8:37 pm - 09/14/2012
'Downton Abbey' savaged by David Mitchell
David Mitchell has savaged Downton Abbey's second series, calling it "completely nuts".
He joins Benedict Cumberbatch as a critic of the show, after the Sherlock actor recently labelled it "f**king atrocious".
"As autumn approaches, soon it will be time for another series of Downton Abbey, and, frankly, if you think of the downward trajectory that show is on, I dread to think what it will be like," Mitchell begins in his most recent edition of Soapbox.
Explaining that he found the show's first series "mildly enjoyable", with "vaguely interesting characters experiencing vaguely plausible events in a vaguely interesting setting", he goes on: "Then the second series came along and it went completely nuts."
He describes it as "haemorrhaging history", referring to the fact that the series "whipped us through a whole sodding World War" while still attempting to "tell the personal stories... at the same speed as before".
"So in one show, you had that chauffeur... suggesting a hump to one of the Lord's daughters, and then in the next you get her huffy and slightly aroused reply; which would be fine, except in the story it's supposed to be eight months later," he explains.
"It was as if the First World War was taking place in Narnia."
He continues: "The plotting went nuts as well. Everything started happening to everybody. It crucially tipped over the line beyond which it's impossible to suspend your disbelief, and you can't help but realize it's just actors saying lies in hats."
Broadening his complaint, he concludes: "The thing that really worries me about this is that it didn't make a blind bit of difference to the show's success.
"The rising ratings for Downton Abbey suggest that properly scripting TV drama has about as much point to it as opening an art gallery for cattle."
SOURCE ... and also the video.
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He joins Benedict Cumberbatch as a critic of the show, after the Sherlock actor recently labelled it "f**king atrocious".
"As autumn approaches, soon it will be time for another series of Downton Abbey, and, frankly, if you think of the downward trajectory that show is on, I dread to think what it will be like," Mitchell begins in his most recent edition of Soapbox.
Explaining that he found the show's first series "mildly enjoyable", with "vaguely interesting characters experiencing vaguely plausible events in a vaguely interesting setting", he goes on: "Then the second series came along and it went completely nuts."
He describes it as "haemorrhaging history", referring to the fact that the series "whipped us through a whole sodding World War" while still attempting to "tell the personal stories... at the same speed as before".
"So in one show, you had that chauffeur... suggesting a hump to one of the Lord's daughters, and then in the next you get her huffy and slightly aroused reply; which would be fine, except in the story it's supposed to be eight months later," he explains.
"It was as if the First World War was taking place in Narnia."
He continues: "The plotting went nuts as well. Everything started happening to everybody. It crucially tipped over the line beyond which it's impossible to suspend your disbelief, and you can't help but realize it's just actors saying lies in hats."
Broadening his complaint, he concludes: "The thing that really worries me about this is that it didn't make a blind bit of difference to the show's success.
"The rising ratings for Downton Abbey suggest that properly scripting TV drama has about as much point to it as opening an art gallery for cattle."
SOURCE ... and also the video.
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I just want to watch Michelle Dockery thesp it out every Sunday.
There are loads of things that are a bit shitty that I enjoy, so what the fuck ever. <3
whatever haters gonna hate it's a fun show go complain about something else now
people need to calm down and stop taking this show so seriously, it's supposed to be ridiculous and fun
Edited at 2012-09-15 01:57 am (UTC)
As much as i disagree, I still love David Mitchell.
(John Finnemore who co-wrote the Soapbox is also not a Sherlock actor though he did work with Cumberbatch in Cabin Pressure -- the best radio drama ever produced by the BBC)
IDGAF, David Mitchell is fucking perfect.
How can you not tbh. He's the cutest.
Edited at 2012-09-15 10:05 am (UTC)
I love him sfm
I was about to rage at all the David hate in this post/
And his laugh is amazing.
SO MUCH RICH WHITE BRITISH DRAMA I LOVED IT.