List of Downton Abbey episodes is a British television series created by and co-produced by and, It first aired on in the on 26 September 2010 and on in the on 9 January 2011, as part of the Masterpiece Classic anthology. Six series have been made, the sixth airing in the autumn of 2015 in the UK and Ireland and in January 2016 in the United States.
Contents
- 1 How can I watch Downton Abbey Season 7?
- 2 Why did they stop Downton Abbey?
- 3 Are there 10 seasons of Downton Abbey?
- 4 Why did Sybil leave Downton Abbey?
- 5 Did Downton Abbey have an ending?
- 6 Where is Downton Abbey in real life?
- 7 Does Cora ever find out what O Brien did?
- 8 Will there be another Downton Abbey after the new era?
Are there 7 seasons of Downton Abbey?
Downton Abbey reportedly poised to return for a seventh season fans could have cause for celebration as new rumours of a comeback have emerged. The hit historical drama series began in 2010 and aired six series before its conclusion in 2015. As well as this, the show has been expanded into two feature films, the most recent of which was released in 2022.
- Though the story of the people of the Crawley estate has not continued in an episodic format for eight years, reports have claimed that Downton Abbey ‘s production company is currently casting for a new TV instalment.
- According to a source speaking to, producers are hoping to welcome back significant stars of the show, including Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery and Elizabeth McGovern.
- “There is a plan which is in development and there is a lot of excitement about,” the source told the publication.
“There is casting taking place, and it would be great if all of the big stars can return. People loved Downton, It became a British institution and it has been much missed since it left our screens.” In its series three peak, Downton Abbey attracted an average weekly viewership of 11.5 million viewers.
- In the show’s final episode, long-time lovers Edith (Laura Carmichael) and Bertie (Harry Haden-Patton) finally got married on New Year’s Eve 1925.
- Since then, the two films have continued the family’s adventures.
- , the Crawley family went on a grand journey to the South of France to gain insight into the Dowager Countess’s (Maggie Smith) newly inherited villa.
: Downton Abbey reportedly poised to return for a seventh season
How many seasons of Downton Abbey are there?
About the Show – Downton Abbey, the award-winning series from Julian Fellowes, spanned 12 years of gripping drama centered on a great English estate on the cusp of a vanishing way of life. The series followed the Granthams and their family of servants through sweeping change, scandals, love, ambition, heartbreak, and hope.
- All six seasons of Downton Abbey aired on MASTERPIECE on PBS.
- The stellar cast ensemble cast featured Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Brendan Coyle, Joanne Froggatt, Brendan Coyle, Allen Leech, Sophie McShera, Lesley Nichol, Jim Carter, Phyllis Logan, Rob James-Collier and Kevin Doyle among many others.
All six seasons of the beloved series Downton Abbey are now available to stream with PBS Passport, Don’t miss the Emmy®, Golden Globe®, SAG Award®, Producers Guild® and BAFTA®-winning drama series. (Viewing is limited to the U.S. and Territories only.) Sign up to get the latest news on your favorite dramas and mysteries, as well as exclusive content, video, sweepstakes and more.
How can I watch Downton Abbey Season 7?
S07 E01 of Downton Abbey is available for Rent or Purchase on Microsoft, Vudu.
Why did they stop Downton Abbey?
Downton Abbey is one of the most popular historical TV dramas of all time, so why did it end after Season 6, when the show was still firmly on top? In many ways, the popular historical drama Downton Abbey reflected the sentiments of much of its audience. Beyond its iconic setting and early 20th century charm, the show’s appeal lay in its many characters. Both they and the audience longed to hold onto something they couldn’t protect from the changing times.
Is Thomas Lord Grantham’s son?
Cora decides who’s inheriting – and it’s not Lady Mary’s son – This is Cora’s long-term revenge on her husband. She knows that Thomas is the illegitimate son of O’Brien and Lord Grantham – and the rightful heir to the house. She knows it will kill her husband to see an illegitimate child inherit and she has waited a long time for this moment.
Are there 10 seasons of Downton Abbey?
List of Downton Abbey episodes is a British television series created by and co-produced by and, It first aired on in the on 26 September 2010 and on in the on 9 January 2011, as part of the Masterpiece Classic anthology. Six series have been made, the sixth airing in the autumn of 2015 in the UK and Ireland and in January 2016 in the United States.
How old is Mary Crawley in Season 1?
Age of Mary Crawley | Fandom The corresponding article about Edith Crawley on this site says that Mary was 21 in 1912. (edited by administrators) 0 The Downton Abbey Series 1 script says Mary was 21 in 1912 (and thus born in 1891), that Edith was 20 (thus born in 1982) and that Sybil was 17 (thus born in 1895) (edited by HarryPotterRules1) Julian Fellowes announced that in 1912, Mary Crawley was 21, Edith 20, and Sybil 17.
