The Butler does all of the hiring and firing, assigns all work tasks to various employees, deals with all disciplinary issues, keeps inventory of all food and alcohol, schedules staff vacations, interacts with the family on a daily basis and does his best to uphold the Downton Abbey standards of service. Sound familiar?
Downton Abbey is an extremely popular show that is currently airing on PBS. The season four premiere that aired earlier in January had a reported 10.2 million viewers, making it the most watched show in PBS history. It is not a royal series, but one that depicts the society as it was during the 1920s in England. One of the bigger themes I note is the reflection on the class system and how it changed, the black and white lines that begin to turn gray, economics and the introduction of American political and societal influence. Of course, the soap opera-esque storylines are wonderful.
I remember being a child and flipping through the channels to hear the Masterpiece Theatre music on channel 13 come on. I remember thinking, “How boring! These shows are for nerds!” Oh, how times have changed.
I think the reason I enjoy the show so much is because half of the main characters work “downstairs” or in “service,” that is the hospitality service of cooking, cleaning and serving the family as well as guests. It is amazing to think of this time period less than one hundred years ago and how at the time they thought that this way of life would be an existence forever. In a way, it is like a private club, except for members you had a family and guests.
I have heard of private clubs doing Downton Abbey Theme Dinners and Teas around the country. We have not done one yet, but it is on my radar to do so.
The character of Mr. Carson is the Butler. This is the most high authority of the service staff—all goings-on in service are reported and/or approved by him and him alone. He does all of the hiring and firing, assigns all work tasks to various employees, deals with all disciplinary issues, keeps inventory for all food and alcohol, schedules staff vacations, interacts with the family on a daily basis and does his best to uphold the Downton Abbey standards of service. Sound familiar?
Like I mentioned, this show is currently in its fourth season and I know that they have already started filing season five. If you are also a fan of the show I would love to hear your thoughts on how it compares to the country clubs of today and if you are not a fan, then you should be!
Happy watching and until next time, just keep selling!
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