Downton abbey what is it about

FAQ How did the episodes skip from to ? Why is Cora an American? Details Edit. Release date January 9, United States. United Kingdom. Masterpiece Classic. Technical specs Edit. Runtime 58 minutes. Dolby Digital. Related news. Nov 12 SneakPeek. Nov 10 TVfanatic. Contribute to this page Suggest an edit or add missing content. Edit page. Hollywood Icons, Then and Now.

See the gallery. The Rise of Will Smith. Though their son George Lascelles remembered him in a memoir as a great father, there have long been rumors that he married Mary to win a bet. Liz Trubridge, one of the Downton Abbey producers, says the filmmakers were working off longtime rumors that Lascelles suffered from shell shock as a result of serving during World War I. In addition, the age difference could have in theory made things difficult; Lascelles was 15 years older than his wife.

Some people called him cold and hard; Princess Mary, she would never ever have considered doing anything out of line. Exactly how they got along is hard to tell, but just as they stay together in the movie, they stayed together in real life. The Princess Royal died at Harewood House in In reality, there were definitely tensions between Ireland and the crown, but the worst violence took place before the period in which the Downton movie is set.

Irish demands for independence for Britain led to the Anglo-Irish War from , which resulted in a treaty that recognized an independent government called the Irish Free State that would still be part of the British Dominion. Irish nationalists who wanted to fight for a fully independent republic catapulted the Irish Free State into a civil war in the early s.

Plus, George V was not known for playing an active role in Irish affairs. The assassination-attempt idea might have been slightly more plausible, says Matthews, if it involved a British politician more involved in Irish politics, such as Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin or Winston Churchill, who was the war minister during the Anglo-Irish War and was involved in the partition issue.

Beyond the royal fuss, the Downton movie returns to a central question of the original television show: how a place like Downton Abbey might fit into the modern era. Mary and Matthew's wedding will be the last hurrah at Downton.

But happily, Matthew has been left a fortune from Lavinia's father, and uses it to save Downton from financial ruin. He then becomes a co-master of the estate. Sybil and Tom Branson come back from Ireland, even more politically vocal than they were before they left.

Branson helps run the house, and Sybil becomes pregnant, eventually dying in childbirth. Edith finally thinks she's found marital love, only to become stranded at the altar. This season isn't a total bust for her, as she becomes a newspaper columnist and writes about women's rights. The servants, too, continue to find themselves in dramatic situations: Bates goes to jail and is released; Thomas and Daisy crush on the same new servant; O'Brien is bitchy to everyone.

The season ends with Mary giving birth to Matthew's child. They're one big happy family. Until Matthew dies suddenly in a car accident. Merry Christmas. Season four begins six months after Matthew's tragic crash. Mary, of course, is mourning her late husband, and to raise their child, George, as best she can.

After realizing she's "spent too long in the land of the dead," she decides to pick herself up, and is ready to move on. As Matthew's widow, Robert informs her she owns half of Downton, and so she begins to involve herself in the financial goings-on of the estate.

She has two new suitors — Lord Gillingham and Charles Blake. Edith becomes smitten with a married man, Gregson, and ends up having his child, but not before he flees the country, which results in Edith giving up her child, Marigold, to be raised by farmers.

Downstairs, servants are affected by Matthew's death, as well. His valet, Molesley, takes a demotion to footman. Anna is raped, and Bates vows to avenge her.

Curiously, Anna's rapist winds up dead, but the jury's still out on whether or not Bates killed him. Other servants crush on each other. Carson and Mrs. Hughes walk into the ocean. They hold hands.

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The Latest. Why Biden has disappointed on immigration By German Lopez. Hating work is having a moment By Rani Molla. Animals need infrastructure, too By Ben Goldfarb. Another shows Myrna, who is dressed in a glamorous gown and is emerging from a car. Footman Andy is holding the door open. Looks like a doubles match is about to start. And the final image shows the familiar sight of Daisy and Mrs.

Patmore in the kitchen, stirring pots and talking. The sequel looks like it takes place not long after that, perhaps the next year. The teaser preview reveals that Tom gets married to Lucy, whom he met during that royal visit.

She was introduced as Lady Bagshaw's companion and later revealed to be her secret daughter out of wedlock. The first film ended with Tom and Lucy agreeing to write letters and get to know each other. It seems like the courtship went well!