Downton Abbey |
|
Genre |
Period drama |
Created by |
Julian Fellowes |
Written by |
|
Directed by |
|
Starring |
|
Opening theme |
"Did I Make the Most of Loving You?" |
Composer(s) |
John Lunn |
Country of origin |
United Kingdom |
Language(s) |
English |
No. of series |
3 |
No. of episodes |
24 (List
of episodes) |
Production |
Executive
producer(s) |
|
Producer(s) |
- Liz Trubridge (series producer)
- Nigel Marchant
|
Editor(s) |
- John Wilson
- Steve Singleton
- Mike Jones
|
Cinematography |
David Katznelson (series 1)
Gavin Struthers (series 2) |
Running time |
48–68 minutes per episode
(excluding commercial breaks) |
Production
company(s) |
|
Broadcast |
Original channel |
ITV |
Picture format |
1080i
(HDTV) |
Original run |
26 September 2010 – present |
External links |
Website |
Downton Abbey is a British-American
period drama television series created by
Julian Fellowes and co-produced by
Carnival Films and
Masterpiece.[1]
It began airing on
ITV in the
United Kingdom on 26 September 2010 and on
PBS in the
United States on 9 January 2011 as part of the
Masterpiece Classic anthology.
The series, set in the fictional
Yorkshire
country estate of Downton Abbey, depicts the lives of the
aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the post-Edwardian
era — with the great events in history having an effect on their
lives and the British social hierarchy in general. Such events depicted
throughout the whole series include the news of the
sinking of the RMS Titanic in the first series; the outbreaks
of
World War I, the
Spanish influenza pandemic, and the
Marconi scandal in the second series; and the
Interwar period and the formation of the
Irish Free State in the third series.
Downton Abbey has received critical acclaim from television
critics and has won numerous accolades in its entire broadcast –
including a
Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film and a
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries. It was recognised
by
Guinness World Records as the most critically acclaimed
English-language television series of 2011, and became the international
television series to receive the largest number of nominations in the
history of the
Primetime Emmy Awards, with twenty-seven in total.[2]
It was also the most watched television series on both ITV and PBS, and
subsequently it became the most successful British costume drama series
since the 1981 television serial of
Brideshead Revisited.[3]
Overview
The series is set in the fictional Downton Abbey, the
Yorkshire
country house of the
Earl and
Countess of
Grantham, and follows the lives of the
aristocratic Crawley family and their servants during the reign of
King
George V. The first series spans the two years before the
Great War beginning with news of the
sinking of the Titanic in 1912, which sets the story in
motion. The second series covers the years 1916 to 1919, and the 2011
Christmas Special covers the 1919 Christmas period, ending in early
1920.
Locations
Highclere Castle in
Hampshire was used for exterior shots of Downton Abbey and most of
the interior filming.[4]
The
servants' quarters and working areas and several of the "upstairs"
bedrooms were constructed and filmed at
Ealing Studios.[5]
The village of
Bampton in Oxfordshire was used for filming outdoor scenes, most
notably St. Mary's Church and the library, which serves as the entrance
to the cottage hospital.[6]
The
First World War
trench warfare scenes in France were filmed in rural
Suffolk
at a site near the village of
Akenham
specially designed for period war scenes.[7][8]
Haxby Park, the estate Sir Richard Carlisle intends to buy in Series 2,
is part of
Waddesdon Manor in
Buckinghamshire.[9]
Greys Court in
Oxfordshire was used as the family's secondary property, which they
propose moving into and calling 'Downton Place' due to financial
difficulties in the third series.
The fictional location of Downton Abbey is in the historical
County of Yorkshire. The
Yorkshire towns and cities of
Easingwold,
Kirkby,
Kirkbymoorside,
Leeds,
Malton,
Middlesbrough,
Ripon,
Richmond,
Thirsk
and York
have been mentioned by characters in the series.
