Printable Downton Abbey characters to combat separation anxiety

As Downton Abbey closes its doors this evening on PBS stations across the United States, viewers that have already begun their separation anxiety classes can, at least, cling to the knowledge that series 3 is currently in production with a target transmission date of Fall 2012 in the UK and January 2013 on PBS in […]

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165 Eaton Place reopens its doors on Sunday

As Downton Abbey barrels towards its second series conclusion on Sunday evening in the States, it’s time for the UK to return to 165 Eaton Place with the beginning of the second series of Upstairs Downstairs. (PBS broadcast in the States is, tentatively, Spring 2013.) On all counts it has been a tough year for […]

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Who knew the Dowager Countess was a Giants fan?

Talk of the town anywhere in the U.S. on Sunday was either Patriots-Giants or Grantham-Crawley. Judging from the overnight television ratings, the obvious winner was the Super Bowl, but Downton Abbey held its own to a much greater degree on PBS than any other program in recent memory up against the ‘big game’. Thankfully, the […]

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Saturday Night Live imagines Downton Abbey on Spike TV

***Update for those trying to access the video clip below. Sadly, the folks at NBC Universal have decided that a little extra added promotion for Saturday Night Live is not of interest. When you click on the video below you will now be greeted with a very nice message that says: “This video contains content […]

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You too can be the Dowager Countess….for $12K a day (lunch included!)

Yes, I know, the ‘another network’ has something on called the Super Bowl up against tonights new installment of Downton Abbey. Hopefully, they’ll learn not to counter program when series three comes around in 2013. If you can’t make it to the big game, we have a once-in-a-lifetime travel deal to satisfy your inner-Dowager Countess. […]

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Downton Abbey makes PBS an overnight success after 40+ years

PBS has now, officially, arrived. According to former Variety reporter Michael Schneider who is now with TV Guide, PBS is achieving their first TV Guide cover for a primetime program since the premiere of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos series in 1980. Finally, PBS has firmly planted the flag on the television landscape and taken back its […]

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Shirley MacLaine joins cast of Downton Abbey 3

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Shirley MacLaine will join the cast of Downton Abbey as filming begins next month taking the DA saga into the 1920’s. MacLaine will play Martha Levinson, the American mother of Lady Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern). Laura Mackie, director of drama at ITV, said, “It is so exciting to have an actress […]

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Downton Abbey vs. Andrew Lloyd Webber, round 1

Given the worldwide Downton Abbey fever that continues to engulf the U.S., this story was just to good to pass up when I ran across it recently. So, with upfront apologies as to the possibility that this might be a really old story that is past its prime, as it was first reported back in […]

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CBS' "Elementary" idea – Been there, done that

Before we leave our well-deserved bowing before the brilliance that is the BBC’s Sherlock, you may remember back in the fall reading here about an absolutely ridiculous notion that the CBS Television Network had thoughts of creating a 21st century version of Sherlock Holmes. I think, at the time, my only comment was “…how original”. […]

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