"Downton Abbey" was one of the most successful British series of all time. The series is set at the beginning of the 20th century and reflects the social, economic and political upheavals of the era. "Downton Abbey" follows the lives of the aristocratic "Crawley" family and their domestic help. Screenwriter Julian Fellowes placed a lot of emphasis on representing the era in the most realistic way possible and in painstaking detail.