Cast
Main cast
The Crawley family
Actor |
Character |
Relation |
Series |
Hugh Bonneville |
The Rt. Hon. Robert, Earl of Grantham |
The Earl and the head of the Crawley family |
1– |
Elizabeth McGovern |
The Rt. Hon. Cora, Countess of Grantham |
The American wife of the Earl |
1– |
Michelle Dockery |
Lady Mary Josephine Crawley |
Eldest daughter of the Earl; later, wife of Matthew Crawley |
1– |
Laura Carmichael |
Lady Edith Crawley |
Middle daughter of the Earl |
1– |
Jessica Brown Findlay |
Lady Sybil Crawley, later Sybil Branson |
Youngest daughter of the Earl; later, wife of Tom Branson |
1–3 |
Maggie Smith |
The Rt. Hon. Violet, Countess of Grantham |
Dowager Countess and the Earl's mother |
1– |
Dan Stevens |
Mr Matthew Crawley |
Third cousin, once removed, of the Earl;
heir presumptive to the title and estate |
1– |
Penelope Wilton |
Mrs Isobel Crawley |
Matthew's mother |
1– |
Allen Leech |
Mr Tom Branson |
Originally a
chauffeur, later Lady Sybil's husband |
3–
Recurring 1 & 2 |
Staff
Recurring
and guest cast
Actor |
Character |
Position |
Series |
Samantha Bond |
Lady Rosamund Painswick |
Sister of the Earl |
1- |
Jonathan Coy |
Mr. George Murray |
Lord Grantham's lawyer |
1, CS1, 3 |
David Robb |
Dr. Richard Clarkson |
Medical doctor |
1– |
Fergus O'Donnell |
John Drake |
Farmer on the Grantham estate |
1–2 |
Christine Lohr |
Mrs Bird |
Matthew Crawley's cook |
1-3 |
Lionel Guyett |
Mr Taylor |
Chauffeur |
1 |
Andrew Westfield |
Mr Lynch |
Groom |
1 |
Cal Macaninch |
Andrew Lang |
Lord Grantham's
valet |
2 |
Sharon Small |
Marigold Shore |
Lady Rosamund's maid |
CS1 |
Clare Calbraith |
Jane Moorsum |
Housemaid |
2 |
Cathy Sara |
Mrs Drake |
Wife of Mr Drake |
1–2 |
Brendan Patricks |
The Hon. Evelyn Napier |
Suitor of Lady Mary |
1 |
Theo James |
Kemal Pamuk |
Ottoman Empire (Turkish) Embassy
attaché |
1 |
Charlie Cox |
Duke of
Crowborough |
Suitor of Lady Mary, Lover of Thomas |
1 |
Nicky Henson |
Mr Charles Grigg |
Former colleague of Carson's |
1 |
Bill Fellows |
Joe Burns |
Mrs. Hughes's former suitor |
1 |
Robert Bathurst |
Sir Anthony Strallan |
Family friend and suitor of Lady Edith |
1, CS1, 3- |
Zoe Boyle |
Miss Lavinia Catherine Swire |
fiancée of Matthew Crawley |
2 |
Iain Glen |
Sir Richard Carlisle |
Publisher and Lady Mary's former suitor |
2–CS1 |
Maria Doyle Kennedy |
Vera Bates |
Wife of Mr Bates |
2 |
Lachlan Nieboer |
Lieutenant Edward Courtenay |
Wounded officer |
2 |
Daniel Pirrie |
Major Charles Bryant |
Wounded officer |
2 |
Trevor White |
Major Patrick Gordon |
Wounded officer |
2 |
Paul Copley |
Mr Mason |
William's father |
2,CS1-3 |
Kevin McNally |
Mr Bryant |
Major Bryant's father |
2-3 |
Christine Mackie |
Mrs Bryant |
Major Bryant's mother |
2-3 |
Nigel Havers |
Lord Hepworth |
Suitor of Lady Rosamund |
CS1 |
Cara Theobold |
Ivy Stuart |
Kitchen maid |
3– |
Shirley MacLaine |
Martha Levinson |
American mother of the Countess of Grantham |
3 |
Tim Piggott-Smith |
Sir Philip Tapsell |
London Obstetrician & gynaecologist |
3 |
Ruairi Conaghan |
Kieran Branson |
Tom's brother |
3 |
Charles Edwards |
Michael Gregson |
Newspaper editor |
3 |
CS1 = 2011 Christmas Special
CS2 = 2012 Christmas Special
Production
Gareth Neame of
Carnival Films conceived the idea of an
Edwardian-era TV drama set in a country house and approached
Fellowes, who had won an
Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay) for
Gosford Park. Although Fellowes was reluctant to work on another
project resembling Gosford, within a few weeks he returned to
Neame with an outline of the first series. Fellowes writes all the
scripts, and his wife Emma serves as an informal
story editor.[10]
Episodes
Series one
