Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey will be switching over to the 'Outstanding Drama Series' category at this year's Emmy Awards, it has been reported.

The first season of Downton Abbey in America was cut to four episodes out of the original seven that aired on ITV, but the most recent season included all seven episodes - exceeding the six that constitute a miniseries at the Emmys.

The show, which airs on PBS in the US, earned an 'Outstanding Miniseries' award at the Emmys last year.

TV Academy Awards chief John Leverence told Gold Derby: "After starting out as a miniseries, Downton Abbey caught fire and so now it moves over to the drama series category as it plans for future TV seasons. It follows the trajectory of previous shows like The Starter Wife that started out as a miniseries and then became a regular series."

Downton Abbey has enjoyed enormous success in the US, with this past season finale becoming one of the highest-rated television events on PBS.

The third season of the programme is currently filming, with the return of stars like Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville and Dan Stevens.

Shirley MacLaine has joined the cast as Lady Grantham's mother.

Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville has denied rumours that a film adaptation is being planned.

The actor, who plays Earl Robert Crawley in the ITV drama, said that fans had jumped to the wrong conclusion after creator Julian Fellowes spoke to Hollywood producers at last month's Golden Globes.

"Everyone thinks we're making a film because our writer spoke to some producers at the Golden Globes," he told the Daily Star. "But that is what happens at film awards - it doesn't mean we're doing a film."

He added: "I understand why people think we should though - the cast is incredible."

Downton Abbey won 'Best Miniseries or Television Film' at the Golden Globes, while Bonneville himself was nominated for 'Best Performance in a Miniseries or Television Film'.

It was announced this weekend that Downton Abbey will compete for the 'Outstanding Drama Series' award at this year's Emmys, having picked up the 'Outstanding Miniseries' gong at the 2011 ceremony.

Downton Abbey has cast two new actors for its third series, Digital Spy has learned.

Cara Theobald will play a new kitchen maid called Ivy in the Carnival Films period drama, while it has also been confirmed that Lucille Sharp has joined as lady's maid Miss Reid.

Last week, it was revealed that Matt Milne, the star of War Horse, had signed up to play a footman named Alfred.

In January, Oscar-nominated actress Shirley MacLaine was brought in to portray Martha Levinson, the mother of Lady Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern). Sharp's Miss Reid is to serve as Martha Levinson's maid in the Julian Fellowes-penned piece.

Downton Abbey is expected to return with a new series on ITV later this year.

Lucy Sharp
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Dame Maggie Smith and Dan Stevens have reportedly caused "panic" for Downton Abbey producers by not signing up for further series of the period drama. :eek: :(

Siobhan Finneran (O'Brien) and Jessica Brown Findlay (Lady Sybil) are also yet to sign contracts for the hit ITV1 drama beyond the third series, according to TV Line.

Maggie Smith, 77, who plays the Dowager Countess of Downton, is "considering her future" on the show, reports The Mirror.

Producer Carnival has denied that there are any problems with contracts, commenting: "We are currently filming series three of Downton Abbey in which all the cast have returned.

"ITV have not yet commissioned a fourth and fifth series which, if they happen, would be a long way off."

However, fellow cast members Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary), Elizabeth McGovern (Cora), Hugh Bonneville (Robert), Joanne Froggatt (Anna) and Brendan Coyle (Bates) have all reportedly signed up for a fourth and fifth series already.

Hollywood's Shirley MacLaine is among the stars who will join the Julian Fellowes show for its third series. Matt Milne, Cara Theobald and Lucille Sharp have also joined the expanded cast list.

Series three of Downton Abbey will air on ITV1 at the end of 2012.


The are both brilliant characters, hope they will sign up again. Need Dame Maggie as Dowager Countess :thumbsup:

Their will-they-won't-they storyline kept viewers gripped throughout two series of Downton Abbey.
And in the upcoming third series, Lady Mary and Matthew Crawley will finally tie the knot.
Spotted filming on location in Oxfordshire this week, actress Michelle Dockery wearing her character's wedding dress was kept covered up from onlookers.
Crew on the hit ITV period drama made sure locals in the village of Bampton and paparazzi didn't get a look at Lady Mary's bridal gown.
In scenes reminiscent of celebrities protecting their wedding magazine deals, crewmembers surrounded a horse and carriage with umbrellas as Lady Mary made her way to the church.

However, her groom Matthew - played by Dan Stevens - was spotted outside St Mary's Church, wearing a modern coat over his period costume in between takes, as well as Elizabeth McGovern, who plays mother-of-the-bride Cora, Countess of Grantham.

