Downton Abbey
Encyclopedia
Downton Abbey is a British television period drama series, produced by NBC Universal
-owned British media company Carnival Films
for the ITV
network. The series is set during the late Edwardian era (after Edward VII's death) and the First World War on the fictional estate of Downton Abbey in Yorkshire
, and features an ensemble cast. It was created and principally written by actor and writer Julian Fellowes
, and premiered on ITV on 26 September 2010.
Reception of the programme was predominantly positive; ratings were extremely high for what is usually considered a 'genre' show, and the first series picked up a number of awards and nominations after its initial run. It has subsequently become the most successful British costume drama since the 1981 television serial version of Brideshead Revisited
, and in 2011 it entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the 'most critically acclaimed television show' for the year, becoming the first British show to win the accolade.
On 3 November 2011, ITV confirmed that a third series has been commissioned and will be broadcast from September 2012.
country house
of the Earl
and Countess of Grantham
, and follows the lives of the aristocratic
Crawley family and their servants early in the reign of George V
. The first series spans the two years prior to the Great War
, commencing with news of the sinking of the Titanic, an event that sets the story in motion. The second series covers the years 1916 to 1919.
Highclere Castle
in Hampshire was used for exterior shots of Downton Abbey as well as for the majority of the interior filming. The servants' living areas were constructed and filmed at Ealing Studios
.
The village of Bampton
in Oxfordshire was used for filming the outdoor scenes, most notably St Mary's Church and the village library, which serves as the entrance to the cottage hospital. The North Yorkshire
towns of Malton
, Thirsk
, Easingwold
, Kirkby
, Kirkbymoorside
, Middlesbrough
, Ripon
and Richmond
have also been mentioned by characters in the series.
The first series cost an estimated £1 million per episode, and is the most successful British period drama since Brideshead Revisited
, with British ratings exceeding 10 million viewers. The series was also well received in the United States, averaging over 6 million viewers per episode.
that accompanies the (fictional) Earldom of Grantham, which endows both title and estate exclusively to heirs male
. This is complicated by the fact that the estate had been near financial ruin, and was only saved when the present Earl, then the heir apparent
, contracted a wealthy marriage with an extremely rich American heiress. Upon marriage, her considerable fortune was contractually incorporated into the comital entail in perpetuity. The Earl, having had only three daughters and no son, had arranged for his elder daughter to marry her cousin, and son to the heir presumptive
, thus keeping both title and estate within the immediate family. The demise of both heirs presumptive in the sinking of the Titanic destroys the family plans and brings a distant cousin, a young solicitor from Manchester
, in line to inherit everything, including the personal wealth of the Countess, who will not be able to bequeath it to her daughters.
The second series premiered in the UK on 18 September 2011, and is due to do so in the U.S. on 8 January 2012. There will also be a Christmas special.
The series comprises eight episodes, running from the Battle of the Somme in 1916 to the Spanish 'flu pandemic in 1919. Social equality
, redemption
and death
are big themes of this series. Matthew Crawley, Thomas, and William Mason are off fighting in the war; Tom Branson, an Irishman, is unsure that he wants to fight for the British
; and Lord Grantham cannot serve due to his age. Lady Sybil Crawley defies her aristocratic position and joins the Voluntary Aid Detachment
. Filming began in March 2011.
Michelle Dockery, Dame Maggie Smith, Brendan Coyle, Rob James-Collier, Dan Stevens, Elizabeth McGovern, Hugh Bonneville, Jessica Brown-Findlay, Laura Carmichael, Joanne Froggatt, Phyllis Logan and Allen Leech all returned and Cal Macaninch
, Iain Glen
, Amy Nuttall
, Zoe Boyle and Maria Doyle Kennedy
joined the cast as the new valet Lang, Sir Richard Carlisle, the new Housemaid Ethel, Miss Lavinia Swire and John Bates' wife Vera respectively. Nigel Havers
and Sharon Small
will appear in the Christmas special, as Lord Hepworth and Marigold Shore, Lady Rosamund's maid, respectively.
will not return for the third series.
ITV confirmed the commissioning of a third series on 3 November 2011. It will enter production in early 2012, and be broadcast from September 2012.
was launched on ITV1 in February 2009. The total audience for the first episode, including repeats and ITV Player
viewings, exceeded 11.6 million viewers. This was beaten by the next episode, with a total audience of 11.8 million viewers—including repeats and ITV Player views.
Downton Abbey also broke the record for a single episode viewing on ITV Player
, the ITV online catch-up service.
At Metacritic
, which assigns a normalised
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the first series received an average
score of 92, based on 14 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim". This result earned the show a Guinness World Record in 2011 for ‘Highest critical review ratings for a TV show’, making Downton Abbey the most critically well-received TV show in the world.
Sam Wollaston of The Guardian
said,
Viewers were critical of the number of advertisement breaks during the first episode (seven in a 90-minute episode), claiming it ruined the continuity of the story. ITV
responded by saying that the number of breaks shown complied with Ofcom
regulations and that the advertising was necessary to cover the high costs of producing the drama.
Consolidated Ratings Figures from www.barb.co.uk
ITV1 Sunday night viewing figures across ITV1, ITV1HD and ITV+1.
Series 2:
18/09/11 - Episode 1 - 10.93m (ITV1+1 470k) = 11.40 million
25/09/11 - Episode 2 - 11.17m (ITV1+1 601k) = 11.77 million
02/10/11 - Episode 3 - 10.80m (ITV1+1 531k) = 11.33 million
09/10/11 - Episode 4 - 10.69m (ITV1+1 606k) = 11.30 million
16/10/11 - Episode 5 - 11.11m (ITV1+1 486k) = 11.60 million
23/10/11 - Episode 6 - 10.83m (ITV1+1 504k) = 11.33 million
30/10/11 - Episode 7 - 11.88m (ITV1+1 383k) = 12.26 million
06/11/11 - Episode 8 - 12.42m (ITV1+1 312k) = 12.73 million
. It came first in the Top 10 new drama category.
It won two Broadcasting Press Guild
awards in 2011. It won Best Drama Series and Julian Fellowes
won for writing. It has also won 5 Primetime Emmy Awards.
In September 2011, the show entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the 'most critically acclaimed television show' for the year, becoming the first British show to win the award. It beat American shows Mad Men
and Modern Family
to the title.
Downton Abbey series is currently up for nominations at the 2012 National Television Awards for Best Drama, Drama Performance: Male for actors Brendan Coyle and Dan Stevens, and Drama Performance: Female for actresses Joanne Froggatt and Michelle Dockery. The awards nominations are voted by the public, the winners announced at the award show, which takes place on 25 January 2012.
, following a long practice of opting out of Britain-wide ITV programmes. This led to backlash from Scottish viewers, who were frustrated at not being able to watch the programme. Many viewers with satellite or cable television tuned into other regional stations of the ITV network, for example ITV1 London
, with viewing figures showing this is also commonplace for other ITV programmes. The series received its first Britain-wide broadcast when it was shown on ITV3 in February 2011.
STV announced in July 2011 that it will show the first and second series of Downton Abbey, as part of its autumn schedule.
Phyllis Logan, who plays Mrs Hughes, said: "I'm delighted that STV is showing Downton Abbey in Scotland – it means my family and friends in Scotland will be able to watch it at the same time as the rest of the UK. This might push our viewing figures up even higher which can only be good." Iain Glen, who plays Sir Richard Carlisle, added: "I am not party to the original decision as to why STV didn't acquire the original series from ITV, but I am delighted the decision has been reversed and the people of Scotland will be able to see what all the fuss has been about."
Internationally, the U.S. DVD release date was 11 January 2011, in New Zealand it was released on 22 June 2011 and in Australia on 4 August 2011. The release in Australia and New Zealand has an exclusive bonus disc in both the DVD and Blu-ray versions. It contains extras such as cast interviews, geography of Downton: upstairs and downstairs, a day in service and others.
On 16 September 2011, two days before the UK premiere of the second series, it was reported by Amazon.com
that the first series of Downton Abbey had become the highest selling DVD Boxset on the online retailer's website of all time, surpassing popular American programmes such as The Sopranos
, Friends
and The Wire
.
in September 2011. Music by John Lunn and Don Black features, with vocals from Mary-Jess Leaverland
and Alfie Boe
.
) and was published by HarperCollins
.
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
-owned British media company Carnival Films
Carnival Films
Carnival Films is a British television production company, founded by Brian Eastman in 1978 as Picture Partnership Productions Limited and run by Gareth Neame since 2005. The company swiftly built up a strong reputation as an independent production company of theatre, film and television drama...
for the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network. The series is set during the late Edwardian era (after Edward VII's death) and the First World War on the fictional estate of Downton Abbey in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, and features an ensemble cast. It was created and principally written by actor and writer Julian Fellowes
Julian Fellowes
Julian Alexander Kitchener-Fellowes, Baron Fellowes of West Stafford, DL , known as Julian Fellowes, is an English actor, novelist, film director and screenwriter, as well as a Conservative peer.-Early life:...
, and premiered on ITV on 26 September 2010.
Reception of the programme was predominantly positive; ratings were extremely high for what is usually considered a 'genre' show, and the first series picked up a number of awards and nominations after its initial run. It has subsequently become the most successful British costume drama since the 1981 television serial version of Brideshead Revisited
Brideshead Revisited (TV serial)
Brideshead Revisited is a 1981 British television serial produced by Granada Television for broadcast by the ITV network. The teleplay is based on Evelyn Waugh's novel Brideshead Revisited...
, and in 2011 it entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the 'most critically acclaimed television show' for the year, becoming the first British show to win the accolade.
On 3 November 2011, ITV confirmed that a third series has been commissioned and will be broadcast from September 2012.
Overview
The series is set in the fictional Downton Abbey, the YorkshireYorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
country house
English country house
The English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a London house. This allowed to them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these people, the term distinguished between town and country...
of the Earl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
and Countess of Grantham
Grantham
Grantham is a market town within the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It bestrides the East Coast Main Line railway , the historic A1 main north-south road, and the River Witham. Grantham is located approximately south of the city of Lincoln, and approximately east of Nottingham...
, and follows the lives of the aristocratic
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
Crawley family and their servants early in the reign of George V
George V
George V was king of the United Kingdom and its dominions from 1910 to 1936.George V or similar terms may also refer to:-People:* George V of Georgia * George V of Imereti * George V of Hanover...
. The first series spans the two years prior to the Great War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, commencing with news of the sinking of the Titanic, an event that sets the story in motion. The second series covers the years 1916 to 1919.
Highclere Castle
Highclere Castle
Highclere Castle is a country house in the Jacobethan style, with park designed by Capability Brown. The 1,000 acre estate is in the English county of Hampshire, about south of the border with Berkshire, and south of Newbury...
in Hampshire was used for exterior shots of Downton Abbey as well as for the majority of the interior filming. The servants' living areas were constructed and filmed at Ealing Studios
Ealing Studios
Ealing Studios is a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in West London. Will Barker bought the White Lodge on Ealing Green in 1902 as a base for film making, and films have been made on the site ever since...
.
The village of Bampton
Bampton, Oxfordshire
Bampton, also called Bampton-in-the-Bush, is a village and civil parish in the Thames Valley about southwest of Witney in Oxfordshire. The parish includes the hamlet of Weald....
in Oxfordshire was used for filming the outdoor scenes, most notably St Mary's Church and the village library, which serves as the entrance to the cottage hospital. The North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
towns of Malton
Malton, North Yorkshire
Malton is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. The town is the location of the offices of Ryedale District Council and has a population of around 4,000 people....
, Thirsk
Thirsk
Thirsk is a small market town and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. The local travel links are located a mile from the town centre to Thirsk railway station and to Durham Tees Valley Airport...
, Easingwold
Easingwold
Easingwold is a small market town and a civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 4,233.It is located north of York, at the foot of the Howardian Hills....
, Kirkby
Kirkby Malzeard
Kirkby Malzeard is a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England.In recent years a creamery in the village was acquired by the Wensleydale Creamery, and Wensleydale cheese is now made there.-History:...
, Kirkbymoorside
Kirkbymoorside
Kirkbymoorside is a small market town and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England which lies approximately 25 miles north of York midway between Pickering and Helmsley, and has a population of approximately 3,000.-History:...
, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
, Ripon
Ripon
Ripon is a cathedral city, market town and successor parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located at the confluence of two streams of the River Ure in the form of the Laver and Skell. The city is noted for its main feature the Ripon Cathedral which is architecturally...
and Richmond
Richmond, North Yorkshire
Richmond is a market town and civil parish on the River Swale in North Yorkshire, England and is the administrative centre of the district of Richmondshire. It is situated on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and serves as the Park's main tourist centre...
have also been mentioned by characters in the series.
The first series cost an estimated £1 million per episode, and is the most successful British period drama since Brideshead Revisited
Brideshead Revisited (TV serial)
Brideshead Revisited is a 1981 British television serial produced by Granada Television for broadcast by the ITV network. The teleplay is based on Evelyn Waugh's novel Brideshead Revisited...
, with British ratings exceeding 10 million viewers. The series was also well received in the United States, averaging over 6 million viewers per episode.
Crawley family
| Actor | | Character | | Relation | | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hugh Bonneville Hugh Bonneville Hugh Richard Bonneville Williams, known professionally as Hugh Bonneville , is an English stage, film, television and radio actor.-Education:... |
The Right Honourable The Right Honourable The Right Honourable is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Anglophone Caribbean and other Commonwealth Realms, and occasionally elsewhere... Robert, Earl of Grantham Earl of Grantham Earl of Grantham was a title in the Peerage of England created on 24 December 1698, along with the titles Viscount Boston and Baron Alford, for Henry de Nassau d'Auverquerque, with a special remainder, failing heirs male of his body, to his three brothers Cornelius, Maurice and Francis, in like... |
The Earl and the head of the Crawley family | 1–present |
| Elizabeth McGovern Elizabeth McGovern -Early life:McGovern was born in Evanston, Illinois, the daughter of Katharine Wolcott , a high school teacher, and William Montgomery McGovern, Jr., a university professor. Her paternal grandfather was adventurer William Montgomery McGovern and her maternal great-grandfather was U.S. diplomat... |
The Rt Hon Cora, Countess of Grantham | The American wife of the Earl | 1–present |
| Michelle Dockery Michelle Dockery Michelle Dockery is an English actress of stage and screen. She has become best known for her role as Lady Mary Crawley in the ITV drama series Downton Abbey... |
Lady Mary Crawley | Eldest daughter of the Earl | 1–present |
| Laura Carmichael Laura Carmichael Laura Carmichael is a British actress. She was educated at The Mountbatten School, Peter Symonds College, and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and her TV appearances include Downton Abbey. She is also a member of The Fitzrovia Radio Hour.-Filmography:... |
Lady Edith Crawley | Second daughter of the Earl | 1–present |
| Jessica Brown-Findlay Jessica Brown-Findlay Jessica Brown-Findlay is an English actress. She plays the character of Lady Sybil Crawley in ITV's Downton Abbey.Brown-Findlay trained with the National Youth Ballet and the Associates of the Royal Ballet... |
Lady Sybil Crawley | Youngest daughter of the Earl | 1–present |
| Maggie Smith Maggie Smith Dame Margaret Natalie Smith, DBE , better known as Maggie Smith, is an English film, stage, and television actress who made her stage debut in 1952 and is still performing after 59 years... |
The Rt Hon Violet, Countess of Grantham | Dowager Dowager A dowager is a widow who holds a title or property, or dower, derived from her deceased husband. As an adjective, "Dowager" usually appears in association with monarchical and aristocratic titles.... Countess and the Earl's mother |
1–present |
| Dan Stevens Dan Stevens Daniel Jonathan Stevens is a British actor.-Education:Stevens was educated at Tonbridge School, an independent school in the market town of Tonbridge in Kent, in South East England, followed by Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he read English... |
Mr Matthew Crawley | Third cousin once removed of the Earl; Heir presumptive Heir Presumptive An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question... to the title and estate |
1–present |
| Penelope Wilton Penelope Wilton Penelope Alice Wilton, OBE is an English actress.-Life and career:Penelope Alice Wilton was born in Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire, to a former actress mother and a businessman father. She is a niece of actors Bill Travers and Linden Travers and a cousin of the actor Richard Morant... |
Mrs Isobel Crawley | Matthew's mother | 1–present |
Staff
| Actor | | Character | | Position | | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Carter | Charles Carson | Butler Butler A butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its... |
1–present |
| Phyllis Logan Phyllis Logan -Education:Logan was educated at Johnstone High School in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland. After school, she graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama with the James Bridie Gold Medal in 1977.-Career:... |
Mrs Elsie Hughes | Housekeeper Housekeeper (servant) A housekeeper is an individual responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the interior of a residence, including direction of subordinate maids... |
1–present |
| Brendan Coyle Brendan Coyle -Early life and family:Coyle was born in Corby, Northamptonshire, to an Irish father and Scottish mother; his parents moved to Corby from Strabane, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Coyle holds Irish and British citizenship. He is the great nephew of football manager Sir Matt Busby... |
John Bates | Lord Grantham's Valet Valet Valet and varlet are terms for male servants who serve as personal attendants to their employer.- Word origins :In the Middle Ages, the valet de chambre to a ruler was a prestigious appointment for young men... |
1–present |
| Siobhan Finneran Siobhan Finneran Siobhan Finneran is an English television and film actress from Oldham in Lancashire, England.-Career:Siobhan's first major role was as Rita in the 1986 film, Rita, Sue and Bob Too. Since 2007 she has played Janice in ITV's popular comedy drama Benidorm, appearing in all 4 series and both specials... |
Sarah O'Brien | Lady Grantham's Maid Lady's maid A lady's maid is a female personal attendant who waits on the lady of the house. The position is very similar to a gentleman's valet. Traditionally, in eras past, the lady's maid was not as high-ranking as a lady's companion, who was a retainer rather than a servant, but the rewards included room... |
1–present |
| Joanne Froggatt Joanne Froggatt - Early life, education and early career :Born and raised in the village of Littlebeck, Froggatt left her family home at the age of 13 to attend the Redroofs Theatre School in Maidenhead, Berkshire. In 1996, she made her TV début in the long-running ITV drama, The Bill, and shortly afterwards... |
Anna Smith, later Anna Bates | Head housemaid | 1–present |
| Thomas Howes Thomas Howes (actor) Thomas Howes is an English actor. He trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.He is best known for having played the role of William, the second footman in ITV's Downton Abbey, and played the role of Manchester United's captain Mark Jones in the 2011 TV film of the Munich air disaster,... |
William Mason | Footman Footman A footman is a male servant, notably as domestic staff.-Word history:The name derives from the attendants who ran beside or behind the carriages of aristocrats, many of whom were chosen for their physical attributes. They ran alongside the coach to make sure it was not overturned by such obstacles... |
1–2 |
| Rob James-Collier Rob James-Collier Robert James-Collier is a British actor and model. He is known for his roles as Liam Connor in Coronation Street and as Thomas on Downton Abbey.- Background :James-Collier was born in Stockport, Greater Manchester... |
Thomas Barrow | Footman Footman A footman is a male servant, notably as domestic staff.-Word history:The name derives from the attendants who ran beside or behind the carriages of aristocrats, many of whom were chosen for their physical attributes. They ran alongside the coach to make sure it was not overturned by such obstacles... |
1–present |
| Rose Leslie Rose Leslie Rose Eleanor Arbuthnot-Leslie is a Scottish actress. She was born in Aberdeen, and attended Millfield School before spending three years at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art graduating with a BA Honours degree.... |
Gwen Dawson | Housemaid | 1 |
| Amy Nuttall Amy Nuttall Amy Nuttall is an English actress and singer most notable for playing the role of Chloe Atkinson in the long-running ITV soap opera Emmerdale from 2000 until 2005.-Early life:... |
Ethel Parks | Housemaid | 2 |
| Lesley Nicol Lesley Nicol (actress) Lesley Nicol is a British actor who is most notable for her role as Mrs Beaver in the 1988 BBC adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and as the Queen Giant in the 1990 adaptation of The Silver Chair.... |
Mrs Beryl Patmore | Cook Cook (servant) A cook is a household staff member responsible for food preparation. The term can refer to the head of kitchen staff in a great house or to the cook-housekeeper, a far less prestigious position involving more physical labour.... |
1–present |
| Sophie McShera Sophie McShera Sophie McShera is a British actress. At an early age she moved to Eccleshill, also in Bradford, where she attended St Joseph's College. Out of school she attended the Footsteps Theatre School before getting her stage break at the age of twelve in comedy The Goodbye Girl... |
Daisy Robinson, later Daisy Mason | Kitchen maid Kitchen maid -Great house kitchen maid:A kitchen maid is a young maid, or junior female servant. In the hierarchy of a great house she ranked below a cook and above a scullery maid... |
1–present |
Recurring and guest cast
| Actor | | Character | | Position | | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoe Boyle | Miss Lavinia Catherine Swire | Matthew Crawley's fiancée | 2 |
| Allen Leech Allen Leech Allen Leech is an Irish stage, television and film actor, best known for his role as Marcus Agrippa in the 2007 HBO television series Rome, and his role as chauffeur Tom Branson in ITV 2010 television series Downton Abbey.... |
Tom Branson | Chauffeur Chauffeur A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide... |
1–present |
| Clare Calbraith Clare Calbraith Clare Calbraith , is a British actress whose recent appearances include roles in the ITV period drama series Downton Abbey and the BBC2 drama The Shadow Line.... |
Jane Moorsum | Housemaid | 2 |
| Samantha Bond | Lady Rosamund Painswick | Sister of the Earl | 1–present |
| Andrew Westfield | Lynch | Groom Groom (horses) A groom is a person who is responsible for some or all aspects of the management of horses and/or the care of the stables themselves. The term most often refers to a person who is the employee of a stable owner, but even an owner of a horse may perform the duties of a groom, particularly if the... |
1 |
| Kevin Doyle Kevin Doyle (actor) Kevin Doyle is a British actor. He is known for playing as John Parr in the TV series The Lakes and for playing the Crawley's servant Joseph Molesley in the TV series Downton Abbey, as well as many other roles.-Stage:... |
Joseph Molesley | Matthew Crawley's butler and valet | 1–present |
| Christine Lohr | Mrs Bird | Matthew Crawley's cook | 1–present |
| David Robb David Robb David Robb is an English actor.Robb has starred in various British films and television shows, including films such as Swing Kids and Hellbound. He is well known for playing Germanicus in the famous 1976 BBC production of I, Claudius and as Robin Grant, one of the principal character in Thames... |
Dr. Richard Clarkson | Medical doctor Physician A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments... |
1–present |
| Cal Macaninch Cal Macaninch Cal MacAninch is a Scottish actor, best known for portraying the character of DI John Keenan in police drama Holby Blue on BBC 1 during 2007-8.... |
Henry Lang | Lord Grantham's Valet | 2 |
| Sharon Small Sharon Small Sharon Small is a Scottish actress acclaimed for her dramatic work in film, radio, theatre and television. Her best-known TV role is that of Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers in the BBC television adaptation of the Inspector Lynley Mysteries by Elizabeth George.-Education and personal life:Small... |
Marigold Shore | Lady Rosamund's maid | CS |
| Lionel Guyett | Taylor | Former chauffeur Chauffeur A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide... |
1 |
| Robert Bathurst Robert Bathurst Robert Guy Bathurst is an English actor. Bathurst was born in the Gold Coast in 1957, where his father was working as a management consultant. His family moved to Dublin, Ireland, in 1959 and Bathurst was enrolled at an Anglican boarding school... |
Sir Anthony Strallan | Family friend and suitor of Lady Edith | 1, CS |
| Brendan Patricks Brendan Patricks Brendan Patricks is an English actor.-Filmography:-References:... |
The Hon. Evelyn Napier | Suitor for Lady Mary | 1 |
| Charlie Cox Charlie Cox Charlie Cox is an English actor.-Life and career:Cox, the youngest of five children, was born in London, England and raised in East Sussex, the son of Trisha and Andrew, who is a publisher... |
Duke Duke A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy... of Crowborough |
Suitor for Lady Mary | 1 |
