Timed to coincide with the upcoming Season Three premiere, PBS Home Entertainment will bring a limited edition release of Downton Abbey: Seasons One & Two to Blu-ray. Starring Maggie Smith (Hook), Elizabeth McGovern (Once Upon a Time in America), and Hugh Bonneville (Notting Hill), this six-time Emmy Award-winning program focuses on the lives and loves of both the Crawley family and their servants.
From PBS's official synopses:
Season One -
"After a tragedy at sea claims the life of the presumed heir, Lord Crawley (Bonneville) is faced with the possibility that the house he's loved his whole life might someday belong to a distant cousin (Dan Stevens, Sense & Sensibility) he's never met. But before that can happen he must deal with his scandalous daughter, Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery, Red Riding Trilogy), [who is] considered by many to be the rightful heir to Downton. Even the staff has opinions on the family's affairs. And while most are devoted to the Crawleys, there are others whose selfishness and scheming do more than simply disrupt the well-oiled inner workings of the estate. As the servants' mischief escalates, even the most faithful employees begin to imagine a different life. Pitting hundreds of years of British aristocracy against the tides of social upheaval and technical progress, under the looming shadow of World War I, will the fate of Downton and its family - above and below stairs - be resolved? Or will life be altered so dramatically that its master no longer matters?"
Season Two -
"Last season opened with the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, which had dire consequences for Downton Abbey. The new season picks up in the middle of another disaster, World War I, which affected every aspect of life in England, accelerating the social change that was already transforming an age-old system of class and privilege. As the Great War rages across Europe, discord is sown even into the serene Yorkshire countryside. Simmering tensions behind the gates of Downton Abbey are beginning to come to a boil as the men and women of Downton do their part on both the front lines and the home front. What's more, the brutality and intensity of war seem to inflame more familiar passions - love, loss, blackmail, and betrayal - leaving family and staff alike to struggle in an ever-changing world, against a host of new demons."
PBS's five-disc set presents both Seasons One and Two of Downton Abbey in its 1.78:1 broadcast aspect ratio with 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks. The Blu-rays will also contain a number of bonus materials, such as:
Christmas at Downton Abbey special
Behind-the-scenes featurettes:
Making of Downton Abbey
A House in History
Fashion and Uniforms
Romance in a Time of War
House to Hospital
The limited edition of Downton Abbey: Seasons One and Two streets on October 2nd.
Series 1 - We got to know the characters and their various situations.
Sereis 2 - WWI kept the series interesting.
Series 3 - The Twenties. Not a period that resonates with most people today. It's going to be difficult to sustain the audience's interest. Probably the last year for the series.
Hopefully, as evidenced by this package, we'll see a Complete Series release once this show completes its run. I will hold out and wait for that release.
The 20s could be pretty interesting in this context. Post-war eras tend to unsettle class distinctions and this particular period threw socialism and labor unions into the mix. Season Two touched on that a bit and it was fairly interesting. I would think we could also expect some (heavy-handed but whattayagonnado) foreshadowing of events in Germany.
@Proghog
You fail to mention the golden age of Conservatism, and the election of 1924 when both the Republican (Calvin Coolidge) and Democrat (Davis) were so Conservative, that the Liberals had to lead a third-party effort just to have someone to vote for.
