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Tom Cullen Cast as Lord Gillingham on Downton Abbey! Will He Be Lady Mary's New Love?

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Photo Credit: Getty Images

After the shocking (although it had been leaked by the time it aired in the U.S.) season three finale of Downton Abbey, which saw departing series star, Dan Steven’s killed-off as Matthew Crawley in a car crash, the soap has been looking to cast a new love interest for Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) for season four!

However, Mary was just left as a single mom with a newborn baby at the end of season three, so just how fast forward will the new season of ‘Downton’ go?  Nevertheless, actor Tom Cullen has been cast in the role of Lord Gillingham,  an old family friend of the Crawleys who has known Lady Mary since childhood.

Cullen announced the news on this Twitter page stating, “I can announce that I’m in the new season four of Downton Abbey. So excited. My heart is beating a little too fast.”  Cullen’s previous credits include the miniseries World Without End and Weekend, an indie film.

In addition, Shirley MacLaine is returning for season four as Cora’a (Elizabeth McGovern) American mother and there are a host of other new characters coming on to the series as well.

So ‘Downton’ fans, do you think Mary should end up with Lord Gillingham in rather short order? Grieve a lot? Or perhaps find love with Branson who lost his wife  and Mary’s sister,  and is a single dad, played by Alan  Leech? Let us know!

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I think Branson is adorable but, I don’t want to see him go through the Crawley girls. Mary needs to wait a while unless , the 4th season starts a lot of years down the line. I want to see her grieve for a while. I loved them as a couple. They had great on screen chemistry. This new guy I will wait until I see them together on the screen. He is cute ,and who knows .? I love Downton Abbey. The show is great and I am looking forward to season 4. Funny since I never liked upstairs downstairs at all.
How about some more of the Bates. A baby for them would be nice!

I kind of figured by the end of Season 4 Mary would end up with Tom Branson.

She would NEVER go for Tom. A chauffeur ! She thinks too highly of herself to fall for anyone not her social equal.

He WAS a chauffeur. Now, thanks to the Dan Stevens character, he in the financial management of Downton,,and I think opinions of his lower class status will soften. Also, the fact that they both have tiny babies, will draw them together. But, we will see what my Fellowes thinks about it, next winter.

It’s gross that shirley macclaine’s returning to abbey. she was horrid and maggie smith mopped the floor w/ her much like jennifer hudson’s live singing mopped the floor w/ the entire lip synched les miz cast. Giggles. There’s a casting call for 1 black char but all the new chars are still for all white actors only on abbey. cullen and ovenden are aristocrats. dame harriet walter portrays a new lady. joanna david portrays a new duchess. harman portrays a valet. There’s already backlash from racists who proclaim that it’s “too pc” to cast 1 black char on downton. The potential black char jack ross is described as “handsome” w/c must irk racists even more bec the char is black. Those racists can’t stand that tv shows would have chars of color and they prefer the homogeneity of only white chars. But of course any lgbt storyline w/ thomas coming out and mrs. hughes being his straight ally is “progressive” and had no backlash bec thomas. While there’s already a backlash from hollywood against downton abbey’s 1 potential char of color. Such tolerance from the tolerant crowd of hollywood! 1920s abbey should have rich moroccan and south african daughters enrolled at missionary schools to battle mary and edith. There could be chinese immigrant chars around london who form china towns.1920s had cardiff and liverpool race riots. edith could work w/ racial minorities at the editorial board of a london newspaper. There could be a new char that returns from india w/ her indian husband.

It would be great if abbey cast jack ross. But he should not be a token char bec a lotta racial minorities are tokens on soaps. Would they ever pair jack ross romantically w/ any of the central chars who are all white? Would he only be a token made to make the white chars appear as not racist? downton abbey should have cast a lotta racial minorities. But hollywood is not good w/ writing racial minorities and abbey could probably only write only 1 char of color! hollywood writers can write for vampires and aliens portrayed by white actors but writing for people of color is difficult! The writing has been horrid on downton abbey what w/ shirley macclaine’s stupid char. Maggie smith needs some help w/ this horrid show. Only racial diversity would make me resume watching downton. The more racial diversity would be better for downton abbey!

I think to be realistic Mary certainly needs to wait a while before having any romance. She can have friends but she needs to be shown in mourning. As much as I like Branson, she is too much of a snob, though she likes him, to wind up with him. Perhaps they can become close friends, but no romance, please. That would be too easy and unreal. I would like to see her meet different men (in time) and see what happens. Certainly I don’t wnat her to wind up with the “right guy” in season 4, after just losing Matthew. However, ideally, I’dl ike them to make believe Matthew had not died in that accident, and replace Dan Stevens with anotehr actor.

