Downton Abbey
Series 1
DVD cover art
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of episodes7
Release
Original networkITV
Original release26 September (2010-09-26) –
7 November 2010 (2010-11-07)
Series chronology
Next →
Series 2
List of episodes

The first series of Downton Abbey comprises seven episodes,[1] was broadcast in the UK from 26 September 2010, and explored the lives of the Crawley family and their servants from the day after the sinking of the RMS Titanic in April 1912 to the outbreak of the First World War on 4 August 1914.[2] The ties between blood relations in family are an important part of the series.[3] The series looks keenly at issues relating to class and privilege in a variety of aspects, such as the compassionate treatment of homosexuality seen with depictions of the character of Thomas Barrow.[4]

Series overview

The first series is focused on the need for a male heir to the Grantham estate, and the troubled love life of Lady Mary as she attempts to find a suitable husband. The device that sets the drama in motion is the fee tail or "entail" governing the (fictional) Earldom of Grantham, endowing both title and estate exclusively to heirs male and complicated by the dire financial state of the estate, the latter only resolved when the earl—then the heir apparent—married an American heiress. As a condition of the marriage contract, her considerable fortune was contractually incorporated into the comital entail in perpetuity. The earl and countess, who have three daughters and no son, arranged for their eldest daughter to marry her cousin, son of the then-heir presumptive. The demise of both heirs in the sinking of the Titanic destroys the plans and brings into play a distant male cousin, Matthew Crawley, a solicitor from Manchester, as heir presumptive to Downton and the countess's fortune. The series begins in early 1912 with the aftermath of the Titanic disaster and ends in late 1914, at the outbreak of World War I, and follows the lives of the Crawley family and their servants.

