Tonight brought the not only the Season 6 finale’ but also the Series finale’ to Downton Abbey, written by Julian Fellows and presented on the PBS Television Network. Although I can’t speak for every viewer and fan of Downton Abbey, I found myself engulfed in the characters and the era of the period they portrayed, and after watching the final episode and close of the series I’m struggling with mixed emotions…happy for the good fortunes of the characters and less happy that the series won’t be continuing. I’m sure every fan is pondering the thought of what may have become of their favorite character(s), should the series have played out for another season or two. Who knows, Mr. Fellows may surprise Downton Abbey Fans to a “Return to Downton Abbey, Five Years Later” in a 3 part mini series to help eliminate any questions concerning the future of the Crawley’s and the Downton Abbey staff.
I love period pieces and the time era based on real life, but then, I like history. Given the chance to view inside the life of English aristocratic way of life in the early 1900’s was a fantastic journey. One can only imagine how such a social structure endured for all those centuries, and people actually lived those lives whether it be upstairs or downstairs. Each of the characters the actors depicted was not only the life of their character, but also a depiction of true life people living in that era born into a life of privilege or into a life of servitude to the lords and manor houses. Whomever the character they portrayed, every actor did a marvelous job. My favorite character was Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham, and Mr. Fellows couldn’t have found a better actress to portray this part than Maggie Smith.
Julian Fellows isn’t an ordinary man himself, being a descendant of a family of privilege. Julian Fellowes was born on August 17, 1949 in Cairo, Egypt, as Julian Alexander Fellowes. He is an actor and writer, known for Downton Abbey (2010), Gosford Park (2001) and The Tourist (2010). He has been married to Emma Joy Kitchener-Fellowes since April 28, 1990. They have one child.
Fellowes proposed to his wife Emma Joy 20 minutes after first meeting her. She is Lady-in-Waiting to HRH Princess Michael of Kent and was invested as a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) in 2000. Emma is a great-great-niece of (General) Lord Kitchener and on 9 May 2012 The Queen issued a Royal Warrant of Precedence granting The Lady Fellowes of West Stafford the same rank and title as a daughter of an Earl, as if her late father had survived his brother and therefore succeeded to the title of Earl Kitchener.
He and his wife live at Stafford House, West Stafford, Dorset, England, close to the cottage once owned by writer Thomas Hardy. His estate includes a manor house built in 1633 and a newer portion built in 1840, all on 50 acres.
Although we may never know how the lives of the Crawley family, and the lives of the family of their staff may continue, the fans of Downton Abbey have certainly looked forward to each and every Sunday evening sharing the ups and downs of all of their lives. I know they will certainly be missed in my living room. We’ll just have to come to our own conclusions as to how their futures turned out.
The “Downton Abbey” Series is available for purchase online at http://www.shoppbs.com individual Seasons 1 through 6 or the 6 Seasons collections.
What’s your opinion? Please share.
Seniam Nevets
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