The first series was broadcast in the UK on 26 September 2010, and
explored the lives of the Crawley family and their servants 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 a suitable husband. The device that sets the drama in
motion is the
entail that accompanies the (fictional) Earldom of Grantham, which
endows both title and estate exclusively to
heirs male. This is complicated as the estate had been in near
financial ruin, and was only saved when the present Earl, then the
heir apparent, married an American heiress. On her marriage, her
considerable fortune was contractually incorporated into the comital
entail in perpetuity. The earl and countess, having had three daughters
and no son, arranged for their eldest daughter to marry her cousin, son
to the
heir presumptive. The demise of both heirs presumptive in the
sinking of the Titanic destroys the family plans and brings forth
a distant male cousin, a young solicitor from
Manchester. He appears to be heir to the wealth of the countess, who
will therefore not be able to bequeath her fortune to her daughters.
Series two
The second series premiered in the UK on 18 September 2011, and in
the U.S. on 8 January 2012.[11]
There was a Christmas special,[12][13]
broadcast on Christmas Day 2011 in the UK.
The series comprises eight episodes, running from the
Battle of the Somme in 1916 to the
1918 flu pandemic. Matthew Crawley, Thomas Barrow, and William Mason
went to fight in the war; Tom Branson, an
Irishman, will not fight for the
British. Lady Sybil Crawley defies her aristocratic position and
joins the
Voluntary Aid Detachment.[14][15]
Filming began in March 2011.[16]
Michelle Dockery, Dame Maggie Smith, Brendan Coyle, Rob
James-Collier, Dan Stevens,[3]
Elizabeth McGovern, Hugh Bonneville,[17]
Jessica Brown Findlay, Laura Carmichael, Joanne Froggatt, Phyllis Logan[18]
and Allen Leech[19]
all returned and
Cal Macaninch,
Iain
Glen,
Amy Nuttall, Zoe Boyle and
Maria Doyle Kennedy joined the cast[20]
as the new valet Lang, Sir Richard Carlisle, the new Housemaid Ethel,
Miss Lavinia Swire and John Bates' wife Vera respectively.[21]
Christmas
Special 2011
Most of the regular cast, with
Nigel Havers as Lord Hepworth and
Sharon Small as Lady Rosamund's new maid, Marigold Shore, appeared
in a Christmas special.[22]
This single episode visited Downton between Christmas 1919 and early
1920.
Series three
The third series of Downton Abbey premiered on 16 September 2012 in
the UK. In the U.S., it will premiere on 6 January 2013. In series
three, Mary and Matthew got married; Tom and Sybil, who were revealed to
be expecting their first child, arrived at Downton and Downton suffered
financial hardships.
Sybil died of
eclampsia in episode five, but the baby, a girl, survived. The child
was named Sybil by Tom, and was christened a Catholic after some
debating between Robert and Tom. Tom also decided to remain at Downton
until baby Sybil was older. Downton's financial woes were solved when
Matthew's dead fiancee's father left him a sum of money in his will.
However, there were several arguments after Downton was saved, between
Robert, Matthew and Tom over how the estate was to be run. During the
series, Mary and Matthew suffered difficulties conceiving. After Mary
and Matthew married, Matthew expressed his worries of not being able to
conceive after his injuries which he sustained during the war. However,
in episode seven, Mary revealed it was she who was the issue, but had
undergone an operation and now everything was fine. Downstairs, a new
footman named Alfred Nugent, who is Miss O'Brien's nephew, was
recruited. Another footman, the dashing Jimmy Kent, was also recruited.
