Home Sweet Home

Well, not really. But it felt that way as I returned from a week long trip yesterday, eagerly anticipating my Friday night date with the Crawley family. I am totally hooked on the British TV series Downton Abbey. The characters and historic context are compelling, but what really grabs me are the real and imagined similarities with our local "castle," the Biltmore Estate.

I have toured Biltmore many times, and most years maintain an annual pass in order to enjoy the hiking and biking trails, gardens, and restaurants on the property. It's a fascinating place, with both a swimming pool and bowling alley inside the house! Wandering through the servants' quarters and servants' dining room,  I have wondered about the people who lived and worked there in the early 1900s. They say that owner George Vanderbilt cared about his servants, regularly seeing to their needs and buying all the children gifts at Christmas. Downton Abbey brings that world to life.

One of my favorite characters on the show in Season One was the dog Pharaoh (played by Roly). Kit over at Dog Daze posted some interesting trivia a month or two ago - click the link to read her post. Apparently, there was some real life drama happening behind the scenes - dog drama! A family actually lives at this castle, and one of their resident dogs took great exception to the male actor dog being in the house. So, Roly got the boot, and a female Labrador named Ellie joined the cast for Season 2. I miss Roly!

Hugh Bonneville with Roly.

I am already looking forward to Season 3, which is currently in production and set to broadcast in two parts, beginning in September 2012 and continuing in January 2013. Lucy is looking forward to it too.