Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey Season Four Confirmed to Debut On January 5th On PBS!

August 6, 2013

Is it January yet? We want our Downton Abbey, please! However, at today’s TCA’s (Television Critics Association) with PBS, the network president and CEO Paula Kerger announced that the hit British period soap opera will return to the United States on Sunday night, January 5th, 2014! So once again, the U.K. will have seen the entire season in the fall and we will have to try to avoid spoilers!

According to USA Today, Kerger related to the press that the public service’s ratings are up 5% in prime time year over year, and up 26% on Sunday alone, driven on that night by PBS’s biggest hit in decades, Downton Abbey. And she’s looking forward to another good year, with ‘Downton’ returning Jan. 5, and being joined by such returning favorites as Call the Midwife, Mr. Selfridge and Sherlock.

“We are living in a golden era of drama in television,” says Kerger. “There is some very rich content and we have found that Sunday night on public television has become a great night for drama.”

As for why she won’t move ‘Downton’ to air closer to the U.K’s programming schedule for the Emmy winning drama series, she said what she had last year at this time, the fall is too competitive, and PBS feels it actually benefits from the word-of-mouth coming out of Britain. After all, last January, ‘Downton’ gave PBS its biggest audiences since The Civil War. “We kind of don’t want to mess with that if it’s working so well.” Though, she adds, for other series, PBS is not opposed to running them closer to the British airdates.

So what do you think Downton Abbey fans? Are you upset that we have to wait till January for all-new episodes to air in the U.S.? Do you think Kerger is making the wrong call? Or, are you OK with it? Comment below!

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Guest

su0000

i do not do well with interpreting the British accent..
It sould like they are talking with marbles in their mouth .. lol
At times, I actually do need to use closed captioning/CC to read what they are saying..
((I know, sad isn’t it, but I just can not ”get” that accent)

Outside of that.. It is a very good soap!!!! 🙂

Guest

Shay

I find it amusing that you say that…as a longtime viewer of British programming, I tend to love the actors command and pronunciations of the English language….it’s a real treat to listen to them! So much so in fact, that I feel it jarring to have to suffer the poor verbal skills and usage found in most of today’s stateside shows….as a country we have truly entered the abyss when it comes to such matters. Thank the U.S. education system for that one…..P.S. Obviously, certain UK dialects are very difficult to understand…but those tend to be found in the grittier… Read more »

Guest

su0000

We speak American in the USA not the Queens English 🙂
Yes, there is difference..
Anyways, it is nothing to do with speaking the English language it is the horrible ‘accent’ I can not make out half of they are saying LOL ..

Guest

Rose

Can’t wait to see how they tie up last years craziness.

Guest

Shay

Cannot wait! These fine programs put American shows to shame….(Revenge and The Mentalist excepted!) PBS is rerunning the first “Downtons” right now, and they never get old….with each successive viewing, you continue to come away impressed, amazed and awed by the excellence!!! Same with “Sherlock”…the second season was also repeated earlier this summer. Would love to see these shows broadcast in concurrence with the British schedule, but it is what it is….definitely worth the wait!!!!!

Guest

Don

I wonder if I call the White House, I could get Michelle Obama to order 2 DVD’s of the show from PBS, and send 1 to me. She gets her’s early before the season ends.

Guest

Shay

Good luck with that one, Don! I prefer to just wait, although I have read that some in the states watch the new episodes online immediately after they air in the UK….not sure which website they use, maybe ITV.com?

Guest

SZima

I understand the reasoning…the fall is crowded, but with the majority of viewers having some sort of recording device, the show would get watched, just maybe not in a timely fashion for ratings. I’m very careful to not read spoilers, so having it on in January is OK with me.

Guest

Shay

Honestly, reading the spoilers doesn’t bother me in the least!!!! As a fan of British websites, I do everything I can to zero-in on my favorite shows and actors, and I find it actually enhances my viewing experience. Even if you know the plot, it still isn’t the same as watching it unfold, particularly with all the lush costumes, scenery and other exquisite details of these programs. And in a way, it is nice to have such beautiful shows to look forward to the in new year, after all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season….

Guest

Patrick

I don’t think its a question of right or wrong – I just bloody well anxious to see the new season begin.

Downton Abbey

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

April 19, 2021

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.

Breaking News

DOWNTON ABBEY THE MOVIE: Official Trailer Released

May 21, 2019

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.

Breaking News

‘Downton Abbey’ The Movie Releases Its First Trailer

December 14, 2018

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.