A Brief History of Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey is a television series written & created by Julian Fellowes. The series is set on the fictional estate of Downton Abbey in North Yorkshire, England, beginning in 1912. The estate is the home of Robert Crawley,  Earl of Grantham, his wife Cora, Countess of Grantham  & their 3 daughters, Lady Mary, Lady Edith, and Lady Sybil. It features an ensemble cast and is filmed on location at Highclere Castle, Berkshire, England.
 
The story centers around the lives of the Crawley family & their servants. Extended members of the Crawley family who play prominent roles include Robert Crawley's mother, Violet, Robert's cousin, Matthew Crawley, and Matthew's mother Isobel.

Servants who play a prominent role include Mr Carson - The Butler, Mrs. Hughes - The Houskeeper, John Bates - Robert Crawley's Valet, O'Brien- Lady's Maid,  Anna- Head Housemaid, Thomas - First Footman, Mrs. Patmore - The Cook, Daisy - Scullery Maid, William - Second Footman, Branson - The Chauffeur.

Up until this point life had been mostly idyllic for the The Crawley family. Then the sinking of the Titanic brings on a dramatic change as Lord Grantham's heir, James Crawley, and his son Patrick perished.  Thus we have the beginning of 'Downton Abbey', who will be the new heir to the earldom, and what will happen to this distinguished estate, now in jeopardy? Enter Matthew Crawley, the heir presumptive, along with his mother Isobel. Tension is in the air.

The series airs on ITV in the UK & PBS in the USA. It premièred on ITV on 26 September 2010 and on PBS on 9 January 2011. Two seasons of this award winning television drama have already aired, a third currently filming and possible plans for a fourth and fifth season.

So where can you watch the first two seasons of 'Downton Abbey'? Netflix has season one on streaming.  Amazon Instant Video has both season one & two. iTunes also has both seasons.

Catch up on season one by reading, "100 Important Things To Know About Season 1 of ‘Downton Abbey’"