| Jonathan Coy Jonathan Coy Jonathan Coy is a British actor born in Hammersmith, London on 24 April 1953. He has worked since 1975 largely in television, notably as Henry in the long running legal series Rumpole and as Bracegirdle in the television series Hornblower, adapted from the books by C. S. Forester... |
Mr George Murray | Lord Grantham's lawyer | 1 |
| Nicky Henson Nicky Henson Nicholas Victor Leslie "Nicky" Henson is an English actor who has portrayed many roles since 1963. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1977. He was born in London.-Early life:... |
Mr Charles Grigg | Former colleague of Carson's | 1 |
| Theo James Theo James Theo James is an English actor, known for portraying Jed Harper in Bedlam and Kemal Pamuk in Downton Abbey.-Background:James was born in Oxford... |
Mr Kemal Pamuk | Ottoman Empire Ottoman Empire The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries... Embassy attaché Attaché Attaché is a French term in diplomacy referring to a person who is assigned to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency... |
1 |
| Bill Fellows | Joe Burns | Mrs. Hughes's former suitor | 1 |
| Fergus O'Donnell | John Drake | Farmer on the Grantham estate | 1, 2 |
| Cathy Sara | Mrs Drake | Wife of Mr Drake | 1, 2 |
| Nigel Havers Nigel Havers Nigel Allan Havers is an English actor. He is probably best known for his BAFTA-nominated role as Lord Andrew Lindsay in the 1981 British film Chariots of Fire, and for his role as Dr. Tom Latimer in the British TV comedy series Don't Wait Up... |
Lord Hepworth | CS | |
| Iain Glen Iain Glen Iain Glen is a Scottish film and stage actor.Iain Glen was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and trained at RADA where he won the Bancroft Gold Medal. He was married to Susannah Harker from 1993 to 2004; they have one son, Finlay... |
Sir Richard Carlisle | Lady Mary's fiancé | 2-present |
| Maria Doyle Kennedy Maria Doyle Kennedy Maria Doyle Kennedy is an award-winning Irish actress and singer. She is possibly best known for her roles as Natalie, in cult film The Commitments, Queen Katherine of Aragon in the award winning The Tudors and as the title character's wife Frances in The General.-Early life:She is an honours... |
Vera Bates | Wife of Mr Bates | 2 |
| Daniel Pirrie | Major Charles Bryant | Wounded soldier | 2 |
| Paul Copley Paul Copley Paul Mackriell Copley is an award-winning English actor and voice-over artist.-Early life:Copley was born in Denby Dale, West Yorkshire, and grew up beside a dairy farm there. His father, Harold, was involved with local amateur dramatic productions, as were the rest of his family... |
Mr. Mason | Farmer and William's father | 2 |
| Trevor White | Patrick Gordon | Possible heir | 2 |
| Kevin McNally Kevin McNally Kevin McNally is an English actor who has worked in theatre and radio extensively as well as in film and television.-Life and career:... |
Mr. Bryant | Major Bryant's father | 2 |
| Christine Mackie | Mrs. Bryant | Major Bryant's mother | 2 |
Series one
The first series started on 26 September 2010, and explored the lives of the Crawley family and their staff from the day after the sinking of the RMS Titanic in April 1912 to the outbreak of the First World War on 4 August 1914. Much of the focus is on the need for a male heir to the Grantham estate, and the troubled love life of Lady Mary as she attempts to find herself a suitable husband. The device that sets the drama in motion is the entailEntail
Entail may refer to:* Fee tail, a term of art in common law describing a limited form of succession....
that accompanies the (fictional) Earldom of Grantham, which endows both title and estate exclusively to heirs male
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
. This is complicated by the fact that the estate had been near financial ruin, and was only saved when the present Earl, then the heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
, contracted a wealthy marriage with an extremely rich American heiress. Upon marriage, her considerable fortune was contractually incorporated into the comital entail in perpetuity. The Earl, having had only three daughters and no son, had arranged for his elder daughter to marry her cousin, and son to the heir presumptive
Heir Presumptive
An heir presumptive or heiress presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir or heiress apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question...
, thus keeping both title and estate within the immediate family. The demise of both heirs presumptive in the sinking of the Titanic destroys the family plans and brings a distant cousin, a young solicitor from Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, in line to inherit everything, including the personal wealth of the Countess, who will not be able to bequeath it to her daughters.
Series two
In 2010, Laura Mackie, ITV Director of Drama Commissioning, confirmed that the drama would return for a second series in 2011:We're delighted with the audience response to Downton Abbey and the positive critical reaction. We're extremely proud to have commissioned a series which has clearly captivated ITV1 viewers. Consequently, we're thrilled to be announcing the recommission of a new series for 2011 which will allow us to spend more time with the Crawley family and their servants.
The second series premiered in the UK on 18 September 2011, and is due to do so in the U.S. on 8 January 2012. There will also be a Christmas special.
The series comprises eight episodes, running from the Battle of the Somme in 1916 to the Spanish 'flu pandemic in 1919. Social equality
Social equality
Social equality is a social state of affairs in which all people within a specific society or isolated group have the same status in a certain respect. At the very least, social equality includes equal rights under the law, such as security, voting rights, freedom of speech and assembly, and the...
, redemption
Redemption
- Religion :* Redemption , an element of salvation to express deliverance from sin* Redemption, absolution for the past sins and/or protection from damnation* Pidyon haben, redemption of the firstborn son in Judaism...
and death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
are big themes of this series. Matthew Crawley, Thomas, and William Mason are off fighting in the war; Tom Branson, an Irishman, is unsure that he wants to fight for the British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
; and Lord Grantham cannot serve due to his age. Lady Sybil Crawley defies her aristocratic position and joins the Voluntary Aid Detachment
Voluntary Aid Detachment
The Voluntary Aid Detachment was a voluntary organisation providing field nursing services, mainly in hospitals, in the United Kingdom and various other countries in the British Empire. The organisation's most important periods of operation were during World War I and World War II.The...
. Filming began in March 2011.
