Tor.Com: 'Downton Abbey' is the Edwardian Battlestar Galactica

I wanted to blog about this article just so I could post their picture of the Dowager Countess!

She’s been to Earth. She didn’t care for it.

Are you into sci-fi? Tor.com examines how Downton Abbey is like Battlestar Galactia:

What does Downton Abbey have in common with Battlestar Galactica? Well, both shows have two central cores that make them thematically identical; all the characters are struggling against outside influences to maintain the status quo and preserve a way of life which is threatened. Second, and probably more effective; both shows constantly tease the audience with secrets, and star-crossed lovers.

Battlestar Galactica didn’t sink the Titanic in its opener, but instead blew up the home planets of the humans, sending them fleeing through space. Like DTA, this thrust a lot of people together in a situation where they normally wouldn’t be interacting. Matthew Crawley and Cousin Isabel showing up at Downton and shaking things up isn’t too different from former Secretary of Education Laura Roslin, suddenly becoming President. She’s the heir to Downton Galactica, deal with it. The notion of who is going to be in charge of the colonial fleet is a big deal in BSG. Between Admiral Cain and the Pegasus trying to take over, to Roslin’s illness in later seasons, the idea of the future of the status quo is constantly in play.

Similarly, Downton Abbey frequently throws a curve ball as to the future of their status quo. Maggie Smith’s Dowager Countess is the usual defender of the old guard on DTA, but has the ability to subtly shift with the times. Because it’s Maggie Smith, she truly has no equal and, as such, is not a direct analog on BSG. In a way, she’s Adama, Roslin and Tigh with a dash of Doc Cottle all rolled into one.

But DTA’s scandals are just a real as BSG’s cylons. Will Cora’s pregnancy at the end of season one suddenly render Matthew’s status as the heir illegimate? Then you’ve got a faux-heir showing up in the form of a man claiming to be a disfigured member of the Crawley family. Finally, and most relevantly, as a result of his service in WWI, Matthew is paralyzed from the waist down, again putting his ability to carry on the future generations in jeopardy.

This isn't all, there's lots more. Check out their full comparison here.

Are you a Battlestar Galactia fan? What do you think of the comparison?