Downton Abbey has been an unexpected giant hit in the United States for years now.
But it doesn"t feature zombies. Or naval officers solving crimes. And we can"t think of a single superhero who has ever made an appearance on the PBS drama.
So, what is the appeal?
Stephen Colbert thinks he knows.
The talk show host had stars Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville and Allen Leech as guests on The Late Show this week and he offered up the notion that Americans love Downton Abbey because those British accents are just so cool.
They make everything sound so fancy and important.
But what if Dockery, Bonneville and Leech read a scene in American accents? What would the effect be?
Total and complete hilarity, that"s what!
Especially when Dockery uses a Valley Girl accent. And Bonneville comes across like a Disney villain of some kind. And then Leech shows them both up when he raises his voice many octives and, let"s face it, sounds like a stereotypical gay man.
"Let"s just forget about this. Mary, who are you wearing?" he concludes, much to the enjoyment of Colbert and his castmates.
Would you watch Downton Abbey online if the cast all used American accents?
It"s an intriguing question. Try to answer it as you experience this bizarre event below:
