Downton Abbey in the Media

[ElizaD]

What are you referencing, ZulaMay? I feel like I've missed something.

 

Some hacker released a huge amount of naked selfies and sex tapes of celebrity women, and I read on ONTD that JBF is in one of the videos. I'm going to be avoiding Downton tags in bigger, less moderated corners of the internet for a while because I don't want to see what was meant for her and her boyfriend alone.

 

I too hope that this kind of activity is recognized and treated as theft and a crime, and that Jessica, despite not having the resources and PR team of Jennifer Lawrence, will be able to avoid undeserved backlash.

[ZoloftBlob]

I feel bad for her. That's definetely a huge privacy violation.

[ZulaMay]

Yes, it did apparently.  The iCloud problem I mean.  A lot of people don't realize that stuff like this stays out there on iCloud even after you delete it from your own device.  Mary Elizabeth Winstead said her photos were old and she had deleted them.  Jess' video is pretty old as well (she still has her red hair from filming "Winters Tale")* and might have been deleted a long time ago.

 

It shouldn't be this exposed to hacking.  

 

Anyway her spokesperson made a statement a little while ago.  Yes, it is her in the video (obviously) but Jessica has no further comment because it's a criminal investigation.

 

*For the record I only know this because someone posted about it on a forum last night, and I clicked the link assuming the person was totally trolling.  I saw about five seconds before turning it off, but enough to see the red hair.  

Edited September 1, 2014 by ZulaMay

[Andorra]

Actually I'm grateful to know now about this weird icloud! I can say for myself that I wasn't even aware that my pictures are also all saved in a cloud, but I now found out they are.

It is possible that Jessica deleted the video from her smartphone right after her boyfriend took it and still it got saved in icloud withour her even knowing!

It shows me that you can't be too careful!!

[photo fox]

Thanks for the background, everyone! That's despicable.

It shows me that you can't be too careful!!

Makes you think people should go back to Polaroids and VHS tapes for this kind of thing... much more difficult to steal! Granted, nobody should have to be worried about such things, but unfortunately, there will always be people trying to take advantage of celebrities. :(

[helenamonster]

I didn't realize JBF had been one of the celebrities on the list (haven't bothered looking into it on my own for fear I'll come across something I have no interest in seeing). I feel bad for her and all the other women who were violated like this. These people have so little privacy as it is. The general attitude in the media seems to be that the hacker (hackers?) were in the wrong in this situation, and are making sure not to blame the victims for having such photos/videos in the first place, which is good. I think the world is starting to move in the right direction in not chastising women for things like this.

 

Stupid iCloud. That thing is going to be the death of us. I understand its intended purpose is to back up data/information in case something happens to the device where its stored, but I think a lot of people, myself included, don't really understand how it works. It's just a thing that kind of sprang up one day, I feel like. I mean, the worst thing that's probably stored in my iCloud are some super unattractive selfies. Again, I feel terrible for these women for having their privacy so violated.

[ZulaMay]

I don't have anything of note stored in my iCloud either, not that anyone would even try to hack mine in the first place.  But I had no idea all this stuff was still out there until yesterday.  Including things I might have deleted?  Jeez.  I also understand now that you're supposed to change your password regularly.  Didn't know that either!  I think I'll go low-tech and start storing my money in cash form under the mattress like my Depression-era-raised grandmother did.  I feel like technology is turning on me.

[ZulaMay]

Yeah.....I was lost at the end of the first sentence.  I didn't even know I had a laptop webcam, and I have no idea where the lens is.  No joke.

 

I do know the fourth one though.  Now, it is reliant on personal info but not anything that a stranger could guessed based on publicly available material.  

[AZChristian]

Not really "media" but about Downton . . .

 

Yesterday we visited the Downton Abbey costume exhibit at Winterthur in Delaware. WOWOWOWOWOWOWOW! Sybil's harem pants - Edith's wedding gown - formal wear worn by many of the Crawleys - working clothing worn by everyone from Carson to Daisy.

 

It was an outstanding exhibition, beautifully displayed. The folks at Winterthur said it has drawn a much bigger crowd than they expected. DUH!!!!

[SallyAlbright]

Not really "media" but about Downton . . .

 

Yesterday we visited the Downton Abbey costume exhibit at Winterthur in Delaware. WOWOWOWOWOWOWOW! Sybil's harem pants - Edith's wedding gown - formal wear worn by many of the Crawleys - working clothing worn by everyone from Carson to Daisy.

 

It was an outstanding exhibition, beautifully displayed. The folks at Winterthur said it has drawn a much bigger crowd than they expected. DUH!!!!

I went the first day it opened and its FANTASTIC. I'm a member at Winterthur so when I heard they were getting this exhibit I couldn't even believe the luck! It's absolutely wonderful and so cool to see the costumes from some of my favorite moments on the show right there in person.

[helenamonster]

I've seen the exhibit too! Twice, actually (don't judge me...my mom's gone three times and is gearing up for a fourth). If you find yourself in the greater Philadelphia/Wilmington area, I'd highly recommend it. I went on a day when practically no one was there and it was great. There are a lot of costumes, and while you obviously can't touch them, they're not behind glass so you can really get up close to them and admire the detail. My faves were Sybil's harem pants, Mary's engagement dress (TV didn't do the beading on it justice) and Edith's wedding dress (I don't think we ever properly got to see the gorgeous train on the show). Also Anna's costumes because Anna is the bae and Jo Froggatt is so teeny (also, Elizabeth McGovern is a lot taller than I thought she was based on the costumes of Cora's they had).

 

Because I'm a dork, I took pictures of every single costume and have them all on my phone. I still haven't uploaded them to my computer but maybe I'll do that tonight and we can start a fashion thread?

[Mrsjumbo]

Ooh, I would love to see that! Too bad I live out in the boonies.

[Inquisitionist]

Nice article about Dan Stevens in the NYTimes a few days ago.  Sounds like he got out at the right time.

[ZoloftBlob]

I've seen a lot of good buzz about "The Guest" as well

[ZulaMay]

So according to that he told them he wasn't returning "before shooting began."  But it doesn't say how long before shooting began.  Normally right before they start filming Fellowes has the first 5 episodes written (so he would have already killed Sybil with eclampsia).  The cast gets the rest of the episodes during filming.  According to Allen Leech as of the end of May they still didn't have the scripts for 5.07 or 5.08.  So the last four episodes are not set in stone until fairly late in the process.

 

I guess after he told them the most obvious option was to wait until the CS or kill him off between seasons.  Not sure why they didn't go with the second option, but whatever.

[ZoloftBlob]

I'm not sure where you're going - it sounds like reasonable notice to me. Fellows may have his process but just the same....Besides... wasn't someone citing Matthew and Mary driving up to the house in the zippy death car in episode two (already written) as a red flag indicator that Fellowes had planned to kill Matthew with the car? If Fellowes had time to write that scene in, then he was in complete control.

Edited September 15, 2014 by ZoloftBlob

[ZulaMay]

No, I agree it's reasonable notice.  That's what I was saying.  And bear in mind the other main actors had renewed their contracts but he hadn't.  So they had a lot of notice that he might not be returning for S4.  They just didn't know for sure until shortly before filming started.

 

And yes, I was actually one who thought from the start that zippy car was a potential red flag.  I called it Chekhov's car.  As the rumors of him leaving continued to swirl up until the CS aired I was looking for that car to appear (in the final act, as they say).

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S5 promo:

 

Violet/Isobel clip:

[Kirsty]

This little piece making fun of Downton in today's Irish Times made me laugh.

[Eolivet]

Daisy Lewis (formerly Sarah Bunting) just tweeted this:

 

 

 

@daisylflewis :/ just been called 'a little bitch' bc of my work on Downton. ITS NOT REAL GUYS!

 

I feel sorry for her. It was a thankless role, and how much her character seemed to be hated always made me uncomfortable.

Edited October 22, 2014 by Eolivet

[ZoloftBlob]

Dude, thats not cool. And what is it with Downton fans?

[Avaleigh]

That's terrible. It takes me back to all of the ridiculous hate that Dan Stevens and Julian Fellowes have received.

[ZoloftBlob]

You know, honestly, even though Dan Stevens seems like a bit of a pretentious douche in interviews, one of the reasons I will defend his leaving the show is that he's always been polite about it and willing to concede that he might never get a better job - and because I saw a photo/interview of him where he was at the end of losing a zillion pounds for his role as the heroin addict in A Walk Among the Tombstones - thin enough that I didn't recognize him and thought the article was going to be about his unfortunate illness/real life drug problem/possible anorexia - only to find most of the comments from Downton fans wishing he really had cancer, calling him ugly for being too thin (which ok, they had a point) while also noting how fat he was on Downton, and all around hoping his career goes down in flames.

 

It was ugly, especially when I consider that he gave reasonable notice and didn't break any contract. I mean, I have seen some crazy fandom shit on my time but wow... Downton fans don't play.

[Andorra]

Some people are just morons. Downton "fans" or not. Actually Tom Cullen has much more twitter abuse to endure than Daisy Lewis. What people write to him is ridiculous, really.

[kpw801]

I never heard them call that other dog Pharaoh.

