Dreamy Men of Masterpiece Theater

There are lots of good reasons to check out Masterpiece Theater.  It has quality shows, helps you pretend to have read classic novels like Great Expectations or Tess D'Ubervilles, and there really isn't too much else on Sunday nights (when Breaking Bad and Mad Men are off season). But best of all, it has handsome British men in period dress!  Who could ask for more?

Below we* list our favorite men of Masterpiece Theater.  Since PBS has created a  Men of Austen website, so you can rank which Austen hero is the most eligible bachelor (surprise, surprise: Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy is winning), I'm leaving them out of the running (though, Rupert Perry-Jones as  Captain Wentworth would have been my pick). 

Matthew Crawley
Found On: Downton Abbey
Played by Dan Stevens
Why we love Matthew:  Those blue eyes.  And he's the least terrible of Lady Mary's many suitors.
The down side: Matthew can be a little bit stubborn.   

Also worth mentioning from Downtown Abbey:

William Mason (Thomas Howes) looks like a younger, blonder, old-timey sibling of John Krasinski.  William is also a sweetheart and can play the piano. 

Thomas Barrow (Rob James-Collier) is terrible.  But he's gorgeous and he seems to have curtailed his bad behavior a little bit in Season 2. 

Sherlock Holmes:
Found On: Sherlock.
Played by:  Benedict Cumberbatch
Why we love Sherlock:  He's brilliant, has a great head of hair, and looks equally great in a suit or a towel. 
The down side:  His personality is a lot to tolerate on a daily (or even hourly) basis.

Also worth mentioning from Sherlock:

Martin Freeman makes an adorable Dr. Watson.  He's definitely the more marriageable one of the duo.

Magnus Martnisson:
Found On: Wallander (seasons 1 and 2).
Played by:  Tom Hiddleston.
Why we love Magnus:  He's dashingly handsome, but his longish curly hair makes him look nerdy enough to be attainable.
The down side:  Martinsson saves the day on at least one occasion, but some of the time he can be a little bit incompetent. 

Also worth mentioning from Wallander:

Kenneth Branagh is a little bit too mature to be my type, but his character Kurt Wallander seems to have a way with the ladies on show, in spite of his near constant dourness.

*All "we"s are meant in the royal sense. 

Dress up as your favorite pop culture character this Halloween

Glee
Puck, Sue Slyvester or a Cherrio from Walmart

True Blood
Sookie Stackhouse: Merlotte's waitress uniform from hbo.com

Jason Stackhouse: Bon Temps football t-shirt from hbo.com

Eastbound & Down
Kenny Powers: mullet hat from hbo.com

The Hunger Games
bellasugar gives advice on creating your Katniss Everdeen costume. And Hunger Games fansite The Hob suggests possibilities for Katniss' "girl on fire" outfit. The Hob also includes posts on costumes for other characters, including the Tributes, Effie Trinket, and President Snow.

The Office
Dunder Mifflin warehouse employee costume and more at nbc.com.

Harry Potter
Find Harry Potter costumes for adults or Harry Potter costumes for kids at buyharrypottercostumes.com. Choose to be a character from the series, like Luna Lovegood (below), or be a Hogwarts student. You can check out Gryffindor/Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw/Slytherin house sweaters, ties, and accessories too.

The Simpsons
Homer, Marge, and Bart from Walmart

30 Rock
Liz Lemon: TGS hoodie from nbc.com.

Friday Night Lights
Panther Football or East Dillon Lions apparel from nbc.com.

Drive
Steady Clothing Inc. is producing replicas of the awesome scorpion jacket worn by Driver (Ryan Gosling) in the film, but they will not be available until November 11. You can always make your own... don't forget leather driving gloves and a toothpick for the corner of your mouth to complete your costume!

These are just a few fun costume ideas I found on the web. What are you dressing up as for Halloween?