Downton Abbey is back.

If you’re thinking, “What (or even, ‘Who’) is Downton Abbey?” then you’ve come to the right column.

PBS’s Masterpiece, or Masterpiece Theatre, as it once was called, has long excelled in high quality historical mini-series like Upstairs, Downstairs and I, Claudius; and witty mysteries and gritty police procedurals like Prime Suspect. We (your humble Unfettered duo) think of it as “must viewing.” And Downton Abbey reigns as a supreme reason why.

A year ago we marveled at the first season run. It introduced the early 20th century British social events in the lives of the genteel Crawley family and their cadre of servants. That probably sounds a bit like Upstairs, Downstairs, but the resemblance is only superficial. Downton is structurally closer to an American primetime series than its more traditional forebears on Masterpiece Theatre. It quickly and flawlessly segues through simultaneous storylines, branching off into any number of fascinating revelations about its characters, from the acerbic Lady Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham (played with feisty vigor by the always magnificent Maggie Smith) to the handsome but unsavory footman Thomas (Rob James-Collier), who’d just as soon pinch your wallet as serve your tea.

Turn away from the screen for a mere moment and you run the risk of missing something hugely important—like the dark, sad secret in stalwart Bates’ (Brendan Coyle) past, or Lady Mary’s (Michelle Dockery) shocking, brief and calamitous tryst with the dashing Turkish attaché who displays poor grace by dying in her bed. Think of The West Wing, or ER, or Mad Men, any of your favorite shows that carry a huge cast of characters with secret motives and malicious schemes. Downton Abbey is much in that vein. And we found it as addictive as Cheetos. Very, very classy Cheetos.

When the producers wrapped up the first season’s action at the dawn of World War I, we were left wanting more. Fortunately, Masterpiece was kind enough to reveal that a second season of Downton Abbey was in the works! All we had to do was wait—a whole bloody year.

Which brings us to why we currently find ourselves gushing over Downton Abbey. We repeat—It’s ba…aaack. We watched the first episode of Season Two a few days ago, and are happy to report that the Cheetos—and the Crawleys—are as tantalizing as ever. Of course, many of you already know that. The ratings services report that viewership is up 18% over Downton’s first season, with a weekly average of 4.2 million watchful souls, double PBS’s usual primetime audience. But if you’ve been behind in your viewing, it’s not too late to join the party; Season Two runs on SOPTV, Sunday nights, 9 PM, through February 19. Sample the show, and if you like what you see, you easily can catch up with what you’ve missed. Season One is available on DVD (or for download on iTunes), with Season Two to follow in February.

Downton Abbey was created and written by Julian Fellowes, who wrote 2001’s Oscar-winning screenplay for the wonderful feature Gosford Park, as well as (shudder!) the Johnny Depp/Angelina Jolie starrer The Tourist (well, you can’t win them all). Last year, Downton garnered eleven Emmy nominations, and took home six of the statuettes, including one for Fellowes. We expect the same when this year’s Emmys are announced. With zinging dialogue—like that between Lord Grantham and Lady Violet: “I thought you didn’t like him.” “Well, so what? I have plenty of friends I don’t like;” or between Lady Cora and Violet: “Things are different in America.” “I know. They live in wigwams.”—neither you, nor Grammy voters, can go wrong.

Paula and Terry Each have long impressive-sounding resumes implying that they are battle-scarred veterans of life within the Hollywood studios. They’re now happily relaxed into Jacksonville.