Michelle Dockery, Dame Maggie Smith, Brendan Coyle, Rob James-Collier, Dan Stevens, Elizabeth McGovern, Hugh Bonneville, Jessica Brown-Findlay, Laura Carmichael, Joanne Froggatt, Phyllis Logan and Allen Leech all returned and Cal Macaninch
Cal Macaninch
Cal MacAninch is a Scottish actor, best known for portraying the character of DI John Keenan in police drama Holby Blue on BBC 1 during 2007-8....
, Iain Glen
Iain Glen
Iain Glen is a Scottish film and stage actor.Iain Glen was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and trained at RADA where he won the Bancroft Gold Medal. He was married to Susannah Harker from 1993 to 2004; they have one son, Finlay...
, Amy Nuttall
Amy Nuttall
Amy Nuttall is an English actress and singer most notable for playing the role of Chloe Atkinson in the long-running ITV soap opera Emmerdale from 2000 until 2005.-Early life:...
, Zoe Boyle and Maria Doyle Kennedy
Maria Doyle Kennedy
Maria Doyle Kennedy is an award-winning Irish actress and singer. She is possibly best known for her roles as Natalie, in cult film The Commitments, Queen Katherine of Aragon in the award winning The Tudors and as the title character's wife Frances in The General.-Early life:She is an honours...
joined the cast as the new valet Lang, Sir Richard Carlisle, the new Housemaid Ethel, Miss Lavinia Swire and John Bates' wife Vera respectively. Nigel Havers
Nigel Havers
Nigel Allan Havers is an English actor. He is probably best known for his BAFTA-nominated role as Lord Andrew Lindsay in the 1981 British film Chariots of Fire, and for his role as Dr. Tom Latimer in the British TV comedy series Don't Wait Up...
and Sharon Small
Sharon Small
Sharon Small is a Scottish actress acclaimed for her dramatic work in film, radio, theatre and television. Her best-known TV role is that of Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers in the BBC television adaptation of the Inspector Lynley Mysteries by Elizabeth George.-Education and personal life:Small...
will appear in the Christmas special, as Lord Hepworth and Marigold Shore, Lady Rosamund's maid, respectively.
Series three
It was confirmed at the preview of the second series, at Highclere Castle on 29 July 2011, that Fellowes was working on a third series, set after the Armistice and during the 1920s. Amy NuttallAmy Nuttall
Amy Nuttall is an English actress and singer most notable for playing the role of Chloe Atkinson in the long-running ITV soap opera Emmerdale from 2000 until 2005.-Early life:...
will not return for the third series.
ITV confirmed the commissioning of a third series on 3 November 2011. It will enter production in early 2012, and be broadcast from September 2012.
Series one
The first episode of Downton Abbey had a consolidated audience of 9.2 million viewers, with a 32% audience share—making it the most successful new drama on any channel since WhitechapelWhitechapel (TV series)
Whitechapel is a three-part British television drama series produced by Carnival Films, which first broadcast in the UK on 2 February 2009 and which dealt with the murders of Jack the Ripper....
was launched on ITV1 in February 2009. The total audience for the first episode, including repeats and ITV Player
ITV Player
ITV Player is an online video on demand service accessible though the main ITV website. The service offers a variety of programmes from homegrown programming to imports across ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and CITV. Some sports programming is available to watch again via the service, the 2010 FIFA World...
viewings, exceeded 11.6 million viewers. This was beaten by the next episode, with a total audience of 11.8 million viewers—including repeats and ITV Player views.
Downton Abbey also broke the record for a single episode viewing on ITV Player
ITV Player
ITV Player is an online video on demand service accessible though the main ITV website. The service offers a variety of programmes from homegrown programming to imports across ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and CITV. Some sports programming is available to watch again via the service, the 2010 FIFA World...
, the ITV online catch-up service.
At Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalised
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the first series received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 92, based on 14 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim". This result earned the show a Guinness World Record in 2011 for ‘Highest critical review ratings for a TV show’, making Downton Abbey the most critically well-received TV show in the world.
Sam Wollaston of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
said,
It's beautifully made—handsome, artfully crafted and acted. Smith, who plays the formidable and disdainful Dowager Countess, has a lovely way of delivering words, always spaced to perfection. This is going to be a treat if you like a lavish period drama of a Sunday evening.
Viewers were critical of the number of advertisement breaks during the first episode (seven in a 90-minute episode), claiming it ruined the continuity of the story. ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
responded by saying that the number of breaks shown complied with Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
regulations and that the advertising was necessary to cover the high costs of producing the drama.
Series two
The second series premiered in the UK on 18 September 2011 in the same 9pm slot as the first series with the first episode attracting an average audience of 9 million viewers on ITV1, a 34.6% share. The second episode attracted a similar following with an average of 9.3 million viewers.Consolidated Ratings Figures from www.barb.co.uk
ITV1 Sunday night viewing figures across ITV1, ITV1HD and ITV+1.
Series 2:
18/09/11 - Episode 1 - 10.93m (ITV1+1 470k) = 11.40 million
25/09/11 - Episode 2 - 11.17m (ITV1+1 601k) = 11.77 million
02/10/11 - Episode 3 - 10.80m (ITV1+1 531k) = 11.33 million
09/10/11 - Episode 4 - 10.69m (ITV1+1 606k) = 11.30 million
16/10/11 - Episode 5 - 11.11m (ITV1+1 486k) = 11.60 million
23/10/11 - Episode 6 - 10.83m (ITV1+1 504k) = 11.33 million
30/10/11 - Episode 7 - 11.88m (ITV1+1 383k) = 12.26 million
06/11/11 - Episode 8 - 12.42m (ITV1+1 312k) = 12.73 million
Awards and nominations
Downton Abbey was placed tenth on the Top 10 TV programmes of 2010, and came second in the Top 10 TV dramas of 2010 list, beaten only by Doctor WhoDoctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. It came first in the Top 10 new drama category.
It won two Broadcasting Press Guild
Broadcasting Press Guild
The Broadcasting Press Guild is a British association of journalists who specialise in writing and broadcasting about television, radio and the media generally....
awards in 2011. It won Best Drama Series and Julian Fellowes
Julian Fellowes
Julian Alexander Kitchener-Fellowes, Baron Fellowes of West Stafford, DL , known as Julian Fellowes, is an English actor, novelist, film director and screenwriter, as well as a Conservative peer.-Early life:...
won for writing. It has also won 5 Primetime Emmy Awards.