Sybil was 24 when she died, making Mary 28, and Edith 27. Mary had her baby at age 29. (edited by A Fandom user) 0 She had herbaby at 30; George was born in 1921, making Mary 30 at the time. (edited by HarryPotterRules1) 0 We used that originally, but per canon policy, actor thoughts are not included. The script – written by Jullian Fellowes – explicitly states that Edith is “20” in 1912.
Thus, she was born in 1892. (edited by HarryPotterRules1) If Mary is 30 in 1921 that means she would be 80 in 1971. What a different world would she see if she lives past 80! A flashforward into the future would be awesome at the end of season 6. Don’t you think? The surviving characters would find themselves in very different England.
- Edited by A Fandom user) True and they would think it went to far.
- England is so changed and not for the better.
- Modern Buildings and people on welfare.
- They would be more traditionalist and conservative.
- Disappointed in the nation.
- But they would be happy women can come so far but worse division of people.
Western values declined. (edited by A Fandom user) (edited by Lejonfjun) : Age of Mary Crawley | Fandom
Why did Sybil leave Downton Abbey?
Jessica Brown Findlay – Lady Sybil Crawley – Jessica played Mary and Edith’s beloved sister, Sybil, on the show, but left in season three after her character died shortly after childbirth. Speaking about leaving, she told Radio Times : “I didn’t want to fall into my comfort zone too much. © Photo: ITV
Did Downton Abbey have an ending?
Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes – Mrs. Hughes and Mrs. Patmore. Nick Briggs The finale season of Downton Abbey is full of life changes for Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes. The tie the knot, and move into a cottage of their own, where they settle in to married life. Mr. Carson also comes to terms with an tremor-related illness, and the fact that it will inhibit his work.
When was Season 7 of Downton Abbey filmed?
Is Downton Abbey season 7 happening? – Sadly, there is no plans for a seventh season of Downton Abbey, Luckily, fans also have the Downton Abbey films to watch and continue their love of this series. In 2019, the first film was released, with many of the original cast reprising their roles.
- The film picked up soon after the season 6 finale with a visit to Downton from the King and Queen.
- The Royal staff takes over the estate, and an assassin also shows up to kill the monarch.
- This film debuted with $31 million, topping the box office and marking the largest opening in Focus Features’ history.
Next, Downton Abbey: A New Era will be the second sequel film in the franchise. The release date is set to hit theaters on March 18, 2022. Again, we will see many of the original cast reprising their roles, and of course, new characters will also be added.
The teaser trailer does, in fact, show a new era, and things get quite exciting as the Dowager Countess shares some shocking news. Be sure to watch or rewatch Downton Abbey on
Published on 11/19/2021 at 9:58 AM EDT Last updated on 11/19/2021 at 9:58 AM EDT
: Will there be a Downton Abbey season 7?
Where is Downton Abbey in real life?
Highclere Castle, stately home in Hampshire, England, owned by the earls of Carnarvon. The castle has more than 200 rooms and stands on a tract of about 1,060 acres (430 hectares). It gained fame as the setting for the television series Downton Abbey (2010–15).
Highclere is located on land that came under the control of the bishops of Winchester in 749 and was held by them for some 800 years. In the late 14th century Bishop William of Wykeham was involved in the construction of a palace ( bishop ‘s residence) on the grounds. In 1551, during the Protestant Reformation, King Edward VI confiscated the property from the church.
Originally granted by the king to the Fitzwilliam family, Highclere had several owners during the next century and a quarter. A manor house was built in the early 17th century. In 1679 the property was purchased by the politician and future attorney general Robert Sawyer.
In the early 18th century Sawyer’s heirs laid out drives and walkways, planted formal gardens, and built several follies —picturesque but nonfunctional structures with names such as Heaven’s Gate and Jackdaw’s Castle. Henry Herbert, a descendant of Sawyer, inherited Highclere Castle in 1769 and was created 1st earl of Carnarvon in 1793.
He brought in the noted landscape architect Lancelot Brown, who planted large numbers of trees and made other changes that gave the grounds a more natural, unplanned appearance. But the most conspicuous changes to Highclere were made by the 3rd earl, who in 1838 commissioned the architect Charles Barry, best known for the Houses of Parliament in London, to remodel the manor house completely in the Elizabethan (or “Jacobethan”) style.
- The exterior and interior work took decades to complete, and the castle became known for its opulence.
- Notably, the Saloon now features 17th-century Spanish leather wall coverings collected by the 3rd earl, and the walls of the Music Room are hung with 16th-century Italian embroideries Highclere Castle later opened its doors to paying visitors and hired out its grand rooms and gardens for several television and film productions, including Stanley Kubrick ‘s Eyes Wide Shut (1999).
