Downton Abbey (2019)

Elevator Pitch: It is 1927. The inhabitants of Downton Abbey, both above and below stairs are all of a twitter because the king and queen (King George V and Queen Mary) are due to visit, and things become complicated for the sevants when they realise that the royal household are to completely replace them for the overnight visit. What to do? Meanwhile the butler gets into trouble in York, the family argue about an inheritance, a man with large revolver is lurking in the shadows, a plumber, hired to fix the boiler, flirts with the kitchen maid and someone is stealing trinkets from the toffs.

Content: Absolutely nothing to offend apart from the over use of the toff titles, absolutely wearing during the initial stages of the drama. So, work goes on in the kitchens, with the gritty but lovable staff, upstairs people walk about, sit about and get dressed for dinner. At one point the lords and ladies have to put chairs out for a parade in the rain and realise what life must be like for the working class. Parades take place in the town. Dances are engaged in, and there are discussions in drawing rooms.

A View: We were prepared for the blandness of the film, but honestly! However, it seems to have hit the spot for both the critics and audiences world wide. We saw it in a screen in Madrid at 4 pm on a Saturday, and every single seat was taken. The audience was hushed, and laughed in exactly the right places. I feel almost certain that it was being prepped for a sequel although most critics felt it was a signing off. So only worth the ticket price if you are already a fan.

Additional Info: Because quite a lot was required of the film, the locations used are all over England – a bit disconcerting if you know the country. The house is supposed to be in Yorkshire, but it is actually in Hampshire, the railway used is in Yorkshire and the town is Lacock, in Wiltshire (Illustrated).