Why everyone is obsessed with Downton

It may be already three seasons in, but the craze about the British TV show Downton Abbey (note that it’s not Down-town) is only growing in the United States.

Why it is such a hit among college students may not initially make much sense. It’s not about gossip-worthy teenage drama, does not have scandalous sex scenes and does not even have people blowing up in every other episode.

In fact, the plot is pretty simple. The show is set in the Downton Abbey estate in the 1920s, and features the prestigious Crawley family who live there and all their interactions with each other.

However, there is more to this PBS “instant classic” than meets the eye. This show has its way of charming the viewers and causing them to wish that they made as fantastic a couple as Lord Matthew Crawley (played by Dan Stevens) and Lady Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery) do.

Downton Abbey is never far away from drama. The series begins with the Titanic tragedy stealing Downton’s next heir and consequently turning all eyes on Matthew Crawley, a middle-class lawyer.

As the show progresses, the audience learns to love Matthew, who, with his logic and honesty, brings new life and perspective into the family, whether the other old-fashioned Crawleys initially accept it or not. The love-hate relationship between Matthew and Mary (the eldest daughter in the Crawley family) is currently one of the most perfect relationships on TV; their subtle wit and quick banter complement each other extremely well.

However, it is not just the Crawley family that makes the show so compelling. The servants play a role just as important as their employers.

From a secretly gay footman to one-sided romantic relationships, the servants have their own share of problems and secrets.

One of the most painful relationships to watch on the show is between ladies-maid Anna (Joanne Froggart) and former valet Bates (Brendan Coyle). They encounter one obstacle after another, including Bates being thrown into jail when he was wrongly accused of murdering his ex-wife. His prison cellmate then framed him for possession of drugs, so Bates will probably not be coming out of prison and reuniting with Anna anytime soon, no matter how badly the viewers want it.

One cunning way this show lures in people is through seemingly giving into what the viewers want (like finally getting Matthew and Mary together after three seasons, as well as making the impossible possible with the marriage of Lady Sibyl Crawley and the chauffeur Branson), and then doing exactly the opposite of what viewers expect, like (spoiler alert!) when Sibyl died in childbirth. In essence, the writers are taking the viewers on an unpredictable journey, and this keeps viewers hooked onto the show.

The show’s amazing cast is a major part of its unconventional success with today’s youths.

Every single actor contributes something unique to the show, and it is difficult to avoid getting emotionally invested in the characters when they are portrayed with such depth and sincerity. For example, Maggie Smith, who plays the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley, is just pure magic in her role; her sharp wit disguised under the perfect manner of decorum is one of the highlights of the show.

Downton Abbey has shown a lot of promise over the past three seasons, fully deserving the 16 Primetime Emmy Awards nominations it has received, which happens to be the most of any non-US TV show to date.

Although season three has finished its run in the UK and is currently airing in the US, there is already a lot of buzz about the fourth season. Rumors that actor Dan Stevens will not return is putting a lot of hardcore fans on the edge, and the audience cannot wait to see what the upcoming episodes have in store.

Perhaps the current Downton craze is a sign that teenagers are ready to look to our English neighbors for tips on how to live life with a different perspective. Everyone could use a little class in their TV show selections, and what better way to get that than from good old Downton Abbey?

Downton Abbey plays on PBS every Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET/CT.