However, Highclere made its strongest public impression in Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes, creator and executive producer of the series, became familiar with the history of the house, and certain details of the show, such as the use of the mansion for the care of World War I casualties, are based on fact.
Before Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle was known primarily for its association with the 5th earl of Carnarvon, patron of the Egyptological expedition that discovered and opened the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun in 1922. Egyptian antiquities from the 5th earl’s collection were later put on display in the castle.
Robert Lewis
Where is Downton Abbey filmed?
HIGHCLERE CASTLE, HAMPSHIRE, ENGLAND – Image by Roman Grac at Pixabay. Highclere Castle was used as the set of the fictional Downton Abbey itself. This impressive Victorian castle is the off-screen seat of the present-day Earl and Countess of Carnarvon. The show’s creator Julian Fellowes had this stunning castle in mind when imagining the shows grand setting, and with over 1,000 acres of surrounding parkland, there’s plenty to see.
Why did Lord Grantham not inherit Downton Abbey?
Downton Abbey’s Plot Twists Spur Lawyers’ Debates Medieval property law and inheritance rights don’t often dominate television drama or popular conversation. But that’s precisely what is happening as we embark on the fourth season of the PBS series, Downton Abbey.
Through the show, millions of fans have only lately been introduced to an arcane legal principle known as the fee tail. It even got a passing mention last week in Orlando during a “Recent Developments” session at the Heckerling Institute on Estate planning – the annual Super Bowl for lawyers and financial planners who work in the field.
(For other coverage of the conference, click,) In this post,, a trusts and estates lawyer with in Seattle and, helps untangle the legal intricacies. By Wendy S. Goffe and Deborah L. Jacobs Legal eagles wonder whether the creators of Downton Abbey understood Medieval property law or took,
- Poetic license.
- Either way, the inheritance rights of Mary Crawley (played by Michelle Dockery) are in question.
- Photo: Carnival Films/Newscom Leave it to Downton Abbey to bring back sexy.
- If you have been living off the grid without enough solar power to regularly watch the star-studded series, which has been nominated for 39 Emmys and garnered a host of other awards, the story follows the trials and tribulations of the British aristocratic Crawley family and their servants during the reign of George V.
The backdrop is their castle Downton Abbey, for which the show is named. In the final episode of Season 3, set in late 1921, Lady Mary Crawley (played by Michelle Dockery), gave birth to a son. After visiting her and the new baby in the hospital, her husband Matthew (Dan Stevens) is killed in an automobile accident on his way back to Downton.
- While the deaths, births, financial woes and constant undercurrent of romance and affairs captivate us, the even bigger story for lawyers, as Season 4 begins, is the future ownership of Downton.
- Now that Matthew has died, will it become Mary’s property or is her infant the rightful heir? Those who tuned into prior seasons know that Matthew was only a distant relative – the third cousin once removed – of Robert Crawley, known as Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), who is head of the Crawley family.
(For the details you can catch up and,) Robert and his wife Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) have three daughters but no male descendants. That, in part, leaves the future ownership of Downton a delicious tangle of possibilities. Yes, the laws of primogeniture were alive and well in early 20th Century Great Britain.
The other key fact, from a legal perspective, is that although Lord Grantham lives in Downton Abbey, he is for all practical purposes a tenant – not an owner. Instead, he has what’s called a “fee tail” interest or an entail, which is basically a form of property ownership with some serious strings attached.
The background goes way back – to the 13 th Century legal concept, de donis conditionalibus, a Latin description of conditional gifts. The goal was to keep land in the family. Under this feudal rule, since abolished in most places, the heir to land held under a fee tail may not sell it or leave it to an illegitimate child.
This is in contrast to an ownership interest called “fee simple” which does not have these restrictions. Occasionally, a fee tail was written in such a way that the land could be left to a female descendant or even a spouse, but most estates were of the “fee tail male” variety. When there was no male heir, the property reverted to the person who made the original gift (if alive) or to his living heirs.
So if Robert Crawley had owned Downton Abbey in fee simple, rather than fee tail, he could have left it to his wife or daughters. Instead, he only had title for himself and his biological heirs, who were in line to inherit until his line “ran out” (meaning he produced no male heirs).
We are told in Season 4 that Lord Grantham is unable to change the fact that his daughters cannot inherit. So we can assume he held a fee tail male. As archaic as the fee tail might sound, it still exists in four states: Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine and Rhode Island. New York used to allow the fee tail, but abolished it in 1782.
