What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedDownton Abbey
Julian Fellowes · Series · 2010
If you loved Downton Abbey, start with Downton Abbey (Michael Engler, 2019) — a film from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to Downton Abbey across media.
If you loved Downton Abbey, you are drawn to the intricate power dynamics and emotional stakes of rigid social hierarchies.
Start with the source
Adaptation
Downton Abbey
Michael Engler · Film · 2019
Adaptation
Downton Abbey: A New Era
Simon Curtis · Film · 2022
Books on the same thread
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen · Book · 1813
Explores: Social Class, Love and Marriage, Gender Roles.
Just as in Downton Abbey, the social class restrictions and marriage pressures define the lives of the characters, making this classic novel an essential companion for your reading list.
Watership Down
Richard Adams · Book · 1972
Explores: Leadership, Courage, Hope.
While the setting differs from Downton Abbey, the compelling focus on leadership and the struggle to maintain a place in a changing world echoes the Crawley family's own challenges.
Northanger Abbey
Jane Austen · Book · 2012
Explores: Social satire, Romantic disillusionment, The power of imagination.
This work explores social satire and the limitations of societal conventions, offering a sharp, witty critique of the same rigid structures that governed the world of Downton Abbey.
The Cavendon Luck
Barbara Taylor Bradford · Book · 2016
Shares 2 threads with Downton Abbey: Social change, Family Saga.
This saga mirrors the upstairs-downstairs dynamic of Downton Abbey perfectly, focusing on the intertwined lives of two families at a great estate during the era of World War I.
Films on the same thread
The Remains of the Day
James Ivory · Film · 1993
Shares 2 threads with Downton Abbey: British Aristocracy, Historical Drama.
The focus on a head butler navigating duty and repressed emotion within a grand household provides the same atmospheric, class-conscious tension you experienced watching Downton Abbey.
Pride & Prejudice
Film · 2005
Shares 2 threads with Downton Abbey: Class Conflict, Period Drama.
The focus on inheritance laws and family expectations among the landed gentry provides the same structural drama that made Downton Abbey such a compelling look at British society.
Barry Lyndon
Film · 1975
Shares a thread with Downton Abbey: Period Drama.
This film captures the same obsession with social mobility and the precarious nature of class status that defined the historical landscape of Downton Abbey.
Sense and Sensibility
Film · 1995
Shares 2 threads with Downton Abbey: Class Conflict, Period Drama.
Much like the Crawley sisters, the Dashwood siblings must navigate strict inheritance laws and sudden financial hardship, making this a perfect follow-up to the narrative style of Downton Abbey.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Archers
Podcast
Explores: family life, community, farming.
If you enjoyed the serialized, community-focused drama of Downton Abbey, you will appreciate this long-running portrait of rural life and the complex relationships that bind a local community together.
S-Town
Serial Productions · Podcast · 2024
Explores: small-town isolation, eccentricity, social decay.
This investigative character study captures the same fascination with social decay and the secrets hidden within wealthy families that you found so gripping in Downton Abbey.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What order should I watch the Downton Abbey series and movies in?
You should start with the original Downton Abbey television series created by Julian Fellowes. Following the series, watch the 2019 Downton Abbey movie, and conclude with the 2022 film titled Downton Abbey: A New Era to follow the Crawley family timeline in the correct chronological order.
Is Downton Abbey based on true historical events?
Downton Abbey is a fictional chronicle of the aristocratic Crawley family. While the narrative is set in the post-Edwardian era and features great events in history that impact the British social hierarchy and the lives of the characters, the story itself is a scripted work by Julian Fellowes.
How long is the Downton Abbey franchise?
The Downton Abbey franchise includes the original television series which began in 2010, followed by the 2019 Downton Abbey movie and the 2022 sequel, Downton Abbey: A New Era. These works span the lives of the Crawley family and their servants across the post-Edwardian era and subsequent historical periods.
Should I watch Downton Abbey: A New Era before the first movie?
No, you should not watch Downton Abbey: A New Era before the 2019 Downton Abbey movie. The 2019 film serves as the direct continuation of the television series, and the 2022 film is the subsequent installment that follows the established narrative arc of the Crawley family.