Downton Abbey

[alan45]

She's been busy making her name known on the stage front, but Amy Nuttall is soon making a return to the box.

The former Emmerdale actress, who played man-eater Chloe Atkinson in the ITV soap for five years, will be heading downstairs as she joins Downton Abbey for its second series.

The 28-year-old will play new housemaid Ethel in the hit period drama, when it returns to the small screens later this year.

Other new arrivals include Spooks star Iain Glen, who will portray Sir Richard Carlisle, Irish actress and singer Maria Doyle Kennedy playing Vera Bates - wife of war-wounded valet John Bates (Brendan Coyle), Cal Macaninch as new valet Lang and Sons Of Anarchy actress Zoe Boyle as Lavinia Swire.

Filming on the eagerly awaited follow-up season has started at Hampshire's Highclere Castle, and the programme is scheduled for a Christmas return.

[Chloe O'brien]

Amy must be taking over from the Gwen who wanted to be a typist. They're making eight episodes this year.

[Perdita]

Hugh Bonneville has no idea what's in store for the second series of 'Downton Abbey'.

The 47-year-old actor - who plays wealthy heir Lord Grantham in the ITV1 show - is to reprise his role in the next season of the period drama, but has no idea if his alter-ego will even survive until the end of filming.

He said: "I haven't seen a script. I learnt from the newspapers that this series is set a couple of years after the last episode and the house becomes a convalescent home for First World War casualties.

"And I definitely wear uniform because I got fitted for it the other day - but other than that I know nothing. I could get killed."

While he insists he has no idea what the second series has in store, Hugh admits he submitted some plot ideas - but creator Julian Fellowes rejected his idea of opening with the funeral of a dog.

Hugh added: "I did suggest it but, ah, Julian said he'd give me four corgis instead."

Explaining why he was attracted to the show in the first place, Hugh admitted he was hooked on the characters as soon as he started reading the script.

He told Radio Times magazine: "It was one of the most readable scripts I'd ever seen. I really wanted to know what happened to these people."

(C) BANG Media International

[Perdita]

Laura Carmichael and Jessica Brown Findlay have dropped hints about the second series of Downton Abbey.

Speaking to Digital Spy on the red carpet before last night's Philips British Academy Television Awards, Carmichael explained that the war will have a big impact on the characters.

"It changes things a lot for everyone in the house," she said. "I think it will be very exciting."

Brown Findlay added: "I think it has quite an effect on the three sisters. It's quite interesting how dynamics are changing. It's pretty good!"

Meanwhile, new cast member Amy Nuttall revealed some details of her character, saying: "I play Ethel Parks, a new housemaid. Not the most popular of housemaids amongst the other staff! She doesn't really think before she speaks, gets herself into a bit of trouble here and there. So she's a bit of a minx, a bit of a naughty one!"

The second series of Downton Abbey will air later this year on ITV1.

DS

[alan45]

Nigel Havers will soon be returning to our screens after landing a role in ITV1's period drama Downton Abbey.
The 59-year-old star will be joined in the series by The Inspector Linley Mysteries actress Sharon Small.
The actor, who recently appeared in Coronation Street as a male escort hired by Audrey Roberts, will play Lord Hepworth in the show.

A return to the small screen: Nigel Havers has signed up to appear in Downton Abbey on ITV1


On board: Sharon Small, who starred in the Inspector Linley Mysteries, will also appear in Downton
An insider told the Daily Mirror newspaper: 'Nigel and Sharon will be the perfect additions to this year's Downton.
'They are incredibly talented actors and are already hugely popular with our audience.
'After the success of last year's series, bosses are determined to keep up the momentum by introducing high-profile stars to keep viewers excited.
'There's massive anticipation ahead of the second series and bringing in well-known faces like Nigel will help the show come back with a bang.
'We're very excited that Nigel Havers and Sharon Small will be joining the cast later this year.
'They are looking forward to getting started on set.'
The top rating show – which attracted 11 million views at the end of the first series – is set to return this Christmas.



Hit show: Maggie Smith appears in Downton Abbey which picked up viewing figures of 11 million


Denial: Julian Fellowes has refuted a claim that his script for Gosford Park was changed by the cast
Meanwhile, Downton's writer Julian Fellowes has refuted claims that the actors in his movie Gosford Park did not actually use a word of his screenplay.
Monte Hellman, an American director, alleges that 'literally the whole script was rewritten on the set' of the 2001 country house drama.
He said: '[Fellowes] won an Academy Award, and not one line of dialogue remained in the movie.'
Lord Fellowes said: 'I am saddened to think this canard is still current, as I would have thought that Downton, if nothing else, had proved that I did write Gosford, since the characters, and certainly Maggie [Smith], speak with exactly the same voice.”
'Ninety per cent of Gosford was not only written by me, but written (with plenty of notes from Bob [Balaban]) before shooting began.
'Bob liked to have the actors say the scripted lines and then, if the scene was still continuing, to bang on until it was over.
'Naturally, this only applied to the big, group scenes. Very little that was improvised made it into the final edit.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...#ixzz1SmQRlpj0

[Katy]

was sharon smal in mistresses?