Being able to cite this factoid could make you the center of a lively cocktail party conversation (if all the guests were nerds). To further muddy the moat waters, Lord Grantham only owned half of Downton. Matthew previously purchased the other half from him using the inheritance he had received from the father of his fiancée, Lavinia.
Whether Lord Grantham had the right to sell the property to Matthew when it was subject to the entail is questionable. Matthew may only have been able to purchase a life estate, or the right to use the property during his lifetime. Another complication: Matthew was only the “heir presumptive,” not the “heir apparent,” to the other half of the Earldom.
If Robert and his wife Cora produced a son, it would bump Mathew out of line as heir to inherit the half of the earldom that Lord Grantham retained. If they didn’t, at Matthew’s death, his son would seem to be next in line. But was he? Under a different script, it might have been possible for Lord Grantham to break the entail.
- Again, we have to dig back into medieval history to understand how this could be done.
- In 1472 it became possible to “disentail” or “dock a tail,” allowing an owner to freely give the property to the heirs of his choice.
- But this would require the consent of an “heir apparent.” An eldest son meets the conditions of an heir apparent: direct descendant of the current titleholder, male, and cannot be superseded by another.
Only an heir apparent – not an heir presumptive – would have the right to join with the current property holder to dock or break the entail. As a contingent heir, Matthew didn’t have the legal right to consent to break the entail. Because Lord Grantham has only daughters, the heir presumptive to Downton Abbey is his cousin, James.
Since this is a British period drama, naturally James and his only son died on the Titanic during the first episode. That’s how Matthew Crawley, a solicitor from Manchester, and a distant cousin of Lord Grantham, becomes a possible heir to Lord Grantham’s land and money. Just when it looked like Downton Abbey was going to be lost to, God forbid, a solicitor, Matthew weds Lord Grantham’s eldest daughter, Mary.
Conveniently, this was just the plot twist needed to preserve the estate for Lord Grantham’s descendants. While Mary and her sisters could not inherit directly from their father, the marriage meant that Mary’s eldest son, should she have one, would inherit the earldom.
Something to keep in mind, assuming Downton Abbey remains in production for seasons to come: The law of fee tail was modified many times over the centuries, and finally abolished in 1925, only a few years after the timeframe of the fourth season of the series. There’s even more uncertainty for Mary, though.
Her husband Matthew, about to leave for a trip to Duneagle In March 1922 and without enough time to finalize a will, penned a letter to her, leaving his entire estate to her, and promising to incorporate this promise into a will as soon as he returned.
- Mary left Duneagle Castle early to give birth and Matthew died before finalizing a formal will.
- In an abundance of caution, though, Matthew had his letter signed by two witnesses, arguably making it equivalent to a will.
- So, does the story end there, happily ever after, at least as to who owns the property? Hardly.
This is not an American courtroom drama. Nothing gets solved in one episode of a British period production. Estate planners who have already spent many unbillable hours watching the show, are now spending many more debating such questions as: Could the entail be broken? Was it broken when Matthew purchased half of Downton? If not, does the will (assuming the letter to Mary was a valid will) trump all? Was the property left to Lady Mary in violation of the fee tail and will she have the property taken from her? In lawyerly fashion, they would like to know whether Julian Fellowes and his historian and meticulous fact checker,, really understood Medieval property law or took creative liberties to fit their story line.
Alastair Bruce did not respond to FORBES’ request for comment. Perhaps the show’s creators are simply keeping us in suspense until an upcoming episode, when the plot line and the legal implications will all be sorted out. Those who can’t stand the uncertainty can tune into British television where Season 4 is already in reruns.
Tempting. : Downton Abbey’s Plot Twists Spur Lawyers’ Debates
Why is Mary’s husband not in the new Downton Abbey?
Why Isn’t Matthew Goode in Downton Abbey 2? – Henry Talbot Doesn’t Appear in ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’ Downton Abbey is missing one of its main characters in: Matthew Goode’s Henry Talbot. While he made a small cameo in the first film, Goode does not appear in the sequel at all.
Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) explains his absence by saying her husband is traveling the world racing cars, and doesn’t want to come home. But, in reality, actor Matthew Goode’s schedule did not allow for him to appear in the second Downton film. He was working on his new show The Offer and could not fit in a cameo for Downton,
In The Offer,, the late, legendary and Paramount Studio CEO. Goode first appeared in the Downton Abbey universe in season five’s Christmas special, and starred in the final season as Lady Mary’s love interest (and eventual husband). In the first Downton Abbey film, he is briefly seen returning home after traveling abroad.
- He of the first movie, “I’m just popping in at the end, which is a nice way to do it.” At the time, he also had scheduling conflicts, working on the TV show A Discovery of Witches,
- Goode was the only key cast member not to return for Downton Abbey: A New Era, and his character’s absence allows for the possibility of a romantic plotline between Lady Mary and director Jack Barber (Hugh Dancy).
