12 Days of Downton: The Best Downton Abbey Parody On the Internet and Other Fun Things

The lovely thing about Downton Abbey’s meteoric rise to popularity over the past year is that not only do we get an incredible actual product (as I can only assume that Series 2 will continue right on being brilliant), we also get to enjoy the fun little extra bits and bobs which pop up here and there (thanks, internet!) poking fun at the successful period drama.

So, while we’re whiling away the hours until Sunday night (it's sooo close!), why not click through have a few laughs with some of the entertaining Downton-inspired items from around the web.

Some of you may have already seen this particular bit of perfection from when it made the online rounds last spring, but it’s simply too good not to share again.  The BBC itself made a spectacular two-part Downton parody, entitled Uptown Downstairs Abbey for the annual Red Nose Day charity telethon last March.  Narrated by none other than Michael Gambon, the two-parts feature many faces familiar to fans of British TV, including Absolutely Fabulous’ Jennifer Saunders as a marvelously nasty Dowager Countess, her AbFab co-star Joanna Lumley as a housekeeper who knows that she is meant for a posher state of existence, Harry Enfield, Simon Callow, Victoria Wood, a mermaid, a knitted character, and Sex and the City’s Kim Catrall, who does the best impersonation of Elizabeth McGovern ever.

The entire thing is spot on, and hilarious. I would probably actually watch this if it were a real show!

This next video – and apologies for the poor quality, but it was the best I could find – is from Jonathan Ross’ ITV chat show. Ross interviewed Michele Dockery, Jessica Brown-Findlay and Laura Carmichael (a.k.a. the Crawley sisters) around Christmas, and their segment also featured a fantastic ad for a mock Christmas album by Downton’s loyal butler, Mr. Carson.  Basically, if you’ve ever wondered what Carson doing Rhianna might sound like, well, now you know.

[This video is no longer available.]

One final entry in the parody sweepstakes for today features popular Britain’s Got Talent impressionist Paul Burling. He also did a Downton spoof last year, with appearances from (fake, alas) Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole and Russell Brand. This is no way near as funny as the BBC spoof (which is basically perfect), but if you’ve ever laughed at X-Factor jokes, you’ll probably like this.

And I don’t even know what to say about this Downton meets American Gothic photo parody, besides, well, wow.

Source: Veni Vidi Vichins on Tumblr

Does anybody else know where any other similar (hilarious) items might be found? I thought there would be more like this photographic gem all over the internet, but I have yet to locate them, alas. So, help a girl out!