Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This year's Downton Abbey treat takes us to 1924 and is set against the background of the UK's first socialist government having just been elected and Lord Grantham rightly suspects that they have no sympathy for him and his ilk. Many of the story lines of Series 4 and earlier are immediately picked up and Downton certainly hits the ground running. The recurring theme of Series 5 is romance - past romance, present romance and the promise of future romance. There is plenty of it around, and sometimes in quite unexpected quarters, but I will not expand further on this theme as I certainly would not want to spoil the surprises for anybody! However, although romantic relationships are probably the dominant ingredient this time round there are plenty of other dramatic and unexpected developments to entertain. The incomparable Maggie Smith continues to dominate whenever she appears, her caustic and witty comments superbly delivered. The good news is that she makes plenty of appearances in this series and more of the story lines involve her. Julian Fellowes, the writer, clearly appreciates how important she is to Downton. One thing I particularly like about this show is the detailed research which has clearly gone into making it all as authentic to the period as possible. Hairstyles, clothes, accessories, cars and all the other props are absolutely right. Even less tangible issues such as the general attitude of the staff has clearly undergone a change with the passing of time. They are not nearly so deferential as they were when Downton started in 1912! If you are already a lover of Downton Abbey then you are really going to appreciate this series which, to my mind, is stronger than Series 4. If you have not tried it yet, well, buy the box set to date and get started! You don't know what you are missing. As an added bonus it has now been announced that there will be a Series 6 for Downton. As a final thought, although this series will be issued earlier on DVD in the UK, it is best to wait for this set as this will include the Xmas Special episode, but the set issued in the UK will not. Apart from that the content will be the same.