Downton Abbey writer Julian Fellowes
Wednesday December 7,2011
By Elisa Roche Showbusiness Editor
DOWNTON Abbey writer Julian Fellowes has drawn on the “happy chaos” of his own childhood Christmases to create the show’s two-hour festive special.
The aristocratic film-maker – also known as Lord Fellowes of West Stafford – grew up in a large house with wood panelled rooms, open fires and a huge decorated tree at yuletide.
All of this will be recreated on screen for the highly-anticipated Christmas Day special of the ITV period drama.
“I was rather pleased to find that we’d be celebrating Christmas at Downton,” Fellowes tells the Christmas special issue of the Radio Times.
“In many ways, it was a dream. The Abbey is a wonderful Christmas house.
“It has a splendid, double-height hall for a huge tree, masses of open fires and the sort of rooms – lined in panelling, books and huge paintings – that provide just the right backdrop.”
ITV1 is banking on a sumptuous serving of Downton to win the Christmas Day ratings war against EastEnders on BBC1.
The aristocratic film-maker – also known as Lord Fellowes of West Stafford – grew up in a large house with wood panelled rooms, open fires and a huge decorated tree at yuletide.
All of this will be recreated on screen for the highly-anticipated Christmas Day special of the ITV period drama.
“I was rather pleased to find that we’d be celebrating Christmas at Downton,” Fellowes tells the Christmas special issue of the Radio Times.
“In many ways, it was a dream. The Abbey is a wonderful Christmas house.
“It has a splendid, double-height hall for a huge tree, masses of open fires and the sort of rooms – lined in panelling, books and huge paintings – that provide just the right backdrop.”
ITV1 is banking on a sumptuous serving of Downton to win the Christmas Day ratings war against EastEnders on BBC1.
"I was rather pleased to find that we’d be celebrating Christmas at Downton" |
Julian Fellowes |
Fellowes, 62, has pulled out all the stops with the show – with real-life Highclere Castle in Newbury, Berks, doubling for the fictitious Abbey – being hailed as a visual feast.
While insisting his childhood Christmases were “not grand”, Fellowes admits they were filled with happy chaos.
“Christmas is about a house full of men and women, preferably of all ages, shouting, playing, eating and drinking, tearing wrapping paper off presents, forgetting who gave you what, feeding far too much to the dogs and so on,” he said.
“I know I have bare-facedly based Christmas at Downton on those of my own childhood.
“I grew up in a fairly large, rectory-like house in East Sussex. It wasn’t beautiful or very special, really, but it had panelling, open fires and a big hall for the tree, even if it was an altogether humbler abode than Highclere.
“When the yuletide season arrived, its bedrooms would be crammed with a mixture of friends and family, old and young.
While insisting his childhood Christmases were “not grand”, Fellowes admits they were filled with happy chaos.
“Christmas is about a house full of men and women, preferably of all ages, shouting, playing, eating and drinking, tearing wrapping paper off presents, forgetting who gave you what, feeding far too much to the dogs and so on,” he said.
“I know I have bare-facedly based Christmas at Downton on those of my own childhood.
“I grew up in a fairly large, rectory-like house in East Sussex. It wasn’t beautiful or very special, really, but it had panelling, open fires and a big hall for the tree, even if it was an altogether humbler abode than Highclere.
“When the yuletide season arrived, its bedrooms would be crammed with a mixture of friends and family, old and young.
“Because my three brothers and I made a fractious basis for any party, my mother would always invite at least one semi-stranger, different every year.
“I asked her about this curious detail years later and she nodded, saying, ‘It was the only way to make you all behave’.” Exact plot details are under wraps but with the servants having been given the day off, Earl Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) will take to the kitchen to prepare the traditional feast.
(Brendan Coyle) under arrest for murder, a shadow hangs over the festivities.
Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) has some thinking to do about her future with Sir Richard Carlisle (Iain Glen), while newcomer Lord Hepworth (Nigel Havers) is described by show insiders as “not all he seems”.
“I asked her about this curious detail years later and she nodded, saying, ‘It was the only way to make you all behave’.” Exact plot details are under wraps but with the servants having been given the day off, Earl Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) will take to the kitchen to prepare the traditional feast.
(Brendan Coyle) under arrest for murder, a shadow hangs over the festivities.
Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) has some thinking to do about her future with Sir Richard Carlisle (Iain Glen), while newcomer Lord Hepworth (Nigel Havers) is described by show insiders as “not all he seems”.
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