Downton Abbey, a period drama with two seasons already under its belt, has become quite the television sensation. The show premiered in September 2010 to overwhelmingly positive reviews, and the Guinness Book of World Records deemed it the most critically acclaimed television show of the year in 2011.
The series takes place at the fictional estate Downton Abbey in Yorkshire, England. It begins in April 1912 with the news of the sinking of the Titanic and progresses through the Great War and onto the early 1920s. It’s something of a soap opera with its tales of opportunistic marriage and perpetual battles for inheritance, but it presents a compelling look at life with butlers, maids, lords and duchesses during a time when class meant everything.
One of the most earnest and traditional characters on the show is the head butler Mr. Charles Carson. He’s worked at Downton since he was a child, and he’s extremely devoted to the Crawley family, perhaps to a fault. He is the embodiment of tradition, and he’s a stickler for exquisite presentation, so here are a few lessons about presentation from Mr. Carson.
“Keeping up standards is the only way to show the Germans that they will not beat us in the end.”
This gem was uttered by Carson during the Great War when England was at war with Germany. Despite diminished staff and limited resources, Carson is still adamant about keeping up standards. To him, maintaining tradition is what separates England from its enemies, and in a way that thinking can be applied to presentations. How you present yourself is what sets you apart from others. Are you excited to be there? Do you look professional? Are you friendly and energetic? Do you seem genuine? All of these aspects are important. Hold on to your standards despite what’s going on around you. If the space you’re presenting isn’t what you expected or your audience is more restless than you’d hoped, stay true to yourself and present as you’d planned despite these setbacks. Don’t let minor pitfalls beat you in the end.
“Carson: We may have to have a maid in the dining room.
Lord Crawley: Cheer up, Carson. There are worse things happening in the world.
Carson: Not worse than a maid serving a duke.”
The exchange above exudes the epitome of Mr. Carson’s character. There’s a war going on, thousands of men are being killed everyday and Carson (hopefully somewhat jokingly) thinks that a maid serving a duke is the absolute worst thing to happen. All because tradition is being challenged. In the end, though, Carson must settle for a maid in the dining room and everything goes smoothly, so there’s something to be said for adapting to change. Regardless of how traditional you are, things change and sometimes, you must change with them. The same goes with preparation. You may be the most prepared you’ve ever been for a presentation, but if something goes wrong, you must adapt accordingly. It might feel like the entire presentation is crumbling down around you, but you must do your best to adapt to the new situation. Do the best you can with what you have.
“I know you have spirit milady. That’s what counts. It’s all that counts in the end.”
Carson says this to Lady Mary Crawley when she confides in him how lost she feels about everything going on in her life. Chick problems aside, Carson tells her that her spirit is all that counts in the end, which is great advice for a presenter. Content matters. Design matters. Delivery matters. A presentation may have all three aspects, but without spirit, without enthusiasm, without excitement, the presentation will fall flat. It will be lackluster. It will be boring. Spirit matters. Energy matters. Be present. Be excited.