Downton fans were thrilled when Lady Mary and Matthew finally got together in the Christmas special.
Despite their obvious attraction, Matthew had been engaged to Lavinia Swire, who later died of Spanish influenza.
However, in the meanwhile, Lady Mary had become betrothed to newspaper magnate Sir Richard Carlisle.

But over the Christmas and New Year holidays at Downton, Lady Mary's relationship with Sir Richard became increasing fractious, culminating with a fight between the two men.
In the climax of the Christmas special, Matthew finally got down on one knee and proposed to Lady Mary in the snow after she split from Sir Richard.
Filming on the third series has taken place in Oxfordshire and Highclere Castle (aka Downton Abbey) in Hampshire - over the few weeks.

Series 3 will be screened on ITV in September.

Only six months until then it will soon fly in.

Rob James Collier has said that working on Downton Abbey is the best job that he has ever had.

The former Coronation Street star, who plays Thomas on the ITV1 period drama, described being a part of the multi award-winning show as "amazing".

James-Collier told reporters at a press screening of his new drama Love Life: "I absolutely love doing Downton now - it's the best job I've ever done.

"The cast are amazing and they're beautiful people to work with and the directors we work with are the best people they've got and we're making television that - the first series in particular - matches anywhere in the world.

"So to be part of that is amazing but to think four, five, six years down the line... I love it now and I take it a season at a time. I love it and if they wanted me back obviously I'd say yes, I'm thrilled - but any further than season 12, I can't look that far ahead!"

James-Collier also revealed that his character was only meant to be on the show for one series.

"When they started, my character wasn't even supposed to be in series two and three," he explained. "He was going to get sacked I think, because that's what I was told at the audition - 'It's a great part, he's a really nasty piece and he gets his comeuppance, but the only bad thing is that he gets sacked at the end'.

"But then after filming the first two episodes, the producers rang up my agent and said, 'Would he consider being optioned for series two and three?' And that just came out of the blue - it's a no-brainer.

"So here I am - I could have been killed off a million times. I haven't. But I could get killed off at the end of series three, you never know. So that's why I don't think too far ahead."

Gillian Anderson has revealed that she turned down Downton Abbey.

The X-Files star was offered the role of Lady Cora Crawley - eventually played by Elizabeth McGovern - in the ITV period drama, according to TV Guide.

Anderson has appeared in a number of other period dramas, including the BBC's Bleak House and last year's adaptation of Great Expectations, which will air in the US on PBS on April 1.

A third series of Downton Abbey is currently filming and is expected to air in late 2012 on ITV and in January 2013 on PBS.

It was recently reported that stars Maggie Smith (the Dowager Countess), Dan Stevens (Matthew Crawley), Siobhan Finneran (O'Brien) and Jessica Brown Findlay (Lady Sybil) may not appear beyond the third run.

Hugh Bonneville (Earl Robert Crawley) has also denied rumours that a film version of Downton is in the works.

The show's creator Julian Fellowes has since written a four-part mini-series charting the voyage of the Titanic and will next adapt the 1957 memoirs of burlesque dancer Gypsy Rose Lee into a film.

Ed Speleers has been cast in the new series of Downton Abbey.

The Eragon actor will play a footman named Jimmy when the ITV drama returns, Digital Spy has learned.

The 23-year-old is currently starring in horror comedy Love Bite and previously featured in Echo Beach.

Speleers's Downton Abbey casting follows the announcement last month that Cara Theobald and Lucille Sharp will play maids in series three.

War Horse star Matt Milne has also signed on to portray a new footman, while Shirley MacLaine is due to appear as Martha Levinson, the mother of Lady Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern).

A leading Downton Abbey character will die in the next series, it has been confirmed.

Executive producer Rebecca Eaton let slip that the departing star is "pretty key in the cast".

She also revealed that one couple will start a family, telling The Insider: "Somebody will be born, and somebody will die."

"Somebody pretty key in the cast [is] unfortunately not going to make it," she teased.

Meanwhile, Eaton admitted that Dowager Countess actress Dame Maggie Smith is a "handful" on the set of the ITV period drama.

"Maggie Smith is a handful, it's true. She's very difficult. She knows her worth, and she's tricky on the set, but she delivers when the time comes," she explained.

Speaking about the arrival of Shirley MacLaine as Lady Grantham's mother Martha Levinson, Eaton added: "There are some wonderful scenes between Maggie and Shirley MacLaine - Shirley MacLaine being ditsy as ever.

"And Maggie barely restraining her sneer in having to deal with this American."

So far, the show's creator Julian Fellowes has killed off Matthew Crawley's fiancée Lavinia Swire (Zoe Boyle) through a flu epidemic in the last series finale.

Downton Abbey is expected to air its third run in September on ITV1.