Thomas, the homosexual footman-turned-valet, took a liking to Jimmy, who
was heterosexual, and it ended in tears. Meanwhile, Mr. Bates finally
won his battle to be freed from jail after a woman who knew his wife
gave evidence. After being released, he and Anna moved into a small
cottage on Downton's estate. Daisy has been promoted to a cook's
assistant, and Ivy Stuart was recruited as the new kitchen maid, and
caused Daisy to become jealous of her after Alfred and Jimmy flirted
with Ivy. Ethel, one of the former maids, turned up at Isobel Crawley's
helping-the-poor institution and stated that she has resorted to
prostitution to feed her son, Charlie. In the end, the kind Mrs. Crawley
gave Ethel a job within her household, causing scandal, and Ethel handed
over her young son to the Bryants, who were the parents of the man who
fathered Charlie.
Christmas
Special 2012
ITV1 announced at the end of the last episode of Series Three,
broadcast on 4 November 2012 in the UK, that a special episode will be
broadcast on Christmas Day.[23]
Prequel
In The Telegraph September 2012 issue, Julian Fellowes said
he's working on a spin-off prequel of Downton Abbey which
revolves around Lord Grantham and Cora's courtship. Initially planned as
a book, it was then picked up by ITV.[24]
Series four
On 23 November 2012, ITV announced that a fourth series has been
commissioned. There will also be another Christmas special episode in
2013, with filming to begin in February 2013.[25][26]
Reception
Series one
The first episode of Downton Abbey had a consolidated British
audience of 9.2 million viewers, a 32% audience share—making it the most
successful new drama on any channel since
Whitechapel 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 broke the record for a single episode viewing on
ITV
Player, the ITV online catch-up service.[14]
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".[27]
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.[28]
Sam Wollaston of
The Guardian 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.[29]
Viewers were critical of the number of advertisement breaks during
the first episode (five in a 90-minute episode, as well as one before
and one after), claiming it ruined the continuity.
ITV responded
by saying that the number of breaks complied with
Ofcom
regulations and that the advertising was necessary to cover the high
costs of production.[30]
Series two
The second series premièred in Britain on 18 September 2011 in the
same 9 pm slot as the first series, with the first episode attracting an
average audience of 9 million viewers on ITV1, a 34.6% share.[31]
The second episode attracted a similar following with an average of 9.3
million viewers.[32]
In January 2012, the PBS premiere attracted 4.2 million viewers, over
double the network's average primetime audience of 2 million. The
premiere audience was 18% higher than the Season 1 premiere.[33]
The second season of Downton Abbey gave PBS its highest ratings since
2009. The second season averaged 5.4 million viewers, excluding station
replays, DVR viewings and online streaming. The 5.4 million average
improved on PBS first season numbers by 25%. Additionally, episodes of
season two have been viewed 4.8 million times on PBS' digital portal,
which bests season one's online viewing numbers by more than 400
percent. Overall, "Downton" content has racked up more than 9 million
streams across all platforms, with 1.5 million unique visitors, since
season 2's 8 January premiere.[34]
Awards and
nominations
Downton Abbey was placed tenth on
The Guardian's list of the Top 10 TV programmes of 2010, and
came second in the Top 10 TV dramas of 2010 list, beaten only by
Doctor Who. It came first in the Top 10 new drama category.[35]
It won two
Broadcasting Press Guild awards in 2011. It won Best Drama Series
and
Julian Fellowes won for writing.[36]
It has also won 6
Primetime Emmy Awards.[37]
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.[38]
In 2012, Downton Abbey nominated and won the Best Drama Award
at the
National Television Awards.[39][40]
Downton Abbey also won Best TV Show Award at the 2012
Elle Style Awards.[41]
Also in 2012, Downton Abbey was parodied on
