Why ‘Downton Abbey’ Became An American Cultural Phenomenon

“If the number of homages and parodies a TV show inspires are a reflection of its impact – and I would argue they are – you don’t have to look far to see how much the ongoing saga of Carson & Co. mattered. … Downton was so big, even LeBron watched it. But why? What was it about this show that gave it such cultural stickiness and kept so many tuning in, every January, for more than half a decade?”