[Andorra]

Pharaoh was never named in series one, though I believe after the dog was switched out (thanks to Lady Carnarvon's dogs attacking him on-set) they deliberately gave him a retroactive name to distinguish him from Isis. 

 

Robert called him "old boy" at least once though.

[photo fox]

It's official... Downton gets a sixth season (series).

 

So now the question becomes who will stay and who will go?  I believe everyone's' contracts are up at the end of the current season.

[prican58]

Watching one of the local PBS stations' review of the past 4 seasons. Damn, I so enjoy this show! 

 

I am rather a bit surprised at how different the actors look IRL. Many seem to be younger than their characters like Robert, Baxter, Carter and Mrs Hughes. 

 

 

[editorgrrl]

Watching one of the local PBS stations' review of the past 4 seasons. Damn, I so enjoy this show!

I am rather a bit surprised at how different the actors look IRL. Many seem to be younger than their characters like Robert, Baxter, Carter and Mrs Hughes.

You mean Downton Abbey Rediscovered? I thought Angela Lansbury was wooden in Downton Abbey Revisited, but Bernadette Peters was botoxed to the gills and slurring her words.

I was still processing my shock approximately 8 minutes in when she robotically read, "One of the most disturbing moments of season 4 was Anna's rape by Lord Gillingham's valet, Mr. Green. I still have nightmares about that scene." To quote Andrew Lincoln in a recent interview about The Walking Dead midseason finale, "I guffawed."

[BookThief]

Bernadette Peters was botoxed to the gills and slurring her words.

My mom just called me into the room to show me a clip of Bernadette Peters on the special.  My mom thought she seemed pissed or something and said it was painful to listen to her.  My mom wondered if it was more to do with her having asinine things to say. I had to rush here to see if anyone else noticed (I didn't watch the special this year).  Whatever her problem was, it didn't look/sound good!

[editorgrrl]

I blame the writers for the words, and the hosts (and directors) for the delivery. Susan Sarandon wasn't bad presenting 2013's Return to Downton Abbey.

For those outside the US, they're 90-minute clip shows with long "pledge breaks" to flog the DVDs & urge viewers to donate to PBS. The new one had clips from seasons 1–4 plus sneak peeks of season 5. (Which doesn't start here until January.)

Edited to add that 66-year-old Bernadette Peters is way more animated in this promo than she was in the show (where she seemed tranquilized). And boy is that dress unflattering!

http://youtu.be/8doT9Ij7hMM

Edited December 7, 2014 by editorgrrl

[Milz]

Edited to add that 66-year-old Bernadette Peters is way more animated in this promo than she was in the show (where she seemed tranquilized). And boy is that dress unflattering!

 

 

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who noticed that! Bernadette seemed really, really, out of it.

[abbyzenn]

I'm surprised Michelle Dockery isn't doing the US publicity tour since she usually does.  Other than an appearance  week or so ago at The British Fashion Awards, she seems to have dropped off the radar during this break.  I don't think she did the big fashion shows in Milan/Paris like she usually does - or atleast I didn't see any such photos.  She was suppose to do a film with Elizabeth Moss but dropped out it.  I wonder why she's been so quiet.

 

I think Hugh looks so much older in that photo - there's something about that hair - no makeup artist?

[Badger]

I think Michelle's only done the US PR tour once and that was for Season 4.  Allen Leech was supposed to do it this season but so far he hasn't been involved in anything.  I'm guessing he's still doing PR for "The Imitation Game."

[BookThief]

Sorry, this isn't quite the right spot to ask but I don't know where else to put this--I'm hoping someone can help me figure something out...OK, so season 4 had 8 episodes and a Christmas special (according to Wikipedia), so 9 total.  But when I try to look up the air dates for the U.S. (trying to remember if the Christmas special aired already), it shows only 8 episodes and that the 8th episode was considered the Christmas special.  Surely the US didn't miss an episode so what am I forgetting/missing?

[Avaleigh]

I think this is because in America they combine episodes one and two for the premiere.

[ElizaD]

Downton Abbey for Text Santa part 1 and part 2. Funnier than I expected it to be.

[Eolivet]

I found Text Santa to be really stupid and George Clooney to be awkward and terrible, which was disappointing. However, I did laugh at the Julian Fellowes/Hugh Bonneville meta exchange about how (with the exception of grapefruit spoons) nobody cares if the show is accurate or not: "But that's cutlery!"

[Llywela]

Text Santa was funny, but. Every time it made a jibe about some of the more ridiculous, repetitive aspects of the show (Robert losing all his money again, the servants being blissfully happy to serve rather than aspiring to more, etc) I found myself thinking that if Fellowes can be that self-aware about the flaws in the show, I'd rather he fixed them in the actual show rather than lampoon them in a spoof.

