Julian Fellowes, creator of Downton Abbey, turns his attention to the origins of football in The English Game, a new Netflix series that has been met with critical disdain. The show focuses on the 1879 FA Cup and the clash between working-class mill workers and aristocratic Old Etonians, but critics argue it fails to capture any genuine emotion or drama.
The series follows Arthur Kinnaird, a top player for the Old Etonians, and Fergus Suter, a Scottish ringer secretly paid to play for Darwen's mill team. Despite the historical significance of the era—when football shifted from an amateur posh game to a professional sport uniting the common man—the execution is described as dire. The dialogue is clichéd, with lines like "Your passing game is the future of football!" and "Only gentlemen have lifted the Cup!"
Critics note that Fellowes has 'discovered The North,' resulting in stereotypical portrayals of working-class life, complete with rickets, TB, and whippet fever. The plot relies on tired tropes, including a miscarriage to spur character development, and fails to elicit any emotional investment from the audience.
The English Game is ultimately deemed an 'own goal,' a period drama that misses the mark despite its promising premise. Fans of Fellowes may find it watchable, but for others, it's a tedious slog through predictable storytelling.