[alan45]

was sharon smal in mistresses?

Yep She played Trudi Malloy

[Chloe O'brien]

STV has agreed to show the second series this year. Yipee !!

[alan45]

THE new series of Downton Abbey will feature a wedding, a funeral, a war and a SEX scene, TV Biz can reveal.
The long-awaited second instalment of the period drama returns to our screens in September - but we've had a sneak preview.

After drawing in nearly 13 million viewers last year, the ITV hit promises to deliver again with a heady mix of romance, scandal, tragedy, laughs - and more questions of etiquette.

And there's more good news for fans as the cast and crew of the upstairs-downstairs saga have been primed for at least another series... if not FOUR.

Executive producer Gareth Neame said: "I think it can continue for series four, five and six! It could move up to the 1930s, as long as the audience wants it."

Series one ended as the First World War began - and the second outing sees Downton Abbey turned into a convalescent home for injured troops.

But as usual at Downton, nothing is going to be straightforward. Brendan Coyle, who plays lovelorn valet Mr Bates, revealed: "There are so many twists and turns - things happen in this series that you definitely won't see coming.

"Mr Bates's will-they-won't-they romance with head housemaid Anna (Joanne Froggatt) is set to continue.

But viewers will be left wondering whether they can ever have a happy ending, especially when his WIFE turns up.

Meanwhile there is hope for those other Downton lovebirds - heir apparent Matthew Crawley, played by Dan Stevens, and Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery). Their romance stalled at the end of the last series when he rejected her advances. But actor Dan has hinted it may not be the end of the relationship.



All toffed up ... Matthew and Lord Robert in uniform
He revealed: "There is a wedding - but whether it involves me and Lady Mary or not, you'll just have to wait and see.

"We're still filming so I don't even know myself how things will pan out."

Matthew is one of three Downton characters who go off to fight in the trenches - and their scenes were filmed in a field near Ipswich during the huge 23-week shoot.

Dan said: "It was such fun to film - the real stuff of dreams for a boy. It was very cold and very muddy and I was still finding bits of soil from the explosions in my hair and clothes, days later."



Breaking news ... Sir Richard Carlisle
Back home Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) turns nurse and Lady Edith learns to drive.

That put actress Laura Carmichael behind the wheel of a £500,000 vintage motor. She said: "I think my heart rate is only just going back to normal!"

Downton's Dowager Countess Violet (Maggie Smith) and faithful servants Mr Carson (Jim Carter) and William Mason (Thomas Howes) return. While among the new characters are posh Lavinia Swire (Zoe Boyle) - a love interest for Matthew - and newspaper magnate Sir Richard Carlisle (Iain Glen).

Below stairs there's housemaid Ethel, played by ex-Emmerdale actress Amy Nuttall. She revealed: "Ethel has an eye for the men and one in particular.



Class acts ... Lady Edith with Dowager Countess Violet
"She's silly and doesn't think before she acts or speaks, which gets her into trouble time and time again."

Downton Abbey, which also returns for a Christmas special, has been sold to 22 countries.

Hugh Bonneville, who plays Lord Robert Grantham, is still coming to terms with its success. He said: "I first realised how big it was when a ten-year-old boy started telling me how horrid the footman Thomas is.

"I've had people grabbing me and asking, 'Why isn't there a second series yet?'

"So we've been filming it as fast as we can!"





Muddy marvel
First review by LUCY CONNOLLY

AS soon as the first scenes unfold, it's clear that this is a very different Downton Abbey.

It's 1916 and the action starts in the trenches amid flying mud and exploding shells.


Then we're whisked back to Downton where the war is affecting everybody - upstairs gentry and downstairs servants.

But some things never change: the battle for control of the house between Isobel (Penelope Wilton) and the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith); the tensions between the two sets of thwarted lovers - and all those secrets and lies.

Despite the backdrop of the war, there are still plenty of laughs to be had, particularly in the Dowager's frosty asides.

And the Downton setting is as sumptuous as ever.

This is still the sort of drama that makes you want to dive into your telly.



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All change as battle begins
THE wartime setting meant a few changes on set at Highclere Castle in Berkshire, which doubles for Downton.

A huge cast - including many real-life amputees and war veterans - was enlisted to play injured soldiers.

And the actors' costumes became more austere - as they did when millions lost their lives in the trenches.

The female cast got to wear more practical fashions with slightly shorter hems and looser bodices, just as women of the day did to help them do their wartime jobs.

Jessica Brown Findlay said: "I love Sybil's nurse's uniform - I can run around a bit now!"

[parkerman]

Never mind all that - when's the sex scene?