</p>
<p>As I recall it, you are correct. Mary scotched Edith’s chances with the old guy in revenge for Edith having written the letter. I think Edith wrote the letter simply because she was sick of of living in Mary’s shadow, plus Edith knew that Mary’s supposed virtue was a hypocritical sham.</p>
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