” There’s trouble in paradise,” Jack tells Lady Mary in the trailer for the film. She replies: “You don’t need me to tell you that marriage is a novel full of plot twists along the way.”
Downton Abbey: A New Era is now available to stream on demand.
(she/her) is the news writer for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on and, : Why Isn’t Matthew Goode in Downton Abbey 2? – Henry Talbot Doesn’t Appear in ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’
Why is Downton called an abbey?
Five Things to Know About Downton Abbey – E! Online PBS If you aren’t madly in love with Downton Abbey, that can mean only one thing: You haven’t seen it. Blimey, what a ghastly prospect! Happily, latecomers are always welcome to this grand house party. Even as the award-winning British period drama nears its second-season conclusion on PBS, Downton Abbey continues to gain momentum like a steam locomotive leaving Paddington Station.
- Last Sunday, the Emmy and critical darling was second place to the Super Bowl in its time slot, with 4 million viewers.
- Here’s what you’ve been missing—and all you need to know to join the privileged ranks of Downton Abbey fandom 1.
- It’s Downton, Not Down town : And it’s not about life at a convent or monastery as “abbey” might make you think! The sprawling estate—home to the aristocratic Crawley family and their household staff—was once an ecclesiastical property, hence the “abbey” in the title.
In fact, their fictional digs sub for the actual west of London, on grounds nearly 20 percent larger than NYC’s Central Park. No wonder the servants outnumber the bluebloods.2. Entails Are Worse Than Entrails: The Crawleys are dotty about Downton; the Earl of Grantham ( Hugh Bonneville )—aka Robert Crawley—even married a rich American ( Elizabeth McGovern ) to save it from financial collapse.
- But because of the truly wack “entail” law, their home and wealth transfer to the Grantham estate’s next male heir.3.
- Married With Children: Except the Crawleys have only three daughters.
- What to do? They arrange a marriage between eldest daughter Mary ( Michelle Dockery ) and the next heir, cousin Patrick, and bob’s your uncle—everything stays in the family.
Except Patrick goes down with the Titanic, and the next heir—much to the consternation of the imperious dowager countess (Emmy winner Maggie Smith, who delivers every cutting quip with undisguised relish) is a working solicitor (aka lawyer). The horror! If only Mary and the soon-to-be wealthy commoner could fall in love, wed and have a son of their own.
- Isn’t it pretty to think so? 4.
- Sex, Scandal, Intrigue, Blackmailand Muuuurder ! Think those stuffy British aristocrats are prudes? As the Cockneys would say, fink again.
- In prewar Society With a Capital S, a girl’s reputation is everything, and Lady Mary’s one-night stand and its ever-expanding ripple effect threatens to destroy her future, her family and their self-sacrificing servants.
Not to mention her paramour, who paid the ultimate price for seducing the young maiden.5. Upstairs, Downstairs: Downton Abbey has not only nabbed half a dozen Emmys, but its creator and writer, Julian Fellowes, won an Oscar for Gosford Park (maybe that explains Downton ‘s breathtaking cinematography and gorgeous costumes).
- Fellowes attributes his show’s adulation to the “equal moral value” placed on the lives of both the servants and their posh employers.
- Generous Lord Grantham not only foots the bill for the cook’s eye surgery—he also pays off the butler’s blackmailer.
- The equal-opportunity employer hires a “lame” valet whose fealty approaches martyrdom.
Even the bad apples— spiteful lady’s maid O’Brien ( Siobhan Finneran, whose is hard to reconcile with her severe sourpuss, and footman Thomas ( Rob James-Collier )—are treated with more respect than they deserve. And crikey, the socialist revolutionary chauffeur ( Allen Leech ) is doing a bit more than driving with politically minded Lady Sybil.
Does Cora ever find out what O Brien did?
The tragic O’Brien soap incident. – Courtesy of PBS Thinking she’s about to be replaced, O’Brien, Lady Grantham’s personal maid hides a bar of soap just beside the tub, causing Cora to slip and fall, in possibly the darkest work-revenge move ever. Cora ends up miscarrying the only male heir to the Crawley/Grantham fortune.
Is Robert really Lord Grantham’s son?
” If we don’t respect the past, we’ll find it harder to build a future. ” —Robert Crawley Robert Crawley, 7th Earl of Grantham (b. July 1865 ) is the patriarch of the Crawley family and the co-owner of Downton Abbey (along with his eldest daughter). He is the son of the 6th Earl of Grantham and Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, and the brother of Lady Rosamund Painswick,
He fought in the South African Wars with John Bates, He married American heiress Cora Levinson in 1890 in order to save the estate with her money, but eventually fell very much in love with her. They have three daughters together: Mary, Edith, and Sybil Crawley ; they also had a son lost in a miscarriage.
