January 6, 2017
Downton Abbey - The Complete Collection
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
With the recent confirmation that a movie is in the works, there's no better time to revisit your favorite noble estate -- and its complex family, both upstairs and down -- in fine visual style with the Blu-ray release of "Downton Abbey - The Complete Collection."
The internationally acclaimed show has been released for home viewing on a season by season basis, of course, with one complete set following another: "Seasons 1-3," "Seasons 1-4," all the way up to this new, complete and comprehensive release. If you've already acquired one of the earlier sets on DVD, though, you'll want to re-live the show's immersive, meticulously accurate production design -- from props to costumes to manners -- in pristine hi-definition Blu-ray. And if you've kept up with this noble family in Blu-ray all along, there are two discs worth of new special features to excite and gratify you.
In addition to re-presenting the previous five seasons and including the sixth and final season -- inclusive of the Christmas specials and presenting all the episodes in the "UK Version," meaning not trimmed down the insertion of commercials for U.S. broadcast -- "The Complete Collection" offers the feature-length "The Story of Downton Abbey," which looks at every element of the series, from filming to cast to music and -- yes! -- costuming.
Among the raft of special features, writer/Creator Julian Fellowes and Executive Producer Gareth Neame sit down to review "Creators' Favorite Scenes" from across the six seasons; each of the show's characters is treated to a biographical feature; and the series' greatest hits are showcased -- in themed groupings from "Rows" and "Shocking Moments" to the witticisms of Dowager Countess Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith), the jewel in the show's crown.
This edition is completest of the complete, so while waiting for the big screen version to arrive why not brew up a cup of tea (you can get a tea sampler by ordering the set through PBS) and settle in for some old-fashioned entertainment?
"Downton Abbey - The Complete Collection"
Blu-ray
$99.99
http://www.shoppbs.org/product/index.jsp?productId=106593796&cp=&sr=1&kw=downton+abbey+blu-ray&origkw=downton+abbey+blu-ray&parentPage=search&searchId=67449846#AdditionalInfo
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