Saturday Night Live where they imagined how the show might be
advertised on the male-oriented
Spike TV network, calling it "fancy
Entourage."[42]
In July 2012, Downton Abbey was nominated for 16
Primetime Emmy Awards, which, in combination with its 11 Emmy
nomination in 2011, makes Downton the most nominated non-US show in Emmy
history.[2]
On 15 September, at the
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, John Lunn received the Emmy for
Outstanding Music Composition for Series (Original Dramatic Score),
while Anne ‘Nosh’ Oldham and Christine Greenwood won the Outstanding
Hairstyling for A Single Camera Series Award.[43]
On 23 September, at the Primetime Emmy Awards,
Maggie Smith took home the Outstanding Supporting Actress Award in a
Drama Series.[43]
Series |
Award |
Category |
Nominee |
Result |
Series 1 |
Primetime Emmy Awards |
Outstanding Miniseries or Movie |
Downton Abbey |
Won |
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie |
Elizabeth McGovern |
Nominated |
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie |
Maggie Smith |
Won |
Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic
Special |
Brian Percival |
Won |
Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic
Special |
Julian Fellowes |
Won |
Creative Arts Emmy Awards |
Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special |
Jill Trevellick |
Nominated |
Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie |
David Katznelson |
Won |
Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie |
Donal Woods
Charmian Adams
Gina Cromwell |
Nominated |
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries
or a Movie |
John Wilson |
Nominated |
Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special |
Susannah Buxton
Caroline McCal |
Won |
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a
Special |
Adam Armitage
Alex Sawyer |
Nominated |
Golden Globe Awards |
Best Miniseries - Television or Film |
Downton Abbey |
Won |
Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film |
Hugh Bonneville |
Nominated |
Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film |
Elizabeth McGovern |
Nominated |
Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television
Film |
Maggie Smith |
Nominated |
BAFTA Awards 2010 |
Best Drama Series |
Downton Abbey |
Nominated |
Supporting Actor |
Brendan Coyle |
Nominated |
BAFTA Craft 2010 |
Best Fiction Director |
Brian Percival |
Won |
Sound Award |
Nigel Heath
Alex Sawyer
Adam Armitage
Mark Holding |
Won |
Tape & Film Editing Award |
John Wilson |
Nominated |
Photography Award |
David Katznelson |
Nominated |
Production Design Award |
Donal Woods |
Nominated |
TCA Awards |
Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Mini-Series and Specials |
Downton Abbey |
Nominated |
Monte-Carlo Television Festival |
Outstanding Actor |
Hugh Bonneville |
Nominated |
Outstanding Actress |
Elizabeth McGovern |
Nominated |
Outstanding Actress |
Michelle Dockery |
Nominated |
Outstanding Actress |
Maggie Smith |
Nominated |
Best International Producer |
Gareth Neame |
Nominated |
Best European Producer |
Gareth Neame |
Nominated |
Producers Guild of America Awards |
Long-form Television |
Downton Abbey |
Won |
Broadcasting Press Guild |
Best Drama Series |
Downton Abbey |
Won |
Best Actor |
Hugh Bonneville |
Nominated |
Best Actress |
Elizabeth McGovern |
Nominated |
Best Actress |
Maggie Smith |
Nominated |
Best Writer |
Julian Fellowes |
Won |
Screen Actors Guild Awards |
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television
Movie or Miniseries |
Maggie Smith |
Nominated |
Satellite Awards |
Best Miniseries or Television Film |
Downton Abbey |
Nominated |
Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for
Television |
Hugh Bonneville |
Nominated |
Best Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for
Television |
Elizabeth McGovern |
Nominated |
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series
or Motion Picture Made for Television |
Maggie Smith |
Nominated |
Banff Fiction Rockies Awards |
Best Mini-Series |
Downton Abbey |
Won |
RTS Television Awards |
Best Drama Series |
Downton Abbey |
Nominated |
RTS Craft & Design Awards |
Photography Award |
David Katznelson |
Won |
Original Title Music Award |