[Hanahope]

There was a special "Secrets of Highclerc Castle" or something like that on a week or so ago (came on after a repeat of S4CS), that interviewed the current Earl and Countess.  They talk about how the show allowed them to used thousands of pounds to renovate the castle.  Their current butler doubles as the ticket seller to tourists in the summer.

 

And on Sunday after S5E1, they had the "Manners of Downton Abbey" that focused mostly on their protocol consultant, who gives the actors information about how to stand, sit (always straight up - never lean against the back of the chair), not to hug each other, which glass to drink from at dinner, why Robert will doff his hat when speaking to a village woman, but Carson right next to him, does not.  It was interesting.

[StatMom]

A nice timeline of the show by the NY Times:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/12/31/arts/television/12312015_DowntonAbbey-timeline.html?hpw&rref=television&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=0#/#time357_10705

[dangwoodchucks]

Has anyone else seen Million Dollar American Princesses on the Smithsonian Channel? It's hosted by Elizabeth McGovern (who thankfully uses her normal, non-simpering voice) and covers American heiresses who, like Cora, married their wealth to British aristocracy in the late 1800s. Among those covered in the first two episodes are Jennie Jerome (mother of Winston Churchill) and Frances Work (great-grandmother of Princess Diana). It's sad how many of these marriages didn't turn out to be loving ones like the fictional one of Cora and Robert.

 

One of the interviewees is Lady Carnarvon, of Highclere.

Edited January 15, 2015 by dangwoodchucks

[Avaleigh]

I've been watching it. Love it so far. 

 

For anyone who watches GoT I think Sunny Marlborough (the Duke who married Consuelo Vanderbilt not the grandson Sunny) looks like he could be the grandfather of Charles Dance. Seriously, I thought the resemblance in that photo where he's in his military uniform was insane.

[dangwoodchucks]

They couldn't find any other American heiresses for the third installment of Million Dollar American Princesses? Other than the brief time spent on Maud Cunard, this turned into the Wallis Simpson show, and I doubt anyone considered her an heiress. They did briefly discuss Nancy Cunard, Maud's daughter who had a scandalous relationship with black musican Henry Crowder, which was probably the inspiration for Rose's storyline in her first season on Downton Abbey.

 

If the focus wasn't solely on Brit royalty they could have included Barbara Hutton.

 

I didn't notice that the dramatized portions of the first two episodes were that bad, but this one was terrible. I was so engrossed watching the actors and actresses pretending to smoke fake cigarettes that I couldn't pay attention to what was being said. It looked amateurish and reminded me of pretending to "smoke" pretzel sticks as a child. The first two episodes were interesting and on point, but it seems like they ran out of ideas in the last one.

[Zahdii]

Article:  'It's an open secret': Downton Abbey is set 'to end after its sixth series as the cast begin to look for new roles in America'

Not an official announcement, just an article that claims agents of the cast are putting out the word that the cast will be available for new projects after filming of Season 6 wraps.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2930768/It-s-open-secret-Downton-Abbey-set-end-sixth-series-cast-begin-look-new-roles-America.html

[Andorra]

Well, I'm okay with it. It's time. The only hope I have is that they

bring back Tom in the first two episodes. I will not watch more than two episodes without him, that one is for sure.

And for the other fans I hope that their favourite's storylines will be put to a nice and satisfying end.

Edited February 1, 2015 by photo fox
added spoiler tags

[Mrsjumbo]

I agree. Although I love the show, too many times I've started watching a series & it was cancelled, so you never got a good resolution on the storylines. I'd rather know what happens to these characters.

[Andorra]

The denial follows the same day. http://www.buzzfeed.com/jacelacob/reports-of-the-death-of-downton-abbey-are-premature?utm_term=.ouvagAe8v#.rs9lmanOpk

 

So we know just as much as before.

[Badger]

 They've always been available for new projects after the latest season finishes filming.

[Avaleigh]

I think it'll wrap up in seven. I feel like nine episodes isn't enough when I consider all of the things I'd like to see happen particularly how the family will cope with the eventual death of Robert. (If indeed that ends up even happening.) If they had Robert die at the end of season 6 I'd like to see the longterm effects of that play out in season 7. I know it's wishful thinking but ideally l'd like to see the show end in 1932 covering roughly 20 years in the life of the Crawleys. I'd also like to see the reaction to things like the loss of the gold standard (although truthfully the reactions of Robert and Violet would interest me most here.) and the depression.

 

If they finish it in six though I'd at least like to have some sort of two hour movie to kind of cap things off. Maybe something that takes place a few years later in the story so that we can have a better idea of the futures of the characters.