Due to having no living sons, his heir was successively his cousins James Crawley, Patrick Crawley, and Matthew Crawley, The last became his son-in-law via Mary. All three of these heirs eventually died, making his only grandson and Mary and Matthew’s only child, George Crawley, his current heir presumptive,
What is Cora Crawley’s illness?
This story contains spoilers for Downton Abbey: A New Era Julian Fellowes, the creator of Downton Abbey, has clearly been preparing for Maggie Smith’s departure from the series for quite some time. Smith has portrayed the dowager countess, Violet Crawley, a character who has become best known for her devastating zingers and obsession with maintaining tradition at Downton.
Even in early episodes, Violet would fret over the legacy she was leaving behind. Fellowes heavily intimated that Smith might depart the series when he inserted a storyline in the first Downton Abbey movie, released in 2019, in which Violet receives some bad news from a doctor. “I had some medical tests a few weeks ago, and I went up to London to hear the results.
And I may not have long to live,” she tells her granddaughter Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) in the first film. “It won’t be too quick, but of course, you can never get a London doctor to be precise.” It was an odd conversation to write into the end of the film: The dowager does not pass away or even look ill in the movie.
- Perhaps Fellowes was hedging his bets in case Smith did not agree to return for the sequel.
- Luckily for fans, Violet does appear in Downton Abbey: A New Era,
- But as the film reveals, her days are numbered.
- Throughout A New Era, characters repeatedly discuss the imminent demise of the dowager countess.
Early in the film, Violet finds out that she inherited a villa in the South of France from an old paramour, but the man’s widow is contesting the inheritance. (It wouldn’t be Downton Abbey without someone contesting an inheritance.) Still, Violet would like to keep the villa and gift it to Sybbie, the child of Tom Branson and the now-dead Sybil Crawley.
- Unlike her cousins, Sybbie stands to inherit no house upon her father’s death.
- Violet is too fragile to travel, so half the family—Robert (Hugh Bonneville), Cora (Elizabeth McGovern), Edith (Laura Carmichael), Tom (Alan Leech), and a few others—decide to visit the mysterious man’s widow and son in France.
Meanwhile, Lady Mary and the dowager countess host a film crew making a Hollywood feature at Downton. Though Robert and Cora worry that the dowager countess may die while they’re traveling, Mary says she plans to write immediately with any news. (l-r) Harry Hadden-Paton, Laura Carmichael, Tuppence Middleton, and Allen Leech in Downton Abbey: A New Era Ben Blackall—Focus Features The rest of the film is occupied by a few minor plots involving the many, many characters that have come to define Downton Abbey, Tom marries Lucy (Tuppence Middleton), the secret daughter of a cousin named Maude Bagshaw (Imelda Staunton). By the end of the movie, the two have a baby. The film crew at Downton has to pivot from a silent film to a talkie, and Lady Mary lends her voice to the movie. The film’s director (Hugh Dancey) falls in love with Mary because every handsome man falls in love with Mary, but she rejects his flirtations because she’s still married to an irksomely absent Henry Talbot (Matthew Goode, who did not return for the film). Elsewhere, movie star Guy Dexter (Dominic West) takes a shine to Downton butler Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier). And while the two strangely never share an intimate moment in the film, towards the end of the movie, Guy invites Thomas to travel with him as a romantic partner in the guise of a “dresser.” Thomas accepts. Two of the film’s biggest dramatic turns end up being fake-outs. Cora believes she has cancer but learns by the end of the film that she is just sick with anemia. Robert thinks that he may be the illegitimate son of the mysterious Frenchman who left his mother the villa, but Violet dispels that notion from her deathbed. She shows the family letters between the two love birds to prove that nothing physical ever happened. It turns out that Violet Crawley, despite her conservative views and preoccupation with maintaining old-world values at Downton, had quite a wild youth. As a young woman she nearly ran away with a Russian prince and later had a dalliance with the aforementioned Frenchman. Though she frets in the hours before she dies that she will be remembered as some sort of scarlet woman, Violet no doubt will be remembered for her barbs and her wit. When Violet finally does die, she is surrounded by family. For her funeral, Mary dons her grandmother’s brooch. Though technically Robert is now the head of the family, Mary was most similar to her grandmother: They both could be cruel and fearsome but also smart and brave. She seems set to take over her grandmother’s role as the de facto head of the house. In the film’s final scene, Tom and Lucy visit Downton with their new baby, and Violet watches the family gather from a portrait above the mantle. Write to Eliana Dockterman at [email protected],
Who married Lady Mary?