John Lunn |
Nominated |
TRIC Awards |
HD Drama Programme of the Year |
Downton Abbey |
Won |
TV Choice Awards |
Best New Drama |
Downton Abbey |
Nominated |
American Cinema Editors |
Best Edited Miniseries |
John Wilson |
Nominated |
American Society of Cinematographers |
One-Hour Episodic/Pilot Television |
David Katznelson (For the
pilot) |
Nominated |
Biarritz International Festival of Audiovisual Programming
2011 |
TV Series or Serial |
Downton Abbey |
Nominated |
Series 2 |
Primetime Emmy Awards |
Outstanding Drama Series |
Downton Abbey |
Nominated |
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series |
Hugh Bonneville |
Nominated |
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series |
Michelle Dockery |
Nominated |
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series |
Jim Carter |
Nominated |
|
Brendan Coyle |
Nominated |
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series |
Joanne Froggatt |
Nominated |
|
Maggie Smith |
Won |
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series |
Julian Fellowes for
Episode Seven |
Nominated |
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series |
Brian Percival for
Episode Seven |
Nominated |
Outstanding Art Direction for Single Camera Series |
Downton Abbey |
Nominated |
Outstanding Costumes for Series |
Downton Abbey |
Nominated |
Outstanding Music Composition for Series |
Downton Abbey |
Won |
Outstanding Hairstyling for Single Camera Series |
Downton Abbey |
Won |
Outstanding Casting for Drama |
Downton Abbey |
Nominated |
Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for Drama |
Downton Abbey |
Nominated |
Outstanding Sound Mixing for Comedy or Drama |
Downton Abbey |
Nominated |
BAFTA Awards 2011 |
Best Supporting Actress |
Maggie Smith |
Nominated |
YouTube Audience Award |
Downton Abbey |
Nominated |
BAFTA Craft 2011 |
Production Design |
Donal Woods & Judy Farr |
Nominated |
Original Music |
John Lunn |
Nominated |
Costume Design |
Susannah Buxton |
Nominated |
TCA Awards |
Programme of the Year |
Downton Abbey |
Nominated |
Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials |
Downton Abbey |
Won |
Monte Carlo Awards |
Best Drama TV Series |
Downton Abbey |
Nominated |
Outstanding Actor |
Dan Stevens |
Nominated |
Brendan Coyle |
Nominated |
Outstanding Actress |
Michelle Dockery |
Nominated |
Joanne Froggatt |
Nominated |
Outstanding International Producer |
Gareth Neame |
Nominated |
Outstanding European Producer |
Gareth Neame |
Nominated |
National Television Awards |
Best Drama |
Downton Abbey |
Won |
Televisual Bulldog Awards |
Best Drama |
Downton Abbey |
Won |
Virgin Media TV Awards |
Best Drama |
Downton Abbey |
Won |
Basauri Award |
Basauri Award for Excellence in the Performing Arts |
Brendan Coyle |
Won |
Elle Style Awards |
Best TV Show |
Downton Abbey |
Won |
TRIC Awards |
Drama Programme of the Year |
Downton Abbey |
Won |
Irish Film and Television Academy Awards |
Best Supporting Actor in TV Drama |
Brendan Coyle |
Nominated |
Hollywood Post Alliance Awards |
Outstanding Editing - Television |
John Wilson |
Won |
International broadcasts
Over 100 countries have acquired the rights to broadcast Downton
Abbey.[44]
- In the United States, Downton Abbey was broadcast in
January 2011 on
PBS, as part of the 40th season of
Masterpiece.[45]
The programme was broadcast in four 90-minute episodes, requiring
PBS to alter the beginning and endpoints of each episode with
minimal editing.[46]
- In the Republic of Ireland, independent television channel
TV3 aired the first series in January and February 2011.[47]
However, ITV (UTV
region) is commonly available throughout both the Republic and
Northern Ireland.
- In Australia, the first series was broadcast on the
Seven Network from 29 May 2011.[48]
The second series was broadcast on the
Seven Network from 20 May 2012.[49]
- In Spain,
Antena 3 aired the first series in March and April 2011 and the
second one in December 2011 and January 2012.[50]
- In Sweden, the first series was aired by
SVT on Saturdays at 21.30 from 12 February 2011.[51]
Viewing figures were in excess of a million for each episode.[52]
SVT began airing the second season on 29 October 2011 and the third
season on 3 November 2012.
