BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH: Not the Same Old Cup of British Tea By ALESSANDRA STANLEY (NEW YORK TIMES)

Saying that a television series depicts the English aristocracy on the brink of World War I and beyond is almost a disservice — the description sounds like yet another big Masterpiece Theater bore, or worse, an amusing one like “Downton Abbey.” “Parade’s End,” a co-production of the BBC and HBO that begins on Tuesday on HBO, looks like a lush elegy to the Edwardian age, but it’s not nearly as swoony and nostalgic as most others of the genre. Tom Stoppard adapted Ford Madox Ford’s tetralogy into a five-part series, streamlining and speeding up the story without dumbing it down.


Like Ford’s modernist opus, and its brainy, punctilious hero, Christopher Tietjens (Benedict Cumberbatch), the series is not easy to follow or instantly love, but it is impossible to dismiss. That’s partly thanks to artful storytelling and gifted acting, especially by Rebecca Hall, who is a bewitching hoot in the role of Christopher’s bored, unfaithful wife, Sylvia.

It’s a series that inevitably draws comparisons with “Downton Abbey,” since they share the same upper-class trappings and totems. Tietjens, a brilliant statistician, is an old-fashioned English gentleman, good with horses, furniture and propriety. He is chivalrously loyal to Sylvia, a spoiled beauty who scorns her husband’s stuffy rectitude, even as she is piqued by it. She dismisses him as a “great lump,” yet can’t stop poking him.


“Parade’s End” tells the story of a bad marriage, set in a much broader context of a rotting civilization.

And that’s the real difference between it and “Downton Abbey.” That show is a gauzy anachronism in period costumes; the first novel of “Parade’s End” was published in 1924, and the series is enmeshed in the great cataclysm of the time, underscoring the cruelty of the age as much as its charm.


READ MORE: http://tv.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/arts/television/parades-end-with-benedict-cumberbatch-and-rebecca-hall.html?pagewanted=all

COLIN FIRTH: In The Matter of Mr. Darcy (HUFF POST BLOG)

Elinor Lipman
Author

Though hardly enough is known about Jane Austen's too-brief, non-celebrity life, there is one biographical certainty we can surmise from this distance: No one ever asked her whom she'd pick to play Mr. Darcy in the movies.

May I weigh in? ("Insolent girl!" Lizzie Bennet would scold.) I do so only after having rented, streamed, watched, read, and taken notes during a week of adaptation immersion. Thus "pleased with the preference of one," I announce that the head-and-shoulders winner of Best Mr. Darcy is Colin Firth (1995 Masterpiece Theatre, 300 minutes.)

A geological sample of Darcy's core, as portrayed so beautifully by Firth, would show the following layers: at the bottom, his breeding and wealth. Undeniable. On top of that, confusion, the push-pull of class--egad, 10,000 pounds a year and a house 10 times larger than Downton Abbey! Who wouldn't be conflicted, falling in love beneath his station with a penniless girl in possession of an insufferable mother? Next: love-struck silence. And finally, which we learn from the housekeeper who has known him since he was four, a heart of pure gold. Before Disc Two, it is only hinted at. He stares at Elizabeth Bennet with an intensity that promises passion and--spoiler alert--a happy ending.


READ MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elinor-lipman/in-the-matter-of-mr-darcy_b_2551744.html

Sherlock Holmes enjoying a renaissance By Joe Hadsall Globe Features Editor (JOPLIN GLOBE)

BBC’s the best

What has been fascinating about all these different Holmes appearing in movies and TV shows is what aspect of Holmes gets highlighted. Sherlock Holmes is the most portrayed literary character in history, according to a story by the Daily Mail -- a testament to Doyle’s creation.

I haven’t seen many of them. There are a lot of surprising actors -- Peter Cushing (Grand Moff Tarkin?), Roger Moore (Bond? James Bond?), Christopher Lee (Saruman?), Michael Caine (Alfred?), Ian Richardson (Mr. Book?) and Rupert Everett (Algernon?) have all had a chance at the role, as have 248 others.