The television gods heard “Community” fans’ desperate pleas to extend the single-camera comedy into six seasons and a movie and said, hey, wouldn’t it be hilarious if we did that, but with the British historical drama “Downton Abbey” instead? With the wave of a wand — or the snap of some fingers, however television gods work their magic — the aristocratic Crawley family and its loyal staff traveled from living rooms across the world to the prestigious big screen.
The movie, which revolves around King George V and Queen Mary’s visit to Downton, hits theaters on Friday, more than three years after the beloved series aired its finale on this side of the pond. The story itself spanned almost 15 years, ranging from early 1912 to New Year’s Eve in 1926, and introduced dozens of characters throughout that period.
You’re forgiven if you can’t recall any specifics. Luckily, the movie doesn’t require viewers to remember all that much from the series — thanks, gods! — so here’s a quick reminder of what you do need to know about the main characters. Lady Mary and Henry Talbot Mary (Michelle Dockery), the family’s eldest daughter, finally found love again years after the tragic death of her husband, Matthew.
Given that Matthew died in a car crash, Mary agreed to marry Henry Talbot (Matthew Goode) provided he give up his dangerous racecar driving profession and open a car shop instead. He became a stepfather to Mary’s son, George, and it was revealed in the series-concluding Christmas special that Mary was pregnant with their first child together.
Mary now runs Downton alongside her father, Robert (Hugh Bonneville), while Henry co-owns Talbot and Branson Motors with Mary’s brother-in-law Tom (Allen Leech). Lady Edith and Herbert “Bertie” Pelham Edith (Laura Carmichael), the second Crawley daughter, had a secret child out of wedlock with her now-deceased lover and former boss, Michael Gregson (Charles Edwards) — a revelation that sent her new suitor, Bertie (Harry Hadden-Patton), spinning.
Edith and Bertie eventually reconciled, each admitting that they could not go on without the other, and got married in the Christmas special. Somewhere along the way, Bertie rose to marquess status, so Edith technically outranks her family. Thomas “Tom” Branson Though his wife, Sybil Crawley (Jessica Brown Findlay), died after giving birth in the third season, Tom remained at Downton for the sake of their daughter, Sybbie.
He co-owns the car shop with Henry and also helps manage the estate. Lord Robert and Lady Cora Crawley (a.k.a. the Earl and Countess of Grantham) Nothing really happened with Robert and Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) toward the end of the series, but both of their (living) daughters are now happily married, so there’s that.
Lady Violet Crawley (a.k.a. the Dowager Countess) and Lady Isobel Grey As hard-shelled and softhearted as ever, Violet (Maggie Smith) facilitated a truce between Mary and Edith after Mary almost ruined her sister’s engagement to Bertie. Violet also helped her best frenemy Isobel (Penelope Wilton), Matthew’s mother, recognize her true love for Lord Richard “Dickie” Grey (Douglas Reith), a close friend of the Crawleys.
Isobel and Dickie got married, despite his children’s protests, and are now very happy together. Charles and Elsie Carson Mr. Carson (Jim Carter) stepped down from his longtime perch as butler after being diagnosed with palsy, but he continues to consult on Downton matters from time to time.
He is married to housekeeper Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan), with whom he moved to a modest house in a nearby village. Thomas Barrow Barrow (Rob James-Collier), a footman, took over as butler after Mr. Carson’s retirement. The rest of the staff came to like him by the end of the series, so everyone is fine with this arrangement.
John and Anna Bates After a stressful few years, Anna (Joanne Froggatt), Mary’s lady’s maid, and Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle), Robert’s valet, finally found peace. Then, a pregnant Anna’s water broke during Edith and Bertie’s wedding. She gave birth to a baby boy.
- Beryl Patmore, Daisy Mason and Andrew “Andy” Parker Mrs.
- Patmore (Lesley Nicol) continues to run Downton’s kitchen, with Daisy (Sophie McShera) as her assistant.
- Daisy moved to the farm belonging to Mr.
- Mason (Paul Copley), her former father-in-law, and gained a new love interest in Andy (Michael Fox), a recently hired footman at Downton.
Joseph Molesley and Phyllis Baxter Mr. Molesley (Kevin Doyle) worked as a footman at Downton until he realized, while helping Daisy with her studies, that he was more passionate about education. He left to become a teacher at Downton School but returns to the manor for special events.
Is Downton Abbey based on a real family?