Cast

Main cast

Recurring and guest cast

Episodes

No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions) [5]
11"Episode One"Brian PercivalJulian Fellowes26 September 2010 (2010-09-26)9.25
April 1912. News arrives that threatens the future of Downton Abbey: Lord Grantham's (Robert Crawley) cousin, James Crawley, heir presumptive to the earldom, and his son Patrick have died in the RMS Titanic disaster. Meanwhile, Lord Grantham hires his former batman, John Bates, as his valet. The family receives a visit from the impoverished (but entitled) Duke of Crowborough. The family thought he was interested in marrying Mary; however, it is revealed that the duke was only interested because he believed that she was inheriting the entire Grantham fortune. In addition, the duke once had a romantic relationship with Thomas, the footman. Matthew Crawley, a distant cousin, learns he is the new Grantham heir.
22"Episode Two"Ben BoltJulian Fellowes3 October 2010 (2010-10-03)9.97
September 1912. Matthew Crawley and his mother, Isobel, move into Crawley House in Downton village. When they visit Downton Abbey, Violet and Lady Mary are standoffish towards them. The families experience some culture clash due to their differing backgrounds. Isobel, who trained as a nurse during the Boer War, occupies herself with the local hospital. Meanwhile, Downton butler Carson has kept his past as music-hall performer secret. His former partner, Charles Grigg, threatens to expose him. Robert is amused by Carson's background and pays off Grigg. The hostility between Isobel and the Dowager Countess escalates when Isobel pressures Dr. Clarkson to perform pericardiocentesis on a patient suffering from dropsy. Violet objects, believing the patient will die, but the treatment is successful. Robert makes Isobel chairman of the hospital board. Violet begins considering the possibility of Mary marrying Matthew, though Mary opposes the idea.
33"Episode Three"Ben BoltJulian Fellowes10 October 2010 (2010-10-10)8.97
March 1913. Evelyn Napier, son of a peer, visits the family with a dashing Turkish diplomat, Mr Kemal Pamuk, who is in London for the Albanian independence negotiations. Mary is smitten with Pamuk. Thomas is also attracted to him. Mr Pamuk comes into Mary's room and seduces her, but he dies in her bed. To avert a scandal, Mary is forced to get Anna and her mother to move Pamuk's body back to his room. Cora is horrified by Mary's behaviour but promises not to tell Robert.
44"Episode Four"Brian KellyJulian Fellowes, Shelagh Stephenson17 October 2010 (2010-10-17)9.70
May 1913. A travelling fair arrives in the neighbouring village. Anna falls ill and stays in bed, visited by Mr Bates who brings her a tray with a flower. Mrs Hughes, the housekeeper, is reunited with a former suitor, who proposes, though she later declines. Molesley suffers from an allergic reaction to rue, which Violet correctly diagnoses after Isobel assumed it was erysipelas. Carson fears there is a thief at Downton after checking the stock of the wine cellar. The youngest Crawley daughter, Lady Sybil, continues to support feminism, aided and inspired by the new, politically-minded Irish chauffeur, Tom Branson. After visiting her dressmaker, Sybil surprises the family by wearing harem pants.
55"Episode Five"Brian KellyJulian Fellowes24 October 2010 (2010-10-24)9.40
August 1913. Bates discovers Thomas is stealing wine from the cellar. Worried that he will be reported, Thomas attempts to frame Bates for stealing one of Lord Grantham's antique snuffboxes, but his plan is thwarted. Anna tells Bates that she loves him but he says they cannot be together. A letter from Robert's sister, Lady Rosamund Painswick, reveals rumours are circulating in London about Lady Mary and the "handsome Turk", Pamuk. Daisy finds it increasingly difficult to contain what she witnessed when Pamuk died, and after some cajoling from Miss O'Brien, she tells her story to Lady Edith, who then writes to the Turkish ambassador. At the annual flower show, Isobel questions Violet continually winning the annual prize, and instead supports Molesley's father's exhibits, much to Violet's dismay.
66"Episode Six"Brian PercivalJulian Fellowes, Tina Pepler31 October 2010 (2010-10-31)9.84
May 1914. Gossip about Lady Mary and Pamuk intensifies, reaching Carson and the Dowager Countess. Violet confronts Cora, who confesses the truth. Edith finds an admirer in the much-older Sir Anthony Strallan. Bates reveals to Carson that he was once a drunkard and was in prison for theft; Carson is unwilling to release him, suspecting there is more to the story. Sybil has Branson take her to Ripon under false pretenses so she can attend the by-election count. She is injured during a brawl but Branson and Matthew, who happens to appear, rescue her. Lord Grantham blames Branson but Sybil defends him. Later that night, Mary and Matthew confess their love for each other, but Mary feels unable to accept his proposal without telling him her scandalous secret. Violet apologises to Cora for her earlier harsh treatment. Lady Mary arranges for second footman William to visit his ailing mother. Anna tells Mr Bates that she does not want him to leave Downton.
77"Episode Seven"Brian PercivalJulian Fellowes7 November 2010 (2010-11-07)10.77
July–August 1914. Tensions abound following the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. The family returns from London after Sybil's debutante ball, but Mary stays with Lady Rosamund Painswick in Eaton Square. When Cora becomes pregnant, Matthew's position as Robert's heir is jeopardised, as he would not succeed to the earldom if the baby is a boy. Mary discovers that Edith originated the rumours about her and Pamuk. O'Brien informs Carson that when Bates was a soldier, he was imprisoned for theft, though Anna later learns Bates' wife was the thief. Matthew is angered by Mary's hesitancy now that he may not inherit Downton. Anticipating the war, Thomas finds a non-combatant role in the Army Medical Corps. Mary confronts Edith about revealing her secret. As revenge, Mary misleads Sir Anthony Strallan into believing that Edith actually finds him old and boring, causing him to leave. Fearing Cora intends to replace her, O'Brien leaves a bar of soap beside her bath tub; O'Brien has second thoughts but before she can retrieve the soap, Cora slips and miscarries. When a telephone is installed at Downton, Lady Sybil arranges a job interview for housemaid Gwen as a secretary. Mary is prepared to marry Matthew but he doubts her motives and intends to leave Downton. While at the garden party, Lord Grantham receives a telegram saying the United Kingdom is at war with Germany, marking the beginning of the First World War.

Critical reception

The first series of Downton Abbey received universal and widespread critical acclaim, including commercial success.

On 14 July 2011, Downton Abbey received eleven nominations for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards winning six, including Outstanding Miniseries or Movie, Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special for Brian Percival, Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special for Julian Fellowes, and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for Dame Maggie Smith, who won again the following year for series 2.

At the 63rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, the series won Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special and Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie – both for "Episode One".

References

  1. ^ Fellowes, Julian (5 February 2013). Downton Abbey Script Book Season 1. Harper Collins. p. Content. ISBN 978-0-06-223832-0. ((cite book)): |work= ignored (help)
  2. ^ Fellowes, Julian; Sturgis, Matthew (13 November 2012). The Chronicles of Downton Abbey: A New Era. St. Martin's Publishing. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-250-02763-4. ((cite book)): |work= ignored (help)
  3. ^ Fellowes, Jessica (6 December 2011). The World of Downton Abbey. St. Martin's Publishing. ISBN 978-1-250-01620-1. ((cite book)): |work= ignored (help)
  4. ^ Bignell, Jonathan; Lacey, Stephen (13 May 2014). British Television Drama: Past, Present and Future. Springer. p. 140. ISBN 978-1-137-32758-1. ((cite book)): |work= ignored (help)
  5. ^ Weekly Top 10 Programmes Broadcasters' Audience Research Board

External links

Downton Abbey
Awards for Downton Abbey (series 1)
Categories