Doctor Thorne is a television drama adaptation of the Trollope novel Doctor Thorne which tells the story of the penniless Mary Thorne, who grows up with her rich aunt/cousins at Greshamsbury Park estate.
The role of the Ugly American is played with such radiance by Community graduate Alison Brie that you'll pray she lives long enough to spend her golden years killing [Downton] Abbey's Dowager Countess with kindness.
The costumes, grand English estates, and of course, British accents, also make it a worthwhile watch for those who like period pieces from across the pond.
Doctor Thorne was the ideal dose of predictable period drama. In fact, it almost felt like the antidote to the death, despair and desolation that came to characterise later series of Fellowes' own Downton Abbey.
If you're looking for just a filler period drama, go ahead and watch. But if you're looking for something with the zing of Downton or the heart of Austen, there are much better things out there.
