Parade's End is a adaptation of novels of the same name, unfortunately I haven't read them so I  can't  comment how well it was adapted ( but I am adding it to my reading list...). It's been hit with the critics, I've read quite a few reviews and quite enjoyed this extract:

"<...> Christopher Tietjens, a brilliant Home Office statistician, a rich man, a clever man, a quiet man, a moral man, a kind man, and a cuckold – is being played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Much has been written of late about big Benny, thanks to a mad little non-row about class, but let's leave aside the man for a moment, what a bloody actor. He marries the fat brain of Sherlock to a lead character, Tietjens, who speaks mainly with his silences. And, ah, what silences they are. As he quietly outmanoeuvres venal Home Office pocket-stuffers, quietly if enthusiastically bangs a beautiful stranger, soon to be his wife, in a bucking old Pullman carriage, quietly bites the bullet of subsequent marriage to the dementedly flighty Sylvia for form's sake, then quietly and for ever loves the son who he knows isn't, actually, his. We've seen Cumberbatch enthral before with fast-gab brilliance, but this is him simply acting with his face. I don't know why this hasn't struck me before, but there's something of the Alan Rickman about him; one drowsy droop of an eyelid, one slip of the planes of his face, can convey either wry honest amusement or withering contempt. When he does speak, it's rusting anchors in smoking brown dust, the sound of the end of a world"  full article

It was a feast for your eyes with brilliant cinematography, very atmospheric filming, beautiful costumes and brilliant acting. I can smell Baftas already.


Let me address the second comparison. I actually haven't watched Downtown Abbey, not even one episode, yes I live in a cave...It's just one of those things, I've never watched Star Trek either (although I'm definitely going to see the upcoming film and my dear followers will surely know why). But from what I can gather, it's like a posh soap opera, easy watching  television. Which is the opposite of Parade's End. For a minute I hated that BBC doesn't have adverts so I couldn't make myself a cuppa without missing out on something. But it's also quite slow drama at the same time, which I enjoy as well when it's well made, but that's not for everyone, it's really one of those that you have to pay your full attention to it.

For those whose noticed that's something is quite different about Mr Cumberbatch, he's wearing cheek fillers, fat costume (and still doesn't look fat, how skinny are you Benedict? not that I complain) and his hair bleached, apparently they were aiming for Boris Johnson look.  Another significance is his voice & dialect, posher and in a lower register (his "usual" voice although is obviously quite low,but it tends to vary in pitch a lot more as in the famous "oh my god"), as referred in Miranda :"the posh mumble"
This was a very moving scene, Christopher putting his or maybe not his child to sleep.



heart breaking.
Rebecca's Hall character you kind of hate and despise  but also grow to like her at the same time.. she can be quite funny. Although I  would want to see more depth in her character- is she just a bored cheating bitch?
not sure about her yet.
so we've been given a teaser for next series of Sherlock. I don't really like "Bow", as in "His Last Bow", but I hope that Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat are just trying to throw us off the track, it would be just too obvious. It's never that simple, is it?