Women at War - Downton Abbey

The privileged but scandalous lives of the ladies of Downton Abbey take a dramatic turn as war breaks out in the new series starting this week.

Fresh from taking away four gongs at last month's Emmy Awards, Downton Abbey returns for its second season this week and with it comes plenty of drama, scandal and suspense.

The show – that appeared to spring from nowhere earlier this year and quickly gained millions of fans around the world – takes a dramatic turn this series following the outbreak of the Great War that was declared in the series one season finale.

It will see the lives of the ladies of Downton change dramatically as days filled with lunches and preening themselves takes a back seat to newfound responsibility as Downton is turned into a convalescent home for wounded soldiers returning from the front.

For Jessica Brown-Finlay, who plays the youngest of the three Crawley sisters, Lady Sybil, says the change for those "upstairs" at Downton was a dramatic one, but one they all jumped at.

"Suddenly all these characters who never knew what a day's work would feel like – or to boil an egg or make some tea – now know what it is to be tired at the end of the day, but for a good reason," she says.

"And I should imagine that come the end of the war, they are partly terrified at the idea of it ending, because how do you go back?"

While Lady Sybil relishes the opportunity to care for the wounded, many eyes will be on Lady Mary and how she copes with Matthew's new relationship.

Michelle Dockery, who's character turned down Downton heir Matthew Crawley's marriage proposal at the end of season one, says fans may be surprised at how much her character has changed for the better this series.

"Mary has certainly matured a lot more in series two. She seems to have a lot more sincerity and is less of a snob," says the stunning actress.

"In the second series it is still quite clear that she is desperately in love with Matthew and is full of regret for what happened at the end of the series."

Matthew Crawley's new fiance Lavinia Swire – played by Zoe Boyle – is among a raft of new faces to join the show's cast this series. New characters also include newspaper magnate Sir Richard Carlisle, valet Bates' scorned wife Vera, new valet Lang and housemaid Ethel, played by Amy Nuttall.

Nuttall says joining the cast of Downton was a daunting prospect.

"It was like the first day at school all over again. Then, added to that, my first day was to film a scene with Maggie Smith! So yeah, it was thrilling, exciting, nerve wracking, terrifying. Maggie Smith was lovely though and everyone has been very welcoming to me," she says.

Also featuring in the Julian Fellowes-scripted costume drama this season are some amputees that appear as soldiers in the hospital scenes.