Apparently, you can get fans quite riled up by asking who was better, Rathbone or Jeremy Brett. It’s funnier than asking magicians whether David Blaine or Criss Angel is better (for the record: I say Blaine in a landslide).

Anyway, each one of those actors has had a take about his character, and the directors and writers of the stories also had ideas. Downey and director Guy Ritchie, for instance, delved into Holmes’ quirky side (and fancy special effects, but that’s a separate gripe).

A couple of weeks ago, I praised Benedict Cumberbatch’s take on a modern Holmes. His portrayal is one of the best out there -- he runs circles around Robert Downey Jr. and Ben Syder, two of the latest to take on the role.

The developers of the show are largely responsible for how well done “Sherlock” is, however.

Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, who also write for “Doctor Who,” have put a tremendous effort into focusing on how Holmes is an abrasive maladroit.

In the books, spectators of Holmes’ brilliant solutions are dazzled by his intelligence, and Holmes basks in it, delivering his deductions like a brief college lecture. But in the displays in “Sherlock,” his deductions and ascerbic insults leave other characters blistering -- to the point where they think Holmes is no genius, but a serial killer. And that’s just Holmes -- er, Cumberbatch.

As Dr. John Watson was the narrator in the books, Martin Freeman’s Watson is the heart and soul of the viewer. He stands up to Holmes and others. He says exactly the right, stinging responses and never leaves a conversation wishing he had said something differently.

The two make for a great on-screen friendship that is almost tear-inducing at the end of the second season of the show (The U.S. debut of “The Reichenbach Fall” was shown Sunday on PBS).

I’ve never seen an on-screen adaption of a literary work be so deviant from its source material, yet so loyal. The work that Moffat and Gatiss have done betters the work that Steven Jackson did with his movie adaptations of “The Lord of the Rings.”

It’s so good that it re-awakens my love of Doyle’s wonderful books. And back to Cumberbatch -- he replaces the illustration in my head now.

He’s that good. He is Sherlock.

Sorry, Robert.

READ MORE:
http://www.joplinglobe.com/lifestyles/x1968171301/Joe-Hadsall-Sherlock-Holmes-enjoying-a-renaissance

'Sherlock' second season premiere delivers solid ratings, but can't catch 'Downton Abbey' by Adam B. Vary (EW)

The second season of the PBS Masterpiece: Mystery series Sherlock is off to a terrific start, unearthing an average of 3.2 million viewers (and that doesn’t include DVR viewings, online streaming, or replays). The number is significantly higher than PBS’ usual audience in prime time, and better than recent numbers for high-profile basic cable shows like Mad Men.


READ MORE:  http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/05/07/sherlock-second-season-premiere-delivers-solid-ratings-but-cant-catch-downton-abbey/

Downton Abbey: Lovely youtube - MARY & MATTHEW - ANGELS OR DEVILS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN33r2fz5c4&feature=related

TheSylenda

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH: Sherlock Holmes and the mystery of the missing eight minutes A painful cut to the BBC's reinvention of the classic detective has left US fans in uproar ADAM SHERWIN SATURDAY 12 MAY 2012 (THE INDEPENDENT)

American viewers really can't get enough of Sherlock, one might deduce. After an appearance by Benedict Cumberbatch prompted scenes of hysteria in New York, US fans complained that eight minutes of the actor's performance had mysteriously gone missing from the hit show.

The BBC's modern-day reinvention of Arthur Conan Doyle's sleuth has joined Doctor Who and Downton Abbey as one of British TV's most successful exports.

When the US PBS network invited viewers to join series star Cumberbatch for a preview screening of A Scandal In Belgravia, the episode featuring whip-smart dominatrix Irene Adler, more than 10,000 fans applied for seats at the 400-capacity French Institute in Manhattan.

The ticket-winners included Sherlock obsessives who had travelled from London and South Korea. Cumberbatch's arrival on stage was greeted with the kind of screams that normally accompany singer Justin Bieber. When the episode aired this week, it attracted 3.2 million viewers, doubling the average prime-time PBS audience. The new series also topped the US iTunes television download chart.