In September 2011, the show entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the 'most critically acclaimed television show' for the year, becoming the first British show to win the award. It beat American shows Mad Men
Mad Men
Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
and Modern Family
Modern Family
Modern Family is an American television comedy series created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, which debuted on ABC on September 23, 2009. Lloyd and Levitan serve as showrunner and executive producers, under their Levitan-Lloyd Productions label...
to the title.
Downton Abbey series is currently up for nominations at the 2012 National Television Awards for Best Drama, Drama Performance: Male for actors Brendan Coyle and Dan Stevens, and Drama Performance: Female for actresses Joanne Froggatt and Michelle Dockery. The awards nominations are voted by the public, the winners announced at the award show, which takes place on 25 January 2012.
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | BAFTA Craft British Academy Television Craft Awards The British Academy Television Craft Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . They have been awarded annually since 1999.-External links:*... |
Best Fiction Director | Brian Percival | |
| Sound Award | Nigel Heath Alex Sawyer Adam Armitage Mark Holding |
|||
| 2011 | Broadcasting Press Guild Broadcasting Press Guild The Broadcasting Press Guild is a British association of journalists who specialise in writing and broadcasting about television, radio and the media generally.... |
Best Drama Series | Downton Abbey | |
| Best Actor | Hugh Bonneville | |||
| Best Actress | Maggie Smith | |||
| Best Writer | Julian Fellowes | |||
| BAFTA Awards British Academy Television Awards 2011 The 2011 British Academy Television Awards were held on 22 May 2011. The nominations were announced on 26 April.Graham Norton hosted the ceremony.-Nominations:*Actor**Jim Broadbent — Any Human Heart... |
Supporting Actor | Brendan Coyle | ||
| YouTube Audience Award | Downton Abbey | |||
| Monte-Carlo Television Festival | Outstanding Actor | Hugh Bonneville | ||
| Outstanding Actress | Michelle Dockery | |||
| Outstanding Actress | Maggie Smith | |||
| Best International Producer | Gareth Neame | |||
| Best European Producer | Gareth Neame | |||
| RTS Awards Royal Television Society The Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world... |
Best Drama Series | Downton Abbey | ||
| TRIC Awards | TV Drama Programme of the Year | Downton Abbey | ||
| TCA Awards TCA Awards The TCA Awards are awards presented by the Television Critics Association in recognition of excellence in television excellence. There are eleven categories, which are presented every summer.-Categories:... |
Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Mini-Series and Specials | Downton Abbey | ||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Miniseries or Movie | Downton Abbey | ||
| Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie | Elizabeth McGovern | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie | Maggie Smith | |||
| Outstanding Directing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special | Brian Percival | |||
| Outstanding Writing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special | Julian Fellowes | |||
| Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special | Jill Trevellick | |||
| Outstanding Cinematography For A Miniseries Or Movie | David Katznelson | |||
| Outstanding Art Direction For A Miniseries Or Movie | Donal Woods Charmian Adams Gina Cromwell |
|||
| Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Miniseries Or A Movie | John Wilson | |||
| Outstanding Costumes For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special | Susannah Buxton Caroline McCal |
|||
| Outstanding Sound Editing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special | Adam Armitage Alex Sawyer |
|||
| TV Choice Awards | Best New Drama | Downton Abbey | ||
| 2012 | National Television Awards National Television Awards The National Television Awards is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted on by the general public. Because of the way the awards are decided, winners are... |
Best Drama | Downton Abbey | |
| Drama Performance: Male | Brendan Coyle | |||
| Drama Performance: Male | Dan Stevens | |||
| Drama Performance: Female | Joanne Froggatt | |||
| Drama Performance: Female | Michelle Dockery |
International broadcasts
Over 100 countries have acquired the rights to broadcast Downton Abbey.- In the United States, Downton Abbey was broadcast in January 2011 on PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
, as part of the 40th season of Masterpiece. The programme was broadcast in four 90-minute episodes, requiring PBS to alter the beginning and endpoints of each episode with minimal editing. - In the Republic of Ireland, independent television channel TV3 aired the first series in January and February 2011. However, ITV1 (UTVUTVUTV is a television channel based in the UK region of Northern Ireland. The channel is the Channel 3 or Independent Television licensee for Northern Ireland and is operated by UTV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media.- Terrestrial :* Analogue: Normally tuned to 3 * Freeview : 3...
region) is commonly available throughout both the Republic and Northern Ireland. - In Australia, the first series was broadcast on the Seven NetworkSeven NetworkThe Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
from 29 May 2011. - In Spain, Antena 3Antena 3 (Spain)Antena 3 is a Spanish terrestrial television channel owned by Antena 3 de Televisión. Some of the more popular programmes broadcast by Antena 3 include Aquí no hay quien viva, El Barco, Los Protegidos, Los Simpson and El Internado....
aired the first series in March and April 2011. - In Sweden, the first series was aired by SVTSveriges TelevisionSveriges Television AB , Sweden's Television, is a national television broadcaster based in Sweden, funded by a compulsory fee to be paid by all television owners...
on Saturdays at 21.30 from 12 February 2011. Viewing figures were in excess of a million for each episode. SVT began airing the second series on 29 October 2011. - In Norway, the first series was aired by NRK on Sundays at 21.15 as double episodes from 2 January 2011. The first episode of series two was aired on Sunday, 30 October 2011 at 21.25, with double episodes the following three Sundays. The final episode is scheduled to be broadcast on 27 November 2011.
- In Denmark, the first series was aired by Danmarks RadioDanmarks RadioDR – officially rendered into English as the Danish Broadcasting Corporation – is Denmark's national broadcasting corporation. Founded in 1925 as a public-service organization, it is today Denmark's oldest and largest electronic media enterprise...
on Saturdays at 20.00 from 12 March 2011. - In Belgium, éénEENEEN may refer to:* Eastern Educational Television Network, the original name for American Public Television.* Elemental Energy, a Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game booster pack.* Emerald Energy, an oil company...
