Downton Abbey (Season 1)

Julian Fellowes, the writer behind the fantastic period mystery Gosford Park, a film I love for it's inside look of early 1900s British class system, creates this BBC series that deals with the same subject, the rich and the servants who serve them.  The cast of the well-to-do arrange from Robert Crawley the Earl of Grantham, his American wife Cora, his three daughters Mary, Edith and Sybil, his blunt and snobbish mother Violet (played by Maggie Smith), Matthew Crawley (Robert's cousin) and next in line to inherit the estate and his mother Isobel.   From those that serve the cast includes  the house butler Charles Carson, the main housekeeper Elsie, a war vet valet Mr. Bates, two footmen and three house maids as well as the cook and the cook's assistant.  Set just before WWI a lot of wonderful drama can be developed between these groups.  The dialogue is sharp and witty with a style perfect for that time period.  It's like a soup opera but with class and high production values.  Once you start watching you will not want to stop, it's a grand accomplishment and deserving of its popularity.  It is easily one of the best TV shows on right now and I hope it has a long run. Grade: A