Who's watching?

I'm definitely watching. Cosy dressing gown, feet up, wine to hand and emergency Liquorice Allsorts located. Sorted!

I'll be watching it. I'll save The Go Between to watch on iPlayer when there's nothing else on but Rugby.

I'm taping it(can't stand the adverts) watching the go between .Hope I can understand it.

Loved the expression on Carson's face when the penny dropped about what Mrs Patmore was talking about!
Lady Mary looking just too thin. Face looks awful.

Loved the costumes and I am so pleased the Bates' are now free of worry; perhaps now Anna will conceive.
Pass the liquorice all sorts please Jane10 I could just fancy a handful one.

Hard luck ruby, somehow they've all gone!

I shall watch DA this afternoon as its pouring and I cant golf - have to go to the gym first I suppose.

Oh, those that recorded it should have been warned of SPOILERS.
I watched it. I didn't fancy 'The Go Between '

Trouble is, when you get to my age I've seen things like The Go Between before, umpteen times.
Anyway, Downton Abbey is wonderful so I would have chosen that anyway. I really enjoyed last night's start of the series.

I enjoyed it too, henetha, but was struck by how thin all the younger women are. Lady Mary is like a stick and her curls-on-cheeks hairstyle just makes her look thinner. Also, the mother (Lady Thingy) still has that annoying habit of tilting her head and smiling sweetly which I find most annoying. Rant over, must get out for a walk whilst it is not raining.

Wasn't the Dowager Countess's line to Isobel delicious? "Is it ever cold on the moral high ground?" Love it!

Yes, I agree, NotTooOld, Lady Thingy is very very irritating. I nearly didn't watch it at the beg because she was irritating and the girls were bitchy, but the set is lovely, and Maggie Smith always a joy to watch, but I cant say I care much about what happens to any of them, except Branson, and he no longer in it! Although Lady Edith's story is good with little Marigold, and a whole new career, I hope that develops.

I think the series has run it's cause now. I shall still watch it but shame for it to go into overdrive, like story lines in soaps which go on forever.

Well, it is the last series, so hopefully all the loose ends will be tied up and it won't have outstayed its welcome. I'll miss it, I must admit!

Milly - yes, I'd forgotten Branson. He was lovely. I used to think that his very stiff tweed suits must be so scratchy!

It was interesting that the first reaction of family members to the news that their way of life may be coming to an end, was to worry about their staff and what would happen to them if they lost their jobs.

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it! I have recorded The Go Between.

I watch and enjoy Downton but I see it as an entertaining fantasy rather than as a representation of what really happened above and below stairs in those days.

I think it is a charming idea that the below stairs employees became part - albeit a subservient part - of one big happy family. But there are accounts that tell of long hours of drudgery, a lack of privacy and free time, very poor pay - and a complete lack of respect for domestic staff, with maids often being given the name of their predecessors to save employers having to learn their names.

When I hear people - particularly women - say they would have loved to live in those days: it was all so elegant and civilised then, etc. etc., they are obviously envisaging themselves as being "above stairs" rather than the more likely scenario that they would have been up at 5 a.m. and cleaning out the grates.

I do agree that the actress who plays Mary looks much thinner than before and it isn't an improvement. Perhaps it's the strain of trying to maintain that rather unconvincing "posh" drawl!

Yes,I've always enjoyed it.But PCness does rear its ugly head in some aspects of it.They are afraid to tell a historical story the way it was.

I love Downton and will really miss it. I agree with others that Mary is looking much too thin now. TBH I think her character has been over-developed to the point where she has become a caricature of her original self. She is now just plain irritating, all the cold put downs to Edith, the cool non-smile for just about everyone who talks to her. I found myself actually hoping she would be brought low by the blackmailer and was quite disappointed when, once again, she came out of yet another escapade smelling of roses .
My fantasy for this series? That Michael will be found, not dead after all, and he, Edith and Marigold will live happily ever after. Well, Kathy came back from the dead in Eastenders, didn't she?

Oh, and yes, that fabulous line from Violet about the moral high ground. I want a book of her one-liners!

I used to enjoy Downton but was distinctly unimpressed by this first episode. Seemed too far fetched and people acting out of character.

It's like a badly written novel where the author has introduced too many characters to handle, and too many twists and turns in unlikely plots, and now has to try to tie up loose ends very quickly.

Oh I agree, Anya, that was very evident. The way the Bates' nightmare situation was resolved so suddenly and so completely, after dragging on for far too long. My sister and I usually have a post episode giggle phone call about all the ridiculously unlikely happenings.
But I just can't help myself, I love it! It's comfort viewing, the TV version of snuggling down with a new Maeve Binchy and a cup of hot chocolate

I was in two minds whether to watch this series - but of course, I did, and I enjoyed it, but I don't think I'll be too downhearted when it goes. I agree with Anya about people acting out of character.

The "moral higround" comment was great and delivered by Maggie Smith, even better. I enjoyed the episode immensely.
The changes that were inevitable for the time should be interestingly portrayed in this series. I thought that the Crawley's lifestyle was cleverly beginning to look pointless and rediculous for the time. Working class wanting evenings to themselves! Whatever next! Reminds me of a story my DMIL, bless her, tild me. She worked for a doctor's family as nanny, cleaner, cook, and receptionist fir 5s a week. When the war came along she went to the munition factory for 21s per week. The doctor's wife told her she was ungrateful and not to expect her job back when the war ended!

Woops few typo's there! On my phone. V small keyboard!