Downton Abbey
For many viewers outside the UK , Downton Abbeyis the ultimate British TV show - especially when it comes to actually watch about the land and its polish . Julian Fellowe ’s 2010 - 2015 period drama , with its grand estates , aristocratic family , and intricate societal hierarchy , paints a unstinted video of early 20th - century Britain . However , while educational in its means , there ’s a just option for Anglophiles who want a show that bewitch the UK as it truly is -Coronation Street(or , as we call it here in the UK , Corrie ) . Forfans of British TV who need to realize the UK , Downton Abbeyis an passable teacher , but it ’s not the best . That honor belongs toCoronation Street , the long - run British soap opera that has been airing since 1960 .
UnlikeDownton Abbey , which explores a macrocosm that existed over a century ago , Coronation Streetis a present-day , ongoing serial publication that reflects modern Britain as I - an existent British person living in the UK - know it . And , since it ’s been on the atmosphere for over 50 year , it ’s get a phenomenal amount of account ( and its impact on the UK ) . WhileDownton Abbeypresents an idealizedand often romanticize past , which , as a UK citizen , I ca n’t relate to , Coronation Streetdelivers an bona fide , evolving depiction of workings - class life-time . From social issue to family struggles , from local politics to national crises , Coronation Streetprovides a window into the UK that is more accurate , relatable , and insightful than anythingDownton Abbeycould volunteer .
While many shows have famously continued for tenner on end , viewers will be surprised to larn that others are still have newfangled episodes .
Coronation Street Gives A Better Perspective Of British History
The Soap Beats The Historical Drama At Its Own Game
It ’s easy to bear that a menses dramatic play likeDownton Abbeywould be a good resource for get word about British account , given that it is explicitly set up in the past tense and follows real historic events . However , I ’d always recommendCorrieoverDowntonto anyone who wants to read about how Britain changed during the 20th century . Coronation Streetis actually far more efficacious at providing a long - terminus , evolving perspective on the modern history of the UK thanDownton Abbey . This is because the easy lay opera has been on the air for over six decade , chronicling existent case as they happened and show their wallop on everyday British citizens .
Since its debut in 1960,Coronation Streethas tackled major historical moments that shaped the UK.The show has explored event such as the miners ’ strike of the 1980s , the rise and fall of Margaret Thatcher , the effects of the 2008 financial crisis , and even Brexit . These were not background elements or historical footer - they were woven into the lives of the characters , affecting their problem , relationships , and futures in the same way they affected real people live in the UK at the clip .
BecauseCoronation Streethas span generation , it also allow for a sense of historical continuity .
In contrast , Downton Abbeyoffers a much narrow view of history . WhileDowntondoes tint on substantial events- the sinking feeling of the Titanic , World War I , the Spanish flu pandemic , and the declination of the British gentry - it does so through the lens of a loaded , landowning family who are largely insulated from the struggle of ordinary people . The characters ofDownton Abbeyexperience historical consequence , but they do so from a place of perquisite that does not think over the experience of most British people at the metre .
What ’s more , the events cover carry on to shape UK society , but they are n’t the most impactful . The last timethe sinking feeling of the Titanicwas in truth relevant to UK lifespan was in 1997 , when James Cameron’sTitanicwas on almost every movie theater sieve . The First World War was also , of course , impactful , but nowhere almost as much as the moment . It took the UK decades to find from WW2 , andthe earliest seasons ofCoronation Streettake post during the post - war period which shaped the country I grew up and still be in .
BecauseCoronation Streethas spanned generations , it also provide a sense of diachronic continuity . Viewers can comply families over decades , watching how different political and economic shifts affect them . This intergenerational storytelling ofCoronation Streetoffers a much richer and more personal perspective on British history than the neatly packaged , blue-blooded tale ofDownton Abbey .
Coronation Street Portrays A More Authentic UK Community Than Downton Abbey
The Way Of Life In Downton Hasn’t Existed For Decades
Community may be at the heart of both appearance , butCoronation Streetis a better teacher of British culture and communities thanDownton Abbey . The fictional locality of Weatherfield , whereCoronation Streettakes shoes , is a working - family area that closely resemble countless material townsfolk and community across the UK.It captures the feel of a tight - entwine , urban surroundings where everyone bang each other , for just or tough .
While picturesque , Downton Abbeyrepresents a way of life that was already vanish by the clock time the series hold place .
In contrast , Downton Abbeytakes place in a grand estatein the English countryside , which is a far yell from how most British people live . While picturesque , Downton Abbeyrepresents a fashion of life sentence that was already vanishing by the time the series take place . Weatherfield , on the other hired man , feels real . The business firm are small , the characters deal with routine concerns like rent and employment , and the local pothouse , the Rovers Return , is the beating heart of the community , much like real pubs in the UK .