However online sleuths, who had previously acquired British DVDs or seen illicit downloads of the episode, spotted the PBS version was reduced from the original broadcast by the BBC in January. Eight minutes was cut from the 90 minute length to fit PBS's scheduled running time. "They cut scenes. Good ones. What the hell...that makes no sense," one viewer complained on a Sherlock Tumblr blog. "It's frustrating..."


READ MORE:  http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/sherlock-holmes-and-the-mystery-of-the-missing-eight-minutes-7738001.html

Derek Jacobi: PBS’ ‘I, Claudius’ Still Captivates With its Taut Drama (DAILY BEAST)

AUTHOR Jace Lacob
Mar 27, 2012 4:45 AM EDT

Thirty-five years ago, PBS captivated audiences with the blood-and-sex-laden ancient-Roman soap I Claudius, which is still influential. A new DVD version comes out Tuesday.I, Claudius celebrates the 35th anniversary of its U.S. broadcast this year.

A rapt and devoted audience consumed this spellbinding ancient-Rome period drama when it first aired in 1976 on the BBC in the U.K., and in 1977 on PBS’ Masterpiece Theatre.

Starring Derek Jacobi as the titular character and featuring some of the best boldface names in British acting circles, the Emmy Award–winning show—which ran 12 episodes and is today being released as a remastered five-disc DVD box set—is a multigenerational saga about the emperors of ancient Rome and the conspiracies, intrigues, murders, and madness that stood in their shadows.


READ MORE:  http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/03/27/pbs-i-claudius-still-captivates-with-its-taut-drama.html

10 Minutes with the cast of 'Downton Abbey' (ET OnLine)

Watch Downton Abbey, Season 2: 10 Free Minutes on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

By JARETT WIESELMAN

December 20, 2011

The cast of Downton Abbey is not only headed into season two with six Emmy wins (for Outstanding Miniseries, Supporting Actress -- Maggie Smith -- and Writing most notably) and four Golden Globe nominations, but a legion of loyal fans one doesn't often see associated with Masterpiece Theater programs.

And those fans will be justly rewarded on December 26 when PBS' Facebook page will reveal the first ten minutes from the season two premiere.

In celebration, ETonline has been given an exclusive sneak peek at a teaser video featuring the cast, in their modern day clothes, revealing what constitutes their perfect ten minutes.

Watch above and tune in January 8 at 9 p.m. to see the Downton Abbey season premiere on PBS!

http://www.etonline.com/tv/117216_Downton_Abbey_Season_Two_New_Footage/

Downton Abbey Season One - Re-airing begining December 18, 2011 on PBS

Re-airing beginning December 18, 2011 on PBS Check local listings

 

The Downton Abbey estate stands a splendid example of confidence and mettle, its family enduring for generations and its staff a well-oiled machine of propriety. But change is afoot at Downton — change far surpassing the new electric lights and telephone. A crisis of inheritance threatens to displace the resident Crawley family, in spite of the best efforts of the noble and compassionate Earl, Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville, Miss Austen Regrets); his American heiress wife, Cora (Elizabeth McGovern); his comically implacable, opinionated mother, Violet (Maggie Smith, David Copperfield); and his beautiful, eldest daughter, Mary, intent on charting her own course. Reluctantly, the family is forced to welcome its heir apparent, the self-made and proudly modern Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens), himself none too happy about the new arrangements. As Matthew's bristly relationship with Mary begins to crackle with electricity, hope for the future of Downton's dynasty takes shape. But when petty jealousies and ambitions grow among the family and the staff, scheming and secrets — both delicious and dangerous — threaten to derail the scramble to preserve Downton Abbey. Created and written by Oscar-winner Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park), Downton Abbey offers a spot-on portrait of a vanishing way of life.

