Is Julian Fellowes’ ‘Titanic’ a ‘Downton Abbey’ at sea?

You’ve just written one of the most successful drama series in the history of ITV in the critically-acclaimed, award-winning, Downton Abbey. You’ve had a second season commissioned almost instantly with shooting completed and a Fall 2011 target date sent for UK transmission (January 8, 2012 premiere set in the U.S. on PBS stations nationwide in […]

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Vote! It's BAFTA time. Sherlock, Downton Abbey and more…

Doesn’t get any better than having a night to celebrate and pay tribute to the best television on television. It’s time again for the BAFTA’s, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards, Sunday, 22 May. This year is does nothing to disprove this theory in that you have several legitimate winners in virtually […]

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Feeling a bit down? You might have Downton Abbey Effect.

Not to worry. You’re not alone after all. And, there’s actually a medical term for what you thought was just a simple case of separation anxiety or withdrawal. You, along with countless others, suffer from Downton Abbey Effect. Symptoms seem to center around a sense of loss or, in some cases, distress that is  comparable to […]

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Sherlock 2 set for late 2011/early 2012 premiere

Aside from the Royal wedding and the return of the new season of Doctor Who, the most talked about, highly-anticipated series return has to be the second set of Sherlock programs from the minds of Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat. You may recall the little teaser tweet and accompanying photo from Mr. Moffat last week […]

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Begin the weekend scattershooting

Julian Fellowes….Titanic….can’t wait What’s next from the mind of Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park, Downton Abbey) you might ask? Titanic, what else. Thankfully, not quite a spin-off in the American sense of the word (i.e. The Cleveland Show from The Simpsons or Joey from Friends or The Jeffersons from All in the Family) but there is […]

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Red Nose Day 2011 – Uptown Downstairs Abbey

Still suffering from Downton Abbey separation anxiety? Can’t wait for the Upstairs Downstairs premiere on PBS’ Masterpiece series in April?  Not to worry. The greatness that is Red Nose Day 2011 handed the airwaves to Jennifer Saunders, Kim Cattrall and Harry Enfield in an attempt to satisfy both ailments. The result? Uptown Downstairs Abbey, obviously. […]

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Downton Abbey gets Red Nose treatment

You know you’ve arrived when the likes of Comic Relief and the brilliant minds behind Red Nose Day target you for a parody sketch. Word is that such is the case for the ITV hit, Downton Abbey, this year. The creative minds behind the overall Comic Relief effort, which began in 1985, are Richard Curtis […]

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Dateline: London, Twenty Twelve from BBC Four

Having just lived through a city that was home to Super Bowl XLV, it became painstakingly clear all the efforts that went in to not only securing the winning bid some four years ago but, then, the subsequent preparation leading up to, oh yeah, the actual game. One can only imagine what goes in to […]

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On the set with Downton Abbey II

For those still suffering from post-Downton Abbey separation anxiety, you can rest easier tonight knowing that production filming has begun on the second set of the ITV mega-hit series, which is, again, scripted by series creator, Julian Fellowes. Don’t just take my word for it. This comes from the Earl of Grantham, himself, portrayed brilliantly […]

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BBC Showcase 2011 – Drama in Brighton

It’s the final day of the annual BBC Showcase held in Brighton (for the last time, as it turns out, with Liverpool being next year’s destination) which saw another day packed with screenings the last ‘official presentation’ from the BBC drama department. It’s been a strong year already from an output standpoint as was pointed […]

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