New social dilemma started by Downton Abbey!

[Paige]

Downton Abbey fans out there who have DVR'ed the show and won't let those of us that are done discuss the ending, are driving me nuts! If you think about it, it has been years since so many people have watched the same show--what, since Seinfeld??? Really, it is so cool and so amazing because we have so many channels, options, devices, shows, and here we all are, watching the same show on PBS! Amazing. But........I have literally been told by four people in person "Don't talk about it, because I am only in season 1 or halfway through season two" or whatever, even though several of us have watched the whole thing. So we all just shut up, but here we have this show that is fairly intelligent, but we can't discuss it. So weird. I also got a rant from a "friend" whining about people who talk about it on facebook and don't warn about a "spoiler alert." (Speaking of spoiled) On the other hand, the librarian at my school asked this fellow, another teacher, so, if one student doesn't do their homework do you change your lesson plan? Ha! I loved that! But unfortunately, most people just bow down to the procrastinators. "What does it all mean?" I guess I am just making a commentary about technology and how it is even changing our talking/social habits. Thoughts?

[Tradd]

Paige, I totally agree with you. I happened to have followed the UK media while season three was airing there in the fall, so I knew what happened, even down to the shocking end of the Christmas special. I was chatting away on FB with another friend, she asked me what happened (I said people would be shocked at the very end of the season). She asked me what happened, and so I told her. One woman lit into me.

This has pretty much been eliminated with IRL friends since I have all three seasons of DA on DVD that I'm willing to loan out. They've made the rounds. :)

But then, I'm the type that will read the last few pages of a book, even a mystery, right when I get the book, before I read it from the beginning. People are shocked, absolutely shocked, I tell you, by this habit. I tell them the enjoyment is in the journey to the end. ;-)

[bUU]

The most vocal concern about spoilage I see is from Americans who are seeing comments and news reports from Britain, where the series is broadcast months earlier.

It is difficult to do the homework before it is assigned in your section.

[Float On]

Tradd, I do that too, read the end before I start the beginning. If I don't I'm totally disappointed that the story doesn't keep going.

I haven't watched any of the Downtown Abby seasons ---- won't get mad if you talk about it because by the time I get around to watching it I'll have forgotten what you said.

[BarbieGirl]

Love Downton! Talk away here! I'll join in!

[Gingerella72]

HA! I got nailed for this very thing on a different message board. On this board, there is a thread devoted entirely to Downton Abbey. The night the episode where Sybill died aired, I jumped online to discuss immediately after. I got railed on because I didn't put "spoiler alert" in my post. Apparently a lot of people that weren't able to watch the episode that evening were upset that I talked about it.

My response was, "This is a thread to discuss what is going on with the show - if you don't want to find out what happened before you watch the most current episode, then don't read this thread! Do we have to take a poll each week to see which members have seen it before we can discuss?" Good grief.

I know a lot of Americans get upset at all of the "spoiler articles" floating around online, because it airs earlier in the UK than here, but the same logic applies. If you don't want to know what's going on before you watch it, then don't click on, and read, the articles (let alone go seeking them out)!

[bUU]

There are certain standards that evolve, especially with regard to spoilers: If you're on the East Coast, posting spoilers at 11pm Eastern Time is wrong. Wait until the morning. At 11pm Eastern Time, West Coast people are still doing what you were doing at 8pm, chatting about what you think might happen in that night's episode. Give them their chance. Come 2am, have at it... it's open season at that point.

By contrast, the decision to time-shift something throws the burden of remaining unspoiled back on the viewer.

[goldensmom]

Good grief, it's a TV show...spoil away.

[sallysue]

As a former Downton Abbey enthusiast (got tired of the extreme drama), my opinion is that before a show airs, and in general-purpose forums (eg, Facebook), it's courteous to avoid revealing major plot points. After the show airs, and in show-specific forums (eg, Twop), less caution is needed. However...as more and more people DVR, watch through hulu, PBS.org, etc., time-shifting is becoming more and more typical...so it doesn't hurt to say, "Did you see Downtown Abbey last night?" before saying, "Could you BELIEVE the major plot twist at the end of the episode?" It's common courtesy. I do agree, though, that once the show airs, the burden relies more heavily on the person who hasn't watched than the person who has. Ie, if you're in a group, and people there want to discuss an episode that you haven't watched yet...you can let it be spoiled, or you can go get a cup of coffee, but it's rude and entitled to request that others not discuss the episode just because you haven't watched it yet.

The worst is book club, when someone has read only 3/4 of the book and doesn't want you to discuss the ending because she doesn't want it spoiled. It's BOOK CLUB. You know when it is. If you haven't finished the book, don't come, or come and let it be spoiled. But don't keep the rest of us from discussing the book at BOOK CLUB.

[IshbelRobertson]

I live in the UK. I have taped the past TWO series (and Christmas specials) and have still not found the time to watch them!

[peggy]

I live in the UK. I have taped the past TWO series (and Christmas specials) and have still not found the time to watch them!

Psssttt...the butler did it!

[maribeth]

I was in the UK for Christmas and saw the special. I managed not to spoil it for anyone in the US.

The funny thing is, I don't really have time to watch it, so I actually get my fix through Internet spoilers (and the summary SIL gave me five minutes before the Christmas special aired).

[mm1970]

Downton Abbey fans out there who have DVR'ed the show and won't let those of us that are done discuss the ending, are driving me nuts! If you think about it, it has been years since so many people have watched the same show--what, since Seinfeld??? Really, it is so cool and so amazing because we have so many channels, options, devices, shows, and here we all are, watching the same show on PBS! Amazing. But........I have literally been told by four people in person "Don't talk about it, because I am only in season 1 or halfway through season two" or whatever, even though several of us have watched the whole thing. So we all just shut up, but here we have this show that is fairly intelligent, but we can't discuss it. So weird. I also got a rant from a "friend" whining about people who talk about it on facebook and don't warn about a "spoiler alert." (Speaking of spoiled) On the other hand, the librarian at my school asked this fellow, another teacher, so, if one student doesn't do their homework do you change your lesson plan? Ha! I loved that! But unfortunately, most people just bow down to the procrastinators. "What does it all mean?" I guess I am just making a commentary about technology and how it is even changing our talking/social habits. Thoughts?
So...I don't have cable TV anymore (canceled it last summer), and didn't start watching Downton until January. I have a full time job, a first grader, a husband, and an infant.

I got through the first two seasons on Netflix but then had to go to PBS.com for the last season, when some friends had watched the whole thing by some other, unknown, means.

So yes, I'm with all those people who said "no spoilers!!" I generally only watch an hour of TV a week and it was very hard for me to catch up (the baby falling asleep while nursing on the weekends helped...)

[notebook]

The night the episode where Sybill died aired...

Ugh! Sybill died? You are dead to me.

Inexcusable lapse in étiquette.

[Zoebird]

Our airing came in just after the UK, and we could watch it for free at the local theater. We only made it to one community viewing, but it was still a blast.

We didn't see the last christmas special because we couldn't figure out how to get it to work on the computer. We'd downloaded the right program but it somehow managed to disappear from the computer at some point and we didn't want to re-download it. And we had to give the thingy back to the girl who put it on the thingy for us. What is that thingy? thumb drive.

Anyway, I love DA, and I don't find the drama at all 'extreme.' It's enjoyable. DS talks about the past in terms of "Downton Abby times" -- "was that before DA times?" or "that came a bit after DA times." It's hilarious.

[Gingerella72]

Ugh! Sybill died? You are dead to me.

Inexcusable lapse in étiquette.

Whatever, dude.