Masterpiece Theater/PBS

Return to Cranford - on PBS, December 4 & 11

Re-airing December 4 & 11, 2011 on PBS Check local listings

Change is racing towards the small, close-knit village of Cranford like a steam train — quite literally. As the railroad continues to encroach at the edge of town, Cranford strives to open to new realities, from surprising romances to unexpected losses and even waltzing! Matty Jenkyns (Judi Dench), Miss Pole (Imelda Staunton), Mrs. Forrester (Julia McKenzie) and Mrs. Jamieson (Barbara Flynn) are back with other distinguished residents of Cranford, along with one well-outfitted and mischievous cow. When a shocking event seemingly derails Cranford from its innocence, can a bit of magic and faith in enduring friendships save the day? Based on the stories of Victorian-era writer Elizabeth Gaskell, Return to Cranford also features Tom Hiddleston (Wallander) and Tim Curry.

Masterpiece

PBS Announces Winter/Spring 2012 TV Schedule

PBS has announced highlights of its broadcast schedule for winter/spring 2012, including two just announced miniseries: CLINTON, a profile of the 42nd president, from AMERICAN EXPERIENCE and FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR., an exploration of the backgrounds of famous Americans.

Premieres
Headlining the broadcast schedule on January 8 at 9:00 p.m. and continuing for seven weeks is the eagerly awaited return of MASTERPIECE CLASSIC’s “Downton Abbey, Season 2.” The miniseries opens as World War I changes lives, tests alliances and brings new drama to Downton.

From MASTERPIECE MYSTERY!, premiering at 9:00 p.m. May 6 and continuing through May 20, Sherlock Holmes stalks again in the three-part “Sherlock, Series 2.” This modern version, set in 21st-century London, stars Benedict Cumberbatch (War Horse) as the go-to consulting detective and Martin Freeman (The Hobbit) as his loyal friend, Dr. John Watson.

CLINTON: AMERICAN EXPERIENCE will premiere on President’s Day, February 20 (9:00-11:00p.m.) and continuing Tuesday night (2/21, 8:00-10:00 p.m.), the two-part special, announced today, revisits the tumultuous presidency of William Jefferson Clinton through candid interviews with journalists, insiders and adversaries, including former White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers, former White House Counsel Bernard Nussbaum, former White House Chief of Staff and current Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Deputy Chief of Staff Harold Ickes, among others. Part of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE‘s critically acclaimed presidential collection, CLINTON joins the ranks of previous profiles ranging from LBJ to Ronald Reagan, FDR and Theodore Roosevelt.

FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. will premiere Sunday, March 25 at 8:00 p.m. The 10-part series delves into the genealogy and genetics of famous Americans, combining history and science in a fascinating exploration of race, family, and identity in today’s America. Professor Gates shakes loose captivating stories and surprises in the family trees of Kevin Bacon, Tyra Banks, Robert Downey, Jr., Sanjay Gupta, John Legend, Martha Stewart, Barbara Walters and Rick Warren, among many others.

Premiering April 11 at 10:00 p.m., AMERICA REVEALED takes viewers on a four-hour journey high above the American landscape to reveal the country as it’s never been seen before. With technology expert and communications attorney Yul Kwon (“Survivor: Cook Islands”) serving as host, this exciting new PBS series travels through time, space and systems to reveal a nation of interdependent and intricately interwoven networks that feed and power the nation, produce millions of goods and products, transport people great distances and come together to make America work.
PBS Arts

PBS Arts programming continues on Friday nights following the inaugural PBS Fall Arts Festival. GREAT PERFORMANCES premieres Anna Deavere Smith’s one-woman show “Let Me Down Easy,” a theatrical exploration of matters of the human body, on January 13 at 9:00 p.m. As in her acclaimed earlier plays, Smith develops the work by interviewing an eclectic range of people and performing as the interviewees in their own words. On January 27 at 9:00 p.m., the 90-minute “Tony Bennett: Duets II” (w.t.) captures the legendary singer with a diverse roster of contemporary artists, including Lady Gaga, John Mayer, Michael Buble, k.d. lang, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Queen Latifah, Norah Jones, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Faith Hill, Alejandro Sanz, Carrie Underwood and the late Amy Winehouse in her last recording.

