What makes it so riveting is the way it dresses up soapy drama in high-class clothes: a little trashy, a little classy and a lot of Maggie Smith asking what a "weekend" is.

Full Review | Nov 10, 2021

It's not unreasonable to expect a period drama like Downton Abbey to offer scenes of illicit romance and unexpected death -- but at the same time? All that, and there's a fox hunt, too.

Full Review | Mar 29, 2019

Great care has been taken to keep them pleasant and approachable, even when the things they say are sometimes shown to be class-bound and unfeeling.

Full Review | Nov 6, 2018

Downton Abbey feels ripe with potential, both for addictively gossipy tales of relationships and rivalries as well as for longer arcs of social change and historical unravelling.

Full Review | Jul 18, 2018

Despite somewhat soapier tendencies, Downton Abbey is maintaining its stiff upper-crust lip.

Full Review | Jun 25, 2018