As the sun sets on Downton Abbey, take a brief peak into series 3
Aside from the massive anticipation of the first Maggie Smith/Shirley MacLaine battle of the mothers-in-law, the internet is already abuzz with thoughts on series 3 of Downton Abbey. While the U.S. is only 3 days removed from Sundays series 2 finale, Julian Fellowes sat down with The New York Times to reflect back on the second series of Downton Abbey and look ahead to his upcoming ABC mini-series, Titanic. Of particular interest to fans worldwide was Fellowes’ answer when The Times asked about what’s possibly in store for Downton Abbey 3…
NYT: What are you legally permitted to tell us about what will happen in Season 3 of “Downton Abbey”?
JF: One of the reasons we chose 1912 is that the world was seemingly – I say, seemingly – very serene. In fact, there were all sorts of issues — women’s rights, workers’ rights, and across Europe, democracy and the legitimacy of monarchy – all pulsing away. But they hadn’t really broken the surface in a lot of people’s minds and of course it was all going to go up in flames two years later. So by starting it in 1912, it meant that we could have that post-Edwardian serenity, followed by the first World War, followed by the ’20s, a time of immense social change. You had the first votes being given – not to all women, but at least to some women – in 1919, and you have union activity, you have the Russian Revolution, you have all sorts of troubles going on across Europe. And that gave us right there, three series where each would have a very different mood. Which was rather an attractive idea, really.
Although the sun has sadly set on series 2, production has begun on series 3, there are a few others that are talking very carefully about what US and UK audiences can look forward to in 2012-2013.
Hugh Bonneville, who plays Lord Grantham, cryptically told Zap2it – “…well it starts in the spring of 1920, that’s a few months after the end of season 2 and spans about 18 months. After the urgency of the war years, things calm down a bit … but only a bit! … There are plenty of surprises in store, put it that way.”
Allen Leech, who plays the Irish chauffeur, Branson/love interest to lady Sybil, recently tweeted, “On my Irish trousers… The 3rd series rocks more than the Cliffs of Moher!!
Admittedly, not much, but it’s just enough to get us through to tomorrow, which is a day closer to when Downton Abbey 3 is ready for broadcast in late 2012, early 2013. We’ll have production photos as soon as they become available so check back every so often for more Downton Abbey 3 news when we can dig it up.
