Downton Abbey and Boardwalk Empire : Port vs Absinthe

THE BLOGGER IS WATCHING ALTERNATING EPISODES OF DOWNTON ABBEY AND BOARDWALK EMPIRE IN THE HOPE IT ALL ENDS TOGETHER IN A HAIL OF TOMMY GUN FIRE

Downton Empire Final Episode

God Lady Mary is such a miserable sod isn't she? She belongs in the House of Usher not Downton Abbey

I've started watching the new Downton proper now, in order, and watched first of series 3 Boardwalk Empire at the same time. As Downton has caught up it is now contemporary with Boardwalk, roughly 1923 and the discovery of King Tuts tomb has ushered in egypt mania and art deco and everything its all starting to look like the real roaring 20s at last

I'm not sure Tom Bransons Irish Republicanism would have gone down that sympathetically in reality. Shirley McClain is holding back I think, so far anyway

Downton is a bit too sugary on its own and Boardwalk is way too bitter. (Boardwalk ended its last season darker than just about any US serious cable show I've ever seen - and that would include The Wire, Breaking Bad and Deadwood)

In order of female hotness

• Lady Sybil
• Anna Smith
• Lady Edith
• The miserable moaning cadaver that is Lady Mary

Coming soon, 1926 and the General Strike, apparently one of the highlights of Upstairs Downstairs. Probably won't split Downton that much I'd have thought but will be interesting to see what happens. Ten years after that, the abdication crisis, should really split the house down the middle.. how are the Americans going to handle the prospect of Wallace "gets a bouquet of flowers from german ambassador every week" Simpson as Queen?