, the Flemish public broadcaster, began airing the first series on 26 March 2011. - In Poland, TVN StyleTVN StyleTVN Style is a Polish channel aimed at women featuring the latest in fashion, health and beauty. It launched in August 2004 and is a part of the TVN network, owned by ITI Group.-Line-up:...
began airing the first series on 16 April 2011. - In New Zealand, Prime (New Zealand) began airing the first series on 10 May 2011. Prime began airing the second series on 18 October 2011.
- In the Netherlands, Ned2 began airing the first series on 25 June 2011 and the second series on 5 November 2011.
- In Israel, Channel 1Channel 1 (Israel)Channel 1 is one of the oldest television channels in Israel and one of five terrestrial channels in the country...
began airing the first series on 1 July 2011. - In Germany, Sky aired a four part version on 20 and 27 July 2011.
- In Finland, the first series began airing on YLE on 30 August 2011.
- In Argentina, Film&Arts began airing the first series on 1 September 2011.
- In Canada, VisionTV begin airing the programme on 7 September 2011.
STV opt out
STV, which broadcasts ITV productions in Scotland, opted out of showing Downton Abbey, choosing instead to screen a brand-new six-part series of TaggartTaggart
Taggart is a Scottish detective television programme, created by Glenn Chandler, who has written many of the episodes, and made by STV Productions for the ITV network...
, following a long practice of opting out of Britain-wide ITV programmes. This led to backlash from Scottish viewers, who were frustrated at not being able to watch the programme. Many viewers with satellite or cable television tuned into other regional stations of the ITV network, for example ITV1 London
ITV London
ITV London is the on-air brand name used by ITV Broadcasting Limited for the two Channel 3 broadcast franchises, Carlton Television and London Weekend Television in the London ITV region.-History:...
, with viewing figures showing this is also commonplace for other ITV programmes. The series received its first Britain-wide broadcast when it was shown on ITV3 in February 2011.
STV announced in July 2011 that it will show the first and second series of Downton Abbey, as part of its autumn schedule.
Phyllis Logan, who plays Mrs Hughes, said: "I'm delighted that STV is showing Downton Abbey in Scotland – it means my family and friends in Scotland will be able to watch it at the same time as the rest of the UK. This might push our viewing figures up even higher which can only be good." Iain Glen, who plays Sir Richard Carlisle, added: "I am not party to the original decision as to why STV didn't acquire the original series from ITV, but I am delighted the decision has been reversed and the people of Scotland will be able to see what all the fuss has been about."
Blu-ray and DVD
| Blu-ray/DVD Title | # of Disc(s) | Year | # of Episodes | Release dates (UK Only) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blu-ray Blu-ray Disc Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs... |
DVD | |||||
| Complete Series One | 2 (Blu-ray) 3 (DVD) |
2010 | 7 | 8 November 2010 | 8 November 2010 | |
| Complete Series Two | 3 (Blu-ray) 4 (DVD) |
2011 | 8 | 7 November 2011 | 7 November 2011 | |
| Complete Series One and Two | 5 (Blu-ray) 7 (DVD) |
2010–11 | 15 | 7 November 2011 | 7 November 2011 | |
| Downton Abbey Christmas Special | TBA | 2011 | 1 | TBA | TBA | |
Internationally, the U.S. DVD release date was 11 January 2011, in New Zealand it was released on 22 June 2011 and in Australia on 4 August 2011. The release in Australia and New Zealand has an exclusive bonus disc in both the DVD and Blu-ray versions. It contains extras such as cast interviews, geography of Downton: upstairs and downstairs, a day in service and others.
On 16 September 2011, two days before the UK premiere of the second series, it was reported by Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
that the first series of Downton Abbey had become the highest selling DVD Boxset on the online retailer's website of all time, surpassing popular American programmes such as The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
, Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
and The Wire
The WIRE
the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
.
Soundtrack
A soundtrack, featuring music from the series and also new songs, was released by DeccaDecca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
in September 2011. Music by John Lunn and Don Black features, with vocals from Mary-Jess Leaverland
Mary-Jess Leaverland
Mary-Jess Leaverland is a British singer who won Min Xing Chang Fan Tan , a Chinese televised talent competition, in December 2009.-Career:...
and Alfie Boe
Alfie Boe
Alfred Giovanni Roncalli Boe, known professionally initially as Alf or Alfred Boe and now as Alfie Boe, , is an English tenor.-Background:...
.
Book
The World of Downton Abbey, a book featuring a behind-the-scenes look at Downton Abbey was released on 15 September 2011. It was written by Jessica Fellowes (the niece of Julian FellowesJulian Fellowes
Julian Alexander Kitchener-Fellowes, Baron Fellowes of West Stafford, DL , known as Julian Fellowes, is an English actor, novelist, film director and screenwriter, as well as a Conservative peer.-Early life:...
) and was published by HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
.
See also
- 2010 in British television2010 in British televisionThis is a list of events taking place in 2010 related to British television.-Events:-BBC:-ITV:-Channel 4:-Five:-Subscription Channels:-New Channels:-Defunct Channels:-Changes of network affiliation:...
- 2011 in British television2011 in British televisionThis is a list of events taking place in 2011 related to British television.-Events:-BBC:-ITV:-Channel 4:-Channel 5:-Subscription Channels:-New channels:-Defunct channels:-Rebranding channels:-Changes of network affiliation:...
- Upstairs, DownstairsUpstairs, DownstairsUpstairs, Downstairs is a British drama television series originally produced by London Weekend Television and revived by the BBC. It ran on ITV in 68 episodes divided into five series from 1971 to 1975, and a sixth series shown on the BBC on three consecutive nights, 26–28 December 2010.Set in a...
- Gosford ParkGosford ParkGosford Park is a 2001 British-American mystery comedy-drama film directed by Robert Altman and written by Julian Fellowes. The film stars an ensemble cast, which includes Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith, Eileen Atkins, Alan Bates, and Michael Gambon...
External links
- Downton Abbey at stv.tvStv.tvwww.stv.tv is the URL of the website of the Scottish television channel, STV. The website currently offers the usual sections of News, Sport, Entertainment, Weather, Competitions, Forums and STV programme information, with TV listings...
- Downton Abbey on PBS Masterpiece