Perhaps because it isn’t based on a serial or long novel, and therefore fully enters the world of television serial narratives and can’t be truly counted as British heritage cinema, but the popularity of Downton Abbey in the US has stirred up quite the backlash. Simon Schama’s latest piece is representative of the diatribes both against the series and Americans watching it. Schama, I think–as I wade through the anti-snobbery that is in fact another kind of snobbery–, is suggesting that Americans are flocking to Downton Abbey as a kind of escape from the present economic situation. And apparently we’re desperate enough to watch anything that can distract us from economic woes, especially if that something involves the British upper-classes in full battle array. Or something along those lines.
No, Downton Abbey is not historically accurate, but it’s not meant to be. It’s a soap opera, and Schama seems to think Americans don’t realize this fact. Indeed, he isn’t the only commentator to seem to think American audiences don’t realize this fact. A friend sent me this link to an NYTimes article on the book market tie ins to Downton Abbey. As one commentator said, it means if nothing else more people might pick up Vera Brittain’s excellent Testament of Youth. Yet, some other comments implied that it was only popular in the US and not really in England.
Let’s be realistic about Downton Abbey‘s viewing audience in the US. It airs on PBS on Sunday nights. It’s first episode last Sunday drew 4.2 million viewers (not including DVR or later streaming viewings). While Nielsen has not put up the top rated shows for the week beginning Jan. 9 yet, the top rated show for the previous week was an NFL playoff game with 20.2 million viewers. I’d hazard a guess to say that whatever NFL game aired last Sunday drew in a similar number. So yes, while Downton Abbey is drawing a lot of critical commentary from TV critics and it just won a Golden Globe last night, I don’t think 20 million Americans watched last night. In fact, I bet more Americans watched the show win a Golden Globe than watch the show. Heck, I guarantee that the most popular shows on American broadcast TV outdrew Downton Abbey by close to double. It’s doing well in the US market, but when the Christmas episode aired on ITV in the UK last December it drew over 12 million viewers. It’s popular here, but not more popular than it was in the UK. Americans like good TV. We’re well versed in it. We will watch good TV, no matter where it comes from and we tend to be critical of bad remakes of good TV. The American version of Free Agents failed because it was bad not because the source material was bad. Perhaps I’m more than just a little sensitive to the claim that people who watch TV are some how not critical readers of TV. I know few engaged TV viewers who are uncritical in their viewing tastes or narrative habits.
I unabashedly adore Downton Abbey, but I’m aware I’m watching a well done serial drama. I’m happy that it makes more people want to research and read about the period. It’s precisely what good narrative is designed to do–make us go out and think and learn more.
