- By Caryn James
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- February 11, 2012 9:01 AM
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- 1 Comment
One of the surest signs that Downton Abbey has become a full-blown hit and pop-cult phenomenon is the mini- and strained flap that has erupted about whether it is snobbish or middle-brow or an old-fashioned soap opera. I don’t see why it can’t be all three. The series satisfies our indulgent fantasies of an old-fashioned life of leisure. Of course we know it’s pure illusion; even Michelle Dockery, who plays Lady Mary, told David Letterman about her working-class roots, and the fact that her ancestors would surely have worked downstairs. But what a satisfying fantasy!