Are the Crawleys of Downton Abbey a real family? – The fictional Crawleys are based on the Earls and Countesses of Carnarvon, who still reside at Highclere Castle, where the series is filmed (though the fictional Downton Abbey is in Yorkshire, rather than Hampshire, where Highclere is).The current Countess of Carnarvon’s books, Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey and Lady Catherine and the Real Downton Abbey, describes how Almina Herbert, the illegitimate daughter of the banker Baron de Rothschild, then Catherine Wendell, an American, married two successive Earls of Carnarvon, bringing new wealth and perspectives to the estate. Highclere Castle was a filming location for the British period drama Downton Abbey, (Image by Getty Images) Lady Almina transformed Highclere into a convalescent home during the First World War, and Lady Catherine hosted 20th-century royal visitors (Prince George, Duke of Kent was a family friend), themes that emerged in the Downton Abbey series and film.
Although both women were born outside the titled British aristocracy, their relations with their servants remained hierarchical. The Countess of Carnarvon states, in Lady Catherine and the Real Downton Abbey, that Catherine had the same lady’s maid, Marcelle, from the age of 14, and that she was “as much a confidante as she was a lady’s maid”.
But the book does not mention whether Marcelle, nicknamed ‘Doll’ by the Wendell family, viewed Catherine as a friend and confidant in addition to an employer. In contrast, the personal lives of the Crawleys and their servants are intertwined from the beginning of the series.
Robert Crawley, Lord Grantham employs John Bates – his injured former batman from the Boer Wars – as his valet, although other members of the Crawley family (and other servants) question whether Bates will be able to perform his duties adequately while walking with a cane. Meanwhile, Cora Crawley, Lady Grantham and her daughters – Lady Mary, Lady Edith and Lady Sybil – all form close bonds with servants or tenants on the estate.
Mary and the housemaid Anna Smith become close friends and confide in one another. Lady Edith kisses farmer John Drake after helping drive his tractor during the labour shortages of the First World War, and later places her illegitimate child in the care of another tenant farmer, Timothy Drewe.
Is Downton Abbey Based on a true story?
Is Downton Abbey based on a true story? – Downton Abbey is a period piece that follows the luxurious lives of the Crawley family, fictional aristocrats set in 20th century England, Although not entirely based on any particular true story, Downton Abbey is meant to be as historically accurate as possible.
Lady Grantham, a character on the show, is based on the real-life Lady Almina – the great grandmother of the Earl of Carnarvon. She is credited with helping to update Highclere into a more modern living area. Another real castle featured on the show is the Inveraray Castle, home to the Duke and Duchess of Argyll and found in the rolling hills of Scotland,
When was Season 7 of Downton Abbey filmed?
Is Downton Abbey season 7 happening? – Sadly, there is no plans for a seventh season of Downton Abbey, Luckily, fans also have the Downton Abbey films to watch and continue their love of this series. In 2019, the first film was released, with many of the original cast reprising their roles.
- The film picked up soon after the season 6 finale with a visit to Downton from the King and Queen.
- The Royal staff takes over the estate, and an assassin also shows up to kill the monarch.
- This film debuted with $31 million, topping the box office and marking the largest opening in Focus Features’ history.
Next, Downton Abbey: A New Era will be the second sequel film in the franchise. The release date is set to hit theaters on March 18, 2022. Again, we will see many of the original cast reprising their roles, and of course, new characters will also be added.
The teaser trailer does, in fact, show a new era, and things get quite exciting as the Dowager Countess shares some shocking news. Be sure to watch or rewatch Downton Abbey on
Published on 11/19/2021 at 9:58 AM EDT Last updated on 11/19/2021 at 9:58 AM EDT
: Will there be a Downton Abbey season 7?
Did Downton Abbey have an ending?
Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes – Mrs. Hughes and Mrs. Patmore. Nick Briggs The finale season of Downton Abbey is full of life changes for Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes. The tie the knot, and move into a cottage of their own, where they settle in to married life. Mr. Carson also comes to terms with an tremor-related illness, and the fact that it will inhibit his work.
Will there be another Downton Abbey after the new era?
Downton Abbey: A New Era spoilers follow. Downton Abbey 3 has yet to be confirmed, and if you asked Hugh Bonneville, he’s not entirely sure if it will happen. “I thought for a while that maybe there was an energy to do a third one, but I suspect that’s probably not the case.
- I think we’ve probably quit on a high,” he told Radio Times in August 2022.
- Creator Julian Fellowes has always been open to the idea of more movies, though, but is equally happy if Downton Abbey: A New Era marks the end.
- The truth is if they want more and the cast want to do more, then I’m sure we’ll find a way of delivering more,” he said in May 2022.
“But I don’t mind if it’s run its course, I think that’s fair enough, too.” Given that it hasn’t been confirmed or cancelled, it seems that all bets are off when it comes to the future of the series. So while we wait for any news, here’s what we know about a potential Downton Abbey 3, Universal
Is Downton Abbey final season?
Series Six is the final series of the romantic-drama show, Downton Abbey, and consisted of eight episodes and a Christmas Special series finale.