Abbey Addicted

You know you are in trouble when you’ve become so addicted to a television series that the mere thought of missing the first three episodes of season 2 prompts your honey to run and buy a blu-ray disc player with streaming video just so you can get Amazon’s truly revolutionary HD video service to the big screen living room TV in order to catch up.

To make the situation more ridiculous, I broke my self-imposed three week diet — yes folks it was Ben & Jerry’s Phish food, no judgement — just so I could keep myself awake for the midnight-mini-marathon.

Oh yeah, it was that bad.  But this viewing event was more than worth it.  And if you haven’t a clue yet about what show my honey and I were watching, I shall enlighten you; I’m talking about the Masterpiece Classics stunner Downton Abbey.

I have to give a shout out to my Nia exercise buddy Martina (maker of the wondrous mince pies I love so dearly) for telling me that watching this show was a must.  Indeed she was right.

Why is this show the best viewing event of the season?  A not-to-be-missed tour-de-force on par with the best TV viewing experiences EVER!?

Here are my top three reasons:

1. It’s a great show.  Beautifully shot, expertly written and wonderfully acted.

2. It celebrates women in all our complex, messy, glorious facets.

3. Maggie Smith – ‘nuff said.

You could say between Netflix, Amazon, iTunes and the recently completed 2nd season run on PBS stations across the country, that Downton Abbey mania is sweeping the colonies!

There are so many people talking about the show that even while I was contemplating this week’s blog, I got an email from Daily Worth – A Community of Women Who Talk Money, dishing about Downton Abbey!  So what is it about amazing series that has us girls chomping for more?

On face value, Downton Abbey demonstrates what it was like (not all that long ago actually) for women to live in a society where her rights were secondary to that of her spouse’s.  In Downton Abbey‘s WWI era, women had yet to find equality, but that didn’t stop them because the women of Downton Abbey are a force to be reckoned with.

Passion, smarts, ambition and guile are the qualities I love most about every female character in Downton Abbey.  Whether upstairs or downstairs – these girls simply rule.

Like so many of us they are are vulnerable, strong, courageous and honest.  We can even appreciate the one female character who is the be-atch we love to hate because in her moment of self-realization she reminds us that being self-serving can at times be a necessary evil.

The female characters of Downton Abbey are appealing because in ways large and small we see ourselves in them.

And the men aren’t bad either.  They are human, dimensional, flawed, kind, cunning, honest and liars.  They are expertly drawn, beautifully acted and believable, that is if you believe in Lords, butlers, footmen, chauffeurs and grooms.

It should come as no surprise that what appeals to me most about the female characters in Downton Abbey is that I see myself in these larger than life TV gal pals.  Here’s how:

Like the women of Downton Abbey, I am doing my part to find myself, to stand for something important and to stand on my own two feet.  I am also doing my part to be a role model to my children.

Taking it all just a bit further, I am doing my part to make a difference in the world through my work and my heart and I am doing my best to ensure that those two elements are never separated.

Just like some of the fictional characters on the series, I am unwilling, unyielding and unable to settle anymore for what I believe to be less than what I deserve from myself and from those around me.

I cheer the women in the show because I cheer for myself, and for women everywhere!

No matter where we come from, who raised us, what our backgrounds or beliefs, we are all entitled to live a life of passion and purpose regardless of how much money we make, who our parents are, or where we come from.

Finally I watch Downton Abbey because it is great fun and honestly, can anyone ever get enough of Maggie Smith?  I think not.

So do yourself a BIG favor.  Go find Downton Abbey, make yourself a big bowl of popcorn, maybe pour your favorite tea, kick back and enjoy.  You can thank me later.

For those of you needing help finding the series send me a note.  I know all the ways one can find our friends from yore.