Downton Abbey

There does seem to be a Christmas Special this year, I believe I saw a snippet of it the other day.
 
Spoiler;
It is Downton but not quite as we know it.

This year the Crawley family and a few of their best loved servants are leaving Downton Abbey behind and heading to Scotland for a break.

The ITV1 show is expected to be one of the most popular on Christmas Day with an estimated audience of 10 million.

Only the BBC’s seasonal edition of Call the Midwife, which airs immediately before it at 7.30pm on the same day, is expected to beat it in the ratings. In the two hour ITV1 special, Lord and Lady Grantham and their family visit their Scottish cousins at Duneagle Castle, accompanied by servants John Bates, his wife Anna, and O’Brien.

This is the home of Lady Rose, played by newcomer Lily James, who was sent home in the last episode of series three after her dalliance with a married man.

Insiders said viewers would see tensions build up between the two tribes and there is even the suggestion of a new romance for Lady Edith.

And in a bid to fully embrace life in the Highlands viewers will see the men of the family deer-stalking, fly-fishing and out on shooting trips.

The special was filmed at Inveraray Castle on Loch Fyne in Argyll – the area is already hugely popular with tourists because of the idyllic landscape but is expected to enjoy a boom once the programme airs.

Executive producer Gareth Neame said: ‘While the cat’s away, the mice will play. The Granthams do not live at Downton Abbey twelve months of the year. They would go to London for the summer season and also go away on holidays like this.

‘And when that happens the domestic staff of Downton would remain. What will they get up to while the family is away?’

The special will also show life back at Downton Abbey where butler Carson is desperately trying to keep the servants in check.

But the arrival of a country carnival in the village means many sneak off to enjoy the fun of the fair.

It is understood that there may also be some romance for downtrodden cook Mrs Patmore with another villager known as Tufton.

The last series of Downton Abbey had a mixed response from critics, but pulled in more than nine million viewers each episode.

Last year Downton Abbey’s Christmas special pulled in 8 million and was beaten by EastEnders on the day.

Traditionally it is the soaps that fight to win the highest ratings of Christmas day, but both EastEnders and Coronation Street have suffered dwindling audiences in the past year.

This year the real battle will be between Call the Midwife and Downton Abbey.

BBC executives moved its 75 minute seasonal special forward in a bid to avoid a clash with its ITV1 rival.

The final schedule sees Coronation Street and Call the Midwife go head to head at 7.30pm, and EastEnders will broadcast at 8.45pm – the same time as Downton Abbey.

The first series of Call the Midwife, which features Vanessa Redgrave, Miranda Hart, and Jenny Agutter, was a surprise success for the BBC when it aired in January.

The drama is based on the late Jennifer Worth’s gritty trilogy of memoirs about life and midwifery in London’s East End in the 1950s, and pulled in more than 8.5 million viewers a week.

Viewers’ will see a heart-wrenching and heart-warming festive special which tackles teen pregnancy, the horrors endured by those surviving the workhouse, and child mortality.
*Dailymail.co.uk
 
I wonder will mary ever have a baby with Matthew, I hope the playwright can make that happen asap lol :lol:
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^Well...I've herd some speculation that she might be pregnant during the x-mas special! That would be adorable. It will be interesting to see which show wins in the ratings, Call the Midwife or Downton Abbey. Personally, as a fan of both shows, I wouldn't complain either way. Though, Doctor Who might overshadow them both, especially since it's the introduction of a new companion! Goodness, it looks like I'll be watching a lot of television on Christmas (not that it really matters for me since it's not my holiday)! :lol:
 
Thank you, Stephen Colbert, for continuing to remind me why you're my favorite celebrity of all time. "Like Lord Byron always said, 'mo money, mo quandaries.'" :lol:
 
I just only wish they do the backwards parody, I mean Breaking Bad cast as englishmen, please Colbert!!
 
Can anyone please tell me how Matthew exited the series? Write in white, please.
 
^ There is no god, seriously even in fiction life is really sh*tty! So, this is how Dan Stevens exits the show after all the rumors of him leaving. I am so sad, disappointed and angry right now. I know this is just a show but his character was the most handsome and charming gentleman I've ever seen :cry:
 
You could see it coming in the episode, I just knew. As soon as Mary gave birth to a son and she said 'we have our son and heir' I knew the rumours were true and Matthew was a gonner.
 
I sort of gave up on the show after the previous sad episode earlier in the season (I think we all know which one I'm referring too) but when I found out about what happened during the christmas special I've definitely abandoned ship. To be honest, I think they should've ended the show after the third season finale, tie it up neatly and be done with it, instead of dragging on and having to kill off characters when actors want to leave. Far too many shows have been ruined when major characters are no longer part of the plot-line and I fear that this is what will happen to Downton Abbey. Instead of being a show that will be remembered for being pretty great it will be one of those shows that's remarked as "went down the tube." A tad dramatic perhaps, but still, I am rather angry with how this season turned out. Quite a disappointment. :cry:
 
ITV, the makers of the show, were forced to release a statement due to the amount of complaints they have received about Matthew's death. Basically they shift the blame to him saying he didn't want to renew his contract for anymore seasons and so they felt they had no choice but to kill him off as the character would never believable leave Lady Mary, he was too in love. In that respect I do agree, realistically I don't see what else they could have done in light of of that fact.
 
^ perhaps they could have wrapped it up? Why did they have to commission a fourth series? Well, of course I have an inkling as to the answer to that question.
 
^ ^ I agree with honeycombchild, although I too dislike the way they deal with the matter, it's the only way they could do.

Another option is to wrap up the whole series, but I find that impossible. The investors/company sure want to continue the series to earn money and so on. I don't think that would work. Now the future of this series is quite doubtful without you-know-who... :ninja: Hope this won't end up as a mess like Gossip Girl.
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It's one of ITV's flagship shows and in a year when XFactor is racing downhill they are going to try their best to cling onto it for as long as possible. It's also the only time they've ever produced any form of period drama to stand up against the BBC's. I can't imagine it will go anywhere too soon, but I don't think we're safe from characters leaving yet. I'd be very surprised if Maggie Smith makes it through the next series Very surprised.
 
^ I would be so depressed without her :( her character is the most interesting one.
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I've definitely abandoned ship.
Going with you!

I felt Sibyl's loss, as weird as it was, still fit the mood of uncertainty of the beginning of the 1920s, but this is just.. :doh:.. I actually can see the story evolving into something interesting in seasons to come but it just feels like the series' time and potential is being exploited at this point. On the other hand, Dan is such a twat, sorry, but the series is what? 10-11 episodes a year? how does that conflict with his image or schedule?. I know for most television actors, it gets to a point where the viewer will never be able to see them as anything more than their television character so they have to be careful on the duration of their appearances to "outgrow" that image while they can still can but I feel like he could've been more respectful to the people that have supported his acting thanks to the show and work the contract differently instead of just quitting it, leaving people no choice but to get rid of his character in a very nonsense, soap opera way.
 

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