Downton Abbey is the best of the best !!
The people creating it, along with carefully chosen actors to play the parts and the staff who works on all the details for the finished product, has my highest praise.
The casting is outstanding and lets face it folks…..this is a accurate history lesson as well as being entertaining, of how it was during those years for the upper class.
I believe it portrays how some upper class families, as it depicts in Downton Abbey, ‘did’ care very much for their staff and their lives.
Lets get over the ‘current’ day’s continual complaining about ‘racial’ discrimination and wake up to the fact it’s giving us a chance to see how it was back then.
Remember ………its a ‘SHOW’ as well !!

My advice to (bc) from their March 5, 2013 comments is :

Downton Abbey is depicting history of how it ‘was’ back then.
Why would they even try to change history,( which you can’t ), by casting or re writing the script of that successful show ?
As our God given freedom in our great country……..if you don’t like a particular show, just change channels…………You might try listening to Dr. Ben Carson, who I would love to see cast in Downton Abbey as a character, but unfortunately he is busy as a successful Neurosurgeon…..

Another choice you have is just turn the TV off and get busy cleaning your house.
For Pete’s Sake……….get over it !!!

I would like to see Mary grieve properly, however, a little interaction with a gentleman would be good. I do not want to see her with Branson, a mutual respect and love for Sybil is what holds them together, nothing else.

Downton Abbey

‘Downton Abbey 2’: Big-Screen Sequel Announced & Coming For Christmas

So many of us loved the soap opera that was Downton Abbey when it aired on PBS and ITV for six seasons.  Then, a few years later in 2019, the highly-awaited Downton Abbey movie hit movie theatres near you.

Now comes word from Focus Features that a big-screen sequel is in the works and is slated for release this Christmas in December of 2021.

In a social media announcement, the film company shared: “We’re thrilled to announce that Julian Fellowes and the entire Downton cast are back for #DowntonAbbey2, with Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, Nathalie Baye and Dominic West joining! See the film in theaters this Christmas.”

While, of course, no plot has been teased or given away, Fellowes will write the screenplay, with Simon Curtis (My Week with Marilyn) set to direct.

“There’s no place like home for the holidays, and we can’t imagine a better gift than getting to reunite with Julian, (producer) Gareth Neame and the entire Downton family in 2021 to bring the Crawleys back home for their fans,” said Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawsk in a statement.

So, excited to see your favorites and some potential new ones in the all-new Downton Abbey Movie later this year? Comment below.

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Breaking News

DOWNTON ABBEY THE MOVIE: Official Trailer Released

Finally, Downton Abbey fans get a preview of the upcoming motion picture that is set for release in theatres on September 20th.

What we know is that the The film is set in 1927 and the plot revolves around the King and Queen of England coming to the estate for a visit and so … the Crawleys must prepare their arrival.  In fact, they have to bring back Mr. Carson to help!

Featured in the trailer are series stars, who are also back for the film: Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Michelle Dockery, Matthew Goode, Joanne Froggatt, Jim Carter and Maggie Smith.

Series creator Julian Fellowes wrote the script and Michael Engler will serve as director. Engler directed the two-hours series finale.

As fans know, Downton Abbey ran on PBS Masterpiece for six seasons here in the U.S.

Check out the trailer, and then let us know if you are excited to see the movie? Comment below.

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Breaking News

‘Downton Abbey’ The Movie Releases Its First Trailer

Now here’s a huge teaser that will get you wanting to see more!  Those of us who loved the British period soap opera, Downton Abbey, which came to a conclusion after its sixth season on PBS here in the United States, will finally get their wish when the film version hits in 2019.

As previously reported, the series executive producer Gareth Naeme said about the film,  “We aim to deliver everything that one would hope for as Downton comes to the big screen.”

Look for the film to land in movie theatres on Friday, September 20th, 2019, with it debuting internationally the week prior on Friday, September 13th.

Most of the cast is intact including: Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Kevin Doyle, Joanne Froggatt, Matthew Goode, Harry Hadden-Paton, David Haig, Geraldine James, Robert James-Collier, Simon Jones, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern, Sophie McShera, Tuppence Middleton, Stephen Campbell Moore, Lesley Nicol, Kate Phillips, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton and Penelope Wilton.

Julian Fellowes once again writes the script for the film for the characters he created for the TV series.

Now check out the first trailer below, when just hearing that memorable opening theme song, it brought us back to the drama and the romance of Downton Abbey.

Let us know if you are thrilled to know that the movie is set for release …. and if you are looking forward to seeing what happens to the Crawleys and others in the next chapter of their story when the movie comes your way via the comment section below.

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