- 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 was broadcast on 27 November 2011. The Christmas
Special was broadcast on 26 December 2011, just one day after the UK
broadcast.[53]
- In Denmark, the first series was aired by
Danmarks Radio on Sundays at 20.00 from 12 March 2011.[54]
- In Belgium,
Eén, the
Flemish public broadcaster, began airing the first series on 26
March 2011[55]
and the second series on 1 May 2012
- In Poland,
TVN Style began airing the first series on 16 April 2011.[56]
- In New Zealand,
Prime (New Zealand) began airing the first series on 10 May
2011,[56]
the second series on 18 October 2011 and the third series on 18
October 2012.
- In the Netherlands,
Nederland 2 began airing the first series on 25 June 2011,[57]
the second series on 5 November 2011[58]
and the third series on 24 November 2012.[59]
- In Israel,
Channel 1 began airing the first series on 1 July 2011.[60]
- In Germany,
Sky aired a four-part version on 20 and 27 July 2011.[61]
- In Finland, the first series began airing on
YLE TV1 on 30 August 2011,[62]
the second series on 3 January 2012 and the third series on 6
November 2012.
- In Argentina, Film&Arts began airing the first series on 1
September 2011.[63]
- In Canada,
VisionTV begin airing the programme on 7 September 2011.[64]
- In Japan,
Star Channel 3 began airing the first series on 19 October 2011;[65]
the second series aired from 28 October 2012.[66]
- In Italy,
Rete 4
began airing a four part version of the first series on 11 December
2011,[67]
while the second series will start on 2 December 2012.[68]
- In Taiwan,
PTS (Public Television Service) started airing the first series
on 19 December 2011, with one episode per night.[69]
- In The Czech Republic,
ČT1 began
airing it under the name "Panství Downton" on 4 January 2012.[70]
- In Hong Kong,
TVB Pearl began airing the first series on 5 January 2012, with
one episode every week.[71]
- In Croatia,
Croatian Radiotelevision began airing the first series on 5
February 2012 and continued with the second series after the
conclusion of the first.
- In South Africa,
BBC Entertainment via
DSTV began airing the first series on 19 February 2012.
- In Portugal,
FOX Life began airing the first series on 10 October 2011, on
basic cable.[72]
SIC began airing the first series on 25 February 2012, on open
broadcast.[73]
- In Chile,
TVN began airing the first series on 14 April 2012.[74]
- In Brazil,
GNT began
airing the first series on 19 May 2012.[75]
- In Switzerland,
SF1
began airing the 4 part version of the first series on 6 July 2012.
- In France,
TMC[76]
began airing the first series dubbed in French on 10 December 2011,
and the second series also dubbed in French on 9 September 2012
after a repeat of the first series in August.
- In Greece,
NET[77]
began airing the first series on 15 October 2012.[78]
The second series aired on Monday 12 November 2012.
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
Taggart,
following a long practice of opting out of Britain-wide ITV programmes.[79]
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.[80]
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.[81]
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."[82]
Releases
Blu-ray and DVD
Blu-ray/DVD Title |
# of Disc(s) |
Year |
# of Episodes |
Release date (UK Only) |
|
Complete Series One |
2 (Blu-ray)
3 (DVD) |
2010 |
7 |
8 November 2010 |
|
Complete Series Two[83] |
3 (Blu-ray)
4 (DVD) |
2011 |
8 |
7 November 2011 |
|
Complete Series One and Two[84] |
5 (Blu-ray)
7 (DVD) |
2010–11 |
15 |
7 November 2011 |
|
Christmas at Downton Abbey[85] |
1 |
2011 |
1 |
26 December 2011 |
|
Complete Series Three |
3 (Blu-ray)
4 (DVD) |
2012 |
8 |
5 November 2012[86] |
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.[87]
Soundtrack
A soundtrack, featuring music from the series and also new songs, was
released by
Decca in September 2011. Music by
John
Lunn and
Don Black features, with vocals from
Mary-Jess Leaverland and
Alfie
Boe.[88]
Books
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 Fellowes) and was published by
HarperCollins.[88][89]
A second book also written by Jessica Fellowes and published by
HarperCollins, The Chronicles of Downton Abbey, was released on
13 September 2012. It is a guide to the third series and the new era
which the programme has now entered.[90]