Additionally on the PBS Arts docket, MICHAEL FEINSTEIN’S AMERICAN SONGBOOK, SEASON 2 returns with three episodes starting Friday, February 3 at 9:00 p.m., leading viewers across America and through musical history with a variety of surprising guest stars. Premiering February 24 from 9:00-11:30 p.m., GREAT PERFORMANCES gives viewers a front row seat to “Memphis,” starring the original Broadway cast members of the 2010 Tony Award-winning Best New Musical.

Additional Winter/Season Highlights
After the move of NOVA to Wednesday nights in January 2010, year-over-year ratings show that Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. have benefitted from the move, across all demographics, with ratings among viewers aged 40-49 up 31 percent. Overall, NOVA’s 2010-2011 season ratings are up 25 percent from the ’09-10 season. This winter/spring, PBS continues to pair NATURE and NOVA on Wednesday nights — and solidifies the night by adding more science and natural history programming in the 10:00 p.m. slot.

A two-part NOVA special, “Hunting the Elements,” premieres Wednesday, February 8 at 9:00 p.m., and asks the question, “What are things made of?” David Pogue (“Making Stuff”) spins viewers through the world of weird, extreme chemistry on a quest to unlock the secrets of the elements. In the 8:00 p.m. slot that night is NATURE “Raccoon Nation,” a look at how human beings, in an effort to outwit raccoons, may be actually making them smarter and contributing to their evolutionary success.
As part of the strategy of building a science and nature destination night on Wednesdays, PBS adds to the 10 p.m. slot the new multi-part science series INSIDE NATURE’S GIANTS, beginning Wednesday, January 18 at 10:00 p.m. Bringing together a SWAT team of scientists — including a comparative anatomist, a veterinary scientist and an evolutionary biologist — the series goes inside (literally) to reveal the secrets and anatomical mysteries of some of nature’s largest animals, including a sperm whale, large pythons, a great white shark, and a lion and a tiger.

In additional schedule moves, PBS is focusing even more thematic programming with back-to-back plays of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, plus biographies and history specials on Mondays; and more history, including thematically linked shows from AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, on Tuesdays, along with FRONTLINE investigations; and independent film and an additional FRONTLINE play on Thursdays.

Beginning in January, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE premieres a slate of new and encore episodes centered on the American West on Tuesday nights, including the premieres of BILLY THE KID on January 10 and CUSTER’S LAST STAND on January 17, airing at 8:00 p.m.

INDEPENDENT LENS returns Thursday, January 12 at 9:00 p.m. with “HaveYou Heard From Johannesburg,” a five-part series chronicling the unprecedented international movement of citizen activists who fought to bring down the system of apartheid in South Africa.

Later in the spring, MASTERPIECE celebrates Charles Dickens with the MASTERPIECE/BBC co-production of the two-part “Great Expectations,” Sundays, April 1 and 8 at 9:00 p.m., starring Gillian Anderson, the Emmy-winning star of “Bleak House,” and Douglas Booth; and a production of the Dickens classic “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” Sunday, April 15 at 9:00 p.m.

The two-hour JOHNNY CARSON: AMERICAN MASTERS, airing Monday, May 14 at 9:00 p.m., offers an in-depth portrait of the undisputed king of late-night television. In exploring the career, complexities and contradictions of one of the biggest stars television has ever produced, AMERICAN MASTERS secured the Carson estate’s previously unavailable cooperation and permission — unrestricted entrée into his personal archives and perhaps Carson’s greatest legacy, all episodes of “The Tonight Show” from 1970-1992. Clues about his life and stories about his childhood and early days in the business can be found there — and in the expansive family albums and memorabilia, as well. Original interviews with friends, colleagues, his wives and the many performers who appeared, or began, on “The Tonight Show” offer additional context: Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Ellen DeGeneres, Jimmy Fallon, Jerry Seinfeld and Doc Severinsen, among many others.

NATURE “Cracking the Koala Code” airs Wednesday, May 16 at 8:00 p.m. and follows individual koalas from a small social group on an Australian island to reveal how a koala manages to survive and thrive on a diet poisonous to almost all other herbivorous mammals. Following at 9:00 p.m. is NOVA’s “Deadliest Tornado” (w.t.).