Downton Abbey had a tidy sum of dramatic play , both upstairs and downstairs , but not everything that happened on the show was naturalistic for the time menstruation .
The fundamental interaction inCoronation Streetreflect how people in diminished British Ithiel Town actually live . neighbor argue over parking space , gossip at the corner shop class , and rally together in meter of crisis . I know nobody remotely like anyDownton Abbeycharacters , but the residents of Weatherfield all remind me of someone I have it off from my local community . It ’s a place where course divisions live , but they are elusive and fluid , unlike the rigid upstairs - downstairs separate ofDownton Abbey . WhileDowntonfocuses on the interplay between the wealthy Crawleys and their servants , Coronation Streetpresents a more horizontal society , where the great unwashed from different backgrounds live side by side and share common struggles - in other words , the path the UK truly is .
Downton Abbey Doesn’t Explore Class As Well As Coronation Street
Upstairs-Downstairs Is Far Too Simplistic
Social class is a rudimentary aspect of society in the UK ( just as much now as it was in the early twentieth 100 ) and bothDownton AbbeyandCoronation Streetengage with the theme in unlike shipway . While it ’s not as lineal as it was during the metre ofDownton Abbey , it continue to shape the culture of Britain . Any fans of UK TV who want to really understand why my commonwealth is the way that it is need to realize the impact of course , really , as it shapes almost everything . This is where , once again , Corrieis my go - to testimonial , sinceCoronation Streetoffers a much more nuanced and relevant portraying of year in advanced Britain .
Downton Abbeyrevolves around the nobility and their servants , present a very traditional depiction of class partitioning . WhileDowntondoes have-to doe with on social change , particularly with the diminution of the landed aristocracy , it still romanticizes the idea of noblesse . The Crawleys are presented as benevolent , fair - apt employer , and even the retainer seem content with their lot , with only the occasional fictional character challenging the social order .
The long - running soap does not shy away from picture financial battle , Book of Job insecurity , and the challenge of societal mobility .
Coronation Street , on the other manus , is fundamentally about work - course of instruction life . The long - running soap does not shy aside from draw financial battle , line insecurity , and the challenges of social mobility . UnlikeDownton Abbey , where quality seldom worry about money , Coronation Streetcharacters are often seen dealing with economic hardships , be it through redundancy , strikes , or fiscal cozenage .
Coronation Streethas also depicted a more fluid class structure that ’s more authentic to Britain as it really is . Characters have risen and fallen in social condition , reflecting the reality of societal mobility in the UK.Factory worker become business owners , tradesman become pol , and people ’s fortunes change in a way that is far more musing of modernistic British society than the rigid class construction ofDownton Abbey .
Downton Abbey Focuses On Too Narrow A Slice Of Life
The Narrow Ensemble Limits Perspective
One of the biggest limitations ofDownton Abbeywhen compared toCoronation Streetis its narrow focal point . Downton Abbeycenters around an patrician familyand their immediate circle , which , while entertaining , does not reflect the all-encompassing British experience . Even in the former 20th century , whenDowntonis set , the Crawleys symbolise only a bantam fraction of the UK population . The middle category was already well established , and the working class made up the immense bulk of the land .
Coronation Streetpresents a far more diverse and inclusive vision of Britain , and one that ’s much more precise . Over the years , Coronation Streethas explore stories involving immigrants , LGBTQ+ characters , and multitude from different racial and spiritual setting . It has tackle issues such as homophobia , racialism , domestic abuse , and mental health , reflecting the substantial challenges that people in the UK face . The liquid ecstasy ’s long - consort nature have in mind that it has been able to acquire with the fourth dimension , incorporating New military issue in a way thatDownton Abbey , as a historical drama , simply can not .
Ultimately , whileDownton Abbeyis an engaging and well - crafted drama , it provides a circumscribed and idealised view of the UK .
Additionally , Coronation Streetfeatures a wider range of professions and social classes . WhileDownton Abbeyis principally interested with the upper class and their handmaiden , Coronation Streetincludes mill workers , shop owners , teachers , police military officer , and small-scale line owners . This breadth of perspective gives a much more comprehensive characterisation of UK society .
Ultimately , whileDownton Abbeyis an engaging and well - crafted dramatic play , it provides a limited and idealized scene of the UK . As much as I ’d love to say that biography in Britain really is mostly crumpet and tea parties , this sadly is n’t the case ( apology for the volley bubble ) . For viewers who truly want to understand the country - its history , its communities , and its people -Coronation Streetis the show to watch . With its farsighted account , realistic characters , and ever - evolving storylines , it paints a far richer and more precise portraiture of British life thanDownton Abbeyever could .
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