Limited-Edition Downton Abbey Seasons 1 and 2 Set $34.99

Every morning at Downton Abbey begins with ringing bells in the servants’ quarters: the Earl of Grantham and his family are ready for breakfast. In the evening, a dressing gong sends everyone upstairs to change into beaded evening gowns and impeccable coattails. In between, alarm bells ring out, silently, as the nobility upstairs and the servants below adapt to a world that won’t stop changing around them.

The first two seasons of this runaway Masterpiece Classic hit—penned by Oscar-winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes of Gosford Park—begin as the Edwardian Era starts to fade away, and the sinking of the Titanic sends the Grantham’s line of inheritance into chaos. Soon thereafter, a far-flung cousin arrives to prepare for his inheritance, much to the chagrin of the Granthams’ eldest daughter, Mary—who soon finds cousin Matthew captivating. As the seasons unfurl, a valet with a shadowy past shakes up the prim and proper servants’ quarters, a mysterious death occurs in the Abbey, proposals are accepted and rebuffed, World War I turns reality on its ear, and, all the while, beleaguered butler Mr. Carson upholds the great house’s traditions of perfect table settings and evening dress.

The series’ actors, including the sharp-tongued Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess, share the screen with one formidable costar: the Abbey itself (Highclere Castle). A behind-the-scenes tour of the majestic building is included in this special-edition DVD set, alongside other bonus features such as explorations of the era’s fashions and an enticing spot on British tourism.