Information on additional program premieres, including PBS Black History Month Specials and Election 2012 programming, will be announced throughout December and January.

PBS releases details on 'Downton Abbey,' 'Sherlock' returns and announces Clinton special

by Sandra Gonzalez

Categories: Television

Image Credit: Nck Briggs/Masterpiece

Breakout hit Downton Abbey and the Masterpiece Mystery! presentation of Sherlock, Series 2 are among the programs anchoring PBS’s winter/spring schedule, which was announced today.
The network also announced a number of new programs, including a miniseries, called Clinton: American Experience, a two-part special that will chronicle the presidency of William Jefferson Clinton.

Abbey will run for seven weeks and premiere Jan. 8 at 9 p.m., while Sherlock will premiere May 6 at 9 p.m. John Wilson, senior vice president of TV programming for the network, tells EW that the network believes Abbey‘s return specifically will help it capitalize on the critical praise earned during its four-episode first season.

“Having it on in the early new year when audiences are at their peak in terms of television viewing and starved for new content, I think we’ve got it on at a really great time of the year and hopefully we’re going to do some things that will get the fans of Downton Abbey revved up, but hopefully get some of those who haven’t seen it yet,” he says. “There’s always room for growth. It’s a show that absolutely works for our core audience — who have known and love Masterpiece and the classic dramas it has provided over the years, but is also seems to work for people who can proudly claim to have discovered this great jam on PBS.”


EW.com

Here they come, America - DOWNTON ABBEY PREVIEWS

The Villains of Downton Abbey - Thomas and O'Brien

Irresistible Preview for Downton Abbey

Cast Interviews - Downton Abbey

Season Two Preview

DOWNTON ABBEY SPOILER ALERT: Downstairs comes upstairs as ????? has secret bedroom tryst with his new maid (hubba hubba)

By Kirsty Mccormack

Last updated at 5:15 PM on 4th November 2011

Things are about to get steamy at the Grantham country house in Downton Abbey.

Viewers will see the Earl of Grantham commit the ultimate betrayal as he shares a steamy kiss with his maid, Jane, on Sunday night.

The second series of the popular period drama will go out with a bang as fans will finally see if Robert Crawley - played by Hugh Bonneville - decides to continue their tryst in the bedroom.

Passionate: The Earl Robert Crawley finds himself in a steamy clinch with his maid Jane on this Sunday's episode of Downton Abbey

Last week the Earl was seen kissing Jane - played by Clare Calbraith - for the first time before quickly apologising, but as his wife Cora lays ill it seems he just can't help himself in the season finale.

'For Lord Grantham to not only cheat on his wife, but with somebody from a lower social class, would be the ultimate betrayal,' said a show insider.

But this won't be the end of the forbidden love affair as ITV bosses revealed yesterday that Downton Abbey will be returning for a third series.

Ultimate betrayal: The Earl kissed his maid in last week's episode but quickly apologised as his wife Cora laid on her sick bed

Hardcore fans will have to wait until next Autumn to get their dose as filming will begin early next year.

Main characters such as Bonneville and his onscreen mother, Dame Maggie Smith, have reportedly negotiated pay rises to stay with the successful award-winning drama.

Award winning: Hugh Bonneville plays the head of the Crawley family in the period drama that has proved to be a huge hit

Julian Fellowes, who penned the script said: 'I am extremely grateful. I have grown very fond of my Downton family and I certainly do not want to say goodbye to them quite yet.'

The highly-anticipated third series will see the famous family tackle the twenties.

ITV’s Head of Drama Commissioning, Laura Mackie, is also pleased that the series will be returning: 'We’re delighted to be bringing Downton Abbey back for a third series, as we follow the inhabitants as they move into the roaring twenties.

We'll be back: ITV bosses have confirmed that Downton Abey will return for a third series after stars such as Dame Maggie Smith negotiated a pay rise

'It’s rare to find a drama that the audience connects with so strongly and we’re extremely proud to have commissioned such a phenomenon.'

