Who Says Soap Operas are Dead?

A Reader’s Respite recently read an article that paid homage to the dying era of television soap operas.  With the cancellation of long, long-running daytime soaps such as All My Children and Guiding Light, the article sounded the death knell for the age of soap operas. 
And while soap operas have never been a part of our television repertoire, we have fond memories of them.  Somehow, they seem connected with our mother, who we remember watching shows like General Hospital when we were just a wee lass.  For years we were convinced that Luke and Laura were some distant cousins of ours.

Now this was drama…..

But wait…are soaps really dead?
We think not.  A Reader’s Respite has recently become addicted to a relatively new soap opera that has hit the airwaves.  Severely addicted (truly, it’s becoming a problem).  And just because this soap opera is produced by PBS and cloaked in the disguise of Masterpiece Theater doesn’t make it any less of a soap opera.

Downton Abbey is our latest obsession.  We are mesmerized by this British period drama that is really nothing more than a lurid, tawdry soap opera about an aristocratic English Crawley  family and their equally fascinating servants. 

We *heart* Maggie Smith as the Dowager Duchess

With a stellar cast and clear cut good characters versus the baddies, what’s not to love?  There’s plotting, conniving, greed, lust, envy…..just about all the deadly sins make an appearance.  Not to mention the stunning setting and glorious period costume. 

Highclere Castle, the setting for Dowton Abbey

A Reader’s Respite hasn’t been so interested in television since the first season of Lost premiered (before the show lost us after season three….just sayin’).
Dowton Abbey premiered in 2010 to the very large British audience leading to it’s continuance in 2011.  So if you haven’t seen it, it’s not too late to catch up.

Doesn’t Mary just look like a bitch?

And if you’re an Amazon Prime member, it’s free.  (Even gooder, right?)
And now it’s time for us to go watch episode four….the Dowager Duchess is about to get her comeuppance…..