I just found a bit of background info on the wonderful place that is used as "Downton Abby"....it is the Victorian Highclere Castle, home of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, in Berkshire England (click "about us" to see them )
http://www.highclerecastle.co.uk/index.html

There are some gorgeous pictures on the site. I really enjoyed looking around the website and getting some of the history

well I guess we are all still a bit shell shocked at that unexpected sad turn of event last night

I won't say more in case some have not yet watched it.

ooooooooooooo O.O I haven't watched it yet! Oh, my.

I forgot! Isn't that awful? I'll watch during breakfast onDemand!

Well I fell asleep during it! Watched it on my tablet last night. (sob)

Yes, it is a sad episode.

I am addicted to DA. It is a fabulous series.

Filmed at Highclere Castle, which has been in the Carnarvon family since 1679. "Reconstruction started in 1842. Estimated rooms, 200-300. 6,000 acres, 1,000 of which are parkland gardens surrounding the house. $240 million reported value. 300 Egyptian artifacts discovered in a secret passageway in 1988. (The current earl's great-grandfather, a famous Egyptologist, jointly discovered King Tut's toomb.) $24,000 approximate rental fee to get married in the same place that Mary and Matthew said "I do." 1,200 number of visitors stop by on days that the house accepts tours."

These facts are published in People magazine, February 4, 2013.

You're ahead of us here..... we don't start this series until next week, so please don't let out any surprises.

Looking forward to tonight's episode. Last weeks episode was a shocker. I'm hoping that it's more upbeat tonight.

Our daughter was home for a visit and I got her hooked on it! We watched Season one together and I sent her home today with Season 2.

Our oldest daughter was home last week and she had the first season of something called Mid Wife. It's on BBC so we don't get it.

And the new season of SMASH starts Tuesday night.

The continued snowfall is my excuse for not feeling like a giant sloth!!

I'm trying to recuperate or at least improve from a medical injury and its been rough. I never saw Downton Abbey (when it started), so now I went back and watched season one. I'm hooked. Beautiful scenery and interesting characters and plots! Wonderful!