But for those who feel they just cannot wait until next year don't actually have to wait too long as next month a Downton Christmas special featuring Coronation Street star, Nigel Havers, will be screened.

Phenomenon: The next installment will see the characters tackle the roaring twenties

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2057668/Downton-Abbey-Earl-Grantham-secret-bedroom-tryst-new-maid.html#ixzz1de9Ra0kf

Hugh Bonneville, Dan Stevens - chats with fans

Hugh Bonneville

Downton Abbey's Lord Grantham, portrayed by Hugh Bonneville, interacted with Masterpiece fans about researching his role, the talented and young cast, which actors he'd like more scenes with and what may be ahead for his character.

Dan Stevens

   Dan Stevens, the actor who portrays Matthew Crawley on Downton Abbey, chatted with Masterpiece fans about the hardest parts of period drama, working with Maggie Smith and the rest of the cast, his roles in Sense and Sensibility and Downton Abbey, and what's ahead for him and the next series of Downton Abbey.

Funding for the series is provided by Viking River Cruises, with additional support from public television viewers and contributors to The Masterpiece Trust, created to help ensure the series' future.

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Broadcast

Downton Abbey - Season 2: Finally premiering on PBS January 8, 2012 (Julian Fellowes video)

The Primetime Emmy® Award winning series from Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park) returns to Masterpiece classic in 2012! Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern and Dan Stevens headline the remarkable cast as war intrudes. Welcome to Downton Abbey!

 

Go behind-the-scenes of Downton Abbey, Season 2 with these new photos from the set.

 

Downton Abbey News

Elizabeth McGovern: Portrait of the Lady

The Real-Life Lady Cora: Highclere's Lady Almina

Downton's Fashions Revealed

Behind the Scenes with the Creator of Downton Abbey

Dan Stevens: I'm Not Posh

The Brits' Surprising Emmy Hit

Trench War Comes to Downton

Exclusive Features

Downton Abbey bosses accidentally reveal who dies in series two finale

Metro

ITV bosses have accidentally revealed who dies in the series two finale of Julian Fellowes-penned drama Downton Abbey by publishing a cast list for series three with one big omission.

Related Tags:

Rob James-Collier

Maggie Smith

Hugh Bonneville

One of Downton's characters will be killed off this Sunday (Picture: ITV)

The second series of Downton Abbey hasn't been without its share of misery, with one death already having been featured in the series, which stars Hugh Bonneville and Maggie Smith.

But another character is set to become a victim of the Spanish flu sweeping the household during the current season of the period drama and by releasing the list of stars who are set to take part in future episodes, ITV bosses have inadvertently told viewers who will perish.
The error could annoy the 11.5 million fans who have tuned in to the first six episodes of the second series, but supporters of Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Joanne Froggatt, Rob James-Collier and Michelle Dockery can rest easy as ITV bosses have confirmed they will be returning for a third series.
There are plenty of possibilities about which character is going to be killed off, but the cast list remains a closely guarded secret.
The forthcoming series will be set over an 18-month period in 1920 and 1921, featuring the lives of the Crawley family and their servants.
Laura Mackie, ITV's director of drama commissioning, said: 'We're absolutely delighted to be bringing Downton Abbey back for a third series, as we follow the inhabitants of Downton as they move into the roaring 20s.
'It's rare to find a drama that the audience connects with so strongly and we're extremely proud to have commissioned a series that has become such a phenomenon.'

The final episode of Downton Abbey airs this Sunday at 9pm on ITV1.

Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/880715-downton-abbey-bosses-accidentally-reveal-who-dies-in-series-two-finale#ixzz1ckYWBtdg

Downton Abbey was as sophisticatedly saucy as ever (spoilers)

Metro

TV review: Downton Abbey's penultimate series two outing saw more post-war developments as Matthew Crawley found he could walk.

