Downton Abbey and Nashville: My TV Obsessions

I find television to be very dismal as of late. Community was on hiatus, and now that it's back, it's weird.   Fringe is over. 30 Rock took it's (fantastic) bow.   Any show that seems to be any good is not avaliable On Demand or Netflix Streaming and I'm only number 1,323 on the library list for Homeland Season One.

Thank goodness for Downton Abbey.  Truth: I'm OBSESSED.  I watched the first season without much fanfare.   I enjoyed it, but I kept waiting for something to happen.  Finally, the last two episodes of the first season, SOME BIG STUFF HAPPENED.  Then I had to wait forever for Season Two, and then Emily casually mentioned to me that she owned Season TWO and  
OH MY GOSH PUT IT IN MY PURSE RIGHT NOW!!!
 NOW!!   
I HAVE TO LEAVE! RIGHT NOW!

Season Two was a quiet, scandalous, hilarious and intriguing look at this house where the upstairs and the downstairs intermingle much more than they should.  To quote Laura Linney, who wants to MAKE SURE that you know that she LOVES Downtown Abbey, "Who knew it would be so much fun to watch a house full of magnificently dressed aristocrats and their servants living all under one roof?”"   If watching LOST is a shot of Scotch with an atomic fireball in the bottom, than Downton Abbey is a very rich wine, refined with age and patience.   Even Ryan has gotten hooked on it. He started just watching it with me - and by watching it, I mean playing a game where he creates a disease and infects the entire world with a pandemic called "Moxerella" - but then started asking questions: "Who is that guy?"  "Is he the King of the Servants?" "Man, I wish we wore dinner jackets."   Now we are both hooked on this strange and lovely little slow show about dinners, silverware, hats and quiet scandals. It makes us think, "We've had to dress OURSELVES this whole time?? How have we survived?"  



I think it's popularity stems of from the fact that we are all wishing that life had a bit more civility, a bit more propriety.   When the envelope has been pushed off the table and out the door, the sexiest and most intriguing thing is to bring it back, and place it squarely on the table. And make it wear really nice pants.




Nashville:  I knew I was going to watch this show, because I love Connie Britton. I loved her in Friday Night Lights, alongside Coach Taylor, best marriage ever portrayed on TV.   Now she's on Nashville.   Nashville. Hmmm....yeah. Nashville. The good? Connie Britton, big shocker.  She's fantastic in whatever she does. Also, Hayden Panitierre.  Anytime the camera is on either of them, the show buzzes with electricity.   Okay, maybe that's not the right word. When the screen is on them, I'm not bored.   What does bore me?  The political plotline. UGH/SNOOZE.  Anytime the world's most boring mayoral campaign comes up, I'm like "Time to grab some tea!"   Other things: the blond farmgirl with the world's worst accent has the world's most gorgeous voice. Oh my gosh. she is so talented. She is going to be a country star, very soon.  However, her "D'oh schucks" attitude and terrible lines, along with the way she says "Avery" like "Aaav-RIIEE" sort of makes me want to bang my head against the couch and her strange plotline is testing my patience. Also, are they trying to make Avery the enemy? Because I'm sort of rooting for him.  Why shoudn't he leave his crappy band behind when his chance to make it comes?  He might never get another one, and they should understand that.
 And Deacon?  Don't get me started. That guy needs a purpose, because right now it's just mooning over girls and looking nice in jeans.



  Just saying. It's funny how on Downton Abbey, a scandal like "Someone put the wrong soup spoon on her lady's table!" can be just as enticing (if not more so!) as the big marriage-ruining scandals on Nashville.  For as many flaws that Nashville has, it makes up for it in fun, brainless viewing and fabulous music.  (I might have to download some songs soon. The Nashville cd is also my father-in-laws favorite cd, which is equal parts impressive and VERY strange.)   I highly enjoy catching it On Demand and half-paying attention while I do other things. Like write this blog.  I think if Nashville upped it's writing and dropped some of the uninteresting characters, than it will do very well next season.   Who doesn't love a good country song?

What is everyone else watching? Who has something to recommend?