 

Robert Crawley, crouching earl hidden philanderer. (Picture: ITV)

 

The residents on all floors of Downton Abbey were still recovering in the aftermath of the war this week and coming to terms with the emotional scars that the conflict would leave on them forever.
The Earl of Grantham was particularly shaken up, lamenting the existence of war and questioning it's purpose, eventually finding the answer, so it seems, in the mouth of servant Jane Moorsum.

Elsewhere, Lady Mary demanded to know why Carson was abandoning her, Bates was left reeling by news about Vera, Thomas found an ingenious and profitable way to salvage some good from the war and Matthew was shocked and delighted to find that his spine was undamaged and he could walk.
The ever laconic Dowager Countess of Grantham was of course on hand for some more acerbic commentary, tonight coming out with the excellent: 'All this unbridled joy has given me quite an appetite', following Matthew's miraculous recovery.

Downton Abbey continues to enthrall nearly all types of viewer as we head towards next week's series finale, its period drama façade belying the soap storylines beneath.

Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/reviews/880199-downton-abbey-was-as-sophisticatedly-saucy-as-ever#ixzz1ckOxapS3

Season 3 of ‘Downton Abbey’ Confirmed & PBS Releases A New Trailer For Season 2

BritScene

Written on November 4, 2011 by Paul

As if there was ever any doubt! ITV yesterday confirmed what we pretty much knew was on the cards when it commissioned a third season of the hugely popular period drama Downton Abbey. Season two comes to a climax in the UK this Sunday and despite some criticism that it has not lived up to the critically acclaimed first series this time round, it has still attracted over nine million viewers an episode.

In a press release from ITV it stated that filming for a new series of the Emmy winning drama, will begin in the new year, with it returning to UK screens in September 2012 (using my crystal ball, I see a January 2013 season 3 premiere in the US!). Creator of the show Julian Fellows was excited by the announcement saying “I am extremely grateful to ITV for this. I have grown very fond of my Downton family and I certainly do not want to say goodbye to them quite yet.”

The third series will follow the Crawley family into the post-war roaring 1920′s and it seems like it may not stop there! Talking to the Hollywood Reporter Executive producer and MD of U.K. production for NBC Universal International TV (sounds important!), Gareth Neame said that there was “no reason” that the show would not continue, as long as viewers showed the same appetite for it and said it continued to grip audiences. “The show’s impact has been greater than anyone could have ever imagined. When Downton was originally conceived, it was mapped out across three series,” adding “But with ratings continuing to reach 11.4 million viewers, our expectations have obviously changed and there is no reason why the show won’t run and run, as long as there is still an audience for it”

All this talk of a third series and we have yet to see season 2! On that front we are looking forward to the premiere when it arrives at PBS’s Masterpiece Theater on January 8, 2012. When checking out the PBS website I noticed they had released another nice little trailer to get you excited for the Crawley’s return. Take a look below and if you want to see more videos, clips or behind the scenes goodness etc. why not check out our full coverage here.

Watch Downton Abbey Irresistible Preview on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.

Good Show! 'Downton Abbey' Gets a Third Season

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by Maureen Ryan, posted Nov 3rd 2011 12:15PM

Here in the U.S., we haven't even seen the second season of 'Downton Abbey' yet (it arrived in the U.K. weeks ago but doesn't air here until Jan. 8), but it's good to know that there will be a third season of the acclaimed period drama.

A U.K. newspaper announced the news today, as did Newsweek/Daily Beast writer Jace Lacob (update: PBS confirmed the third season via email as well). Julian Fellowes, who created the drama, will continue to write the saga of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants, and the third season will follow the characters into the 1920s.

"I have grown very fond of my Downton family and I certainly do not want to say goodbye to them quite yet," Fellowes told the Mirror.

Fellowes has said that he envisions chronicling the lives of the Crawley family and their servants through various upheavals of the 20th Century, and I look forward to seeing how the characters on the show respond to the cataclysm of World War 1 in season 2. (For more on what happens when the show returns, check out this feature on the upcoming season).

As for season 3, "in the '20s there are big changes, new inventions, different expectations I can't wait to explore," Fellowes said recently.

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