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Downton Abbey in the Media

Rhondinella

By Rhondinella
in Downton Abbey [V]

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Constantinople
Constantinople

There is nothin' like a dame, Nothin' in the world, There is nothin' you can name That is anything like a dame! Penelope Wilton is now a Dame (of the British Empire).

AZChristian
AZChristian

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/kate-middleton/11466442/Kate-Middleton-visits-the-set-of-Downton-Abbey-in-pictures.html?frame=3229348   Fun pictures of Kate with the cast!

Tetraneutron

Tetraneutron

Yes! I'm a big believer in TV shows ending when they're supposed to. (if you don't believe my, watch the final season of HIMYM). Especially a show like Downton, which is a cheesy soap opera. An expensive, gorgeously-costumed, cheesy soap opera with flat characters and storylines that can't strain modern sensibilties. I enjoy the hell out of it, but it doesn't have the bones to be a long-running show. I mean, they ran out of plot sometime around the second Bates tragedy and the third dull Mary suitor. 

 

Besides, it's hard to watch a cozy Edwardian fantasy knowing the Great Depression and WW2 are just around the corner. Let it end while JF can still plausibly give the Crawleys and their servants a happy ending. 

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Eolivet

Eolivet

I think Fellowes was fine with the pace of the show. Can you even imagine more than two seasons of Mary and Matthew will they/won't they? More than a season of Richard Carlisle glowering and Lavinia's churchmouse stiff upper lip? More than a season of scheming Vera Bates (OK, don't answer that -- I loved Vera Bates)? More than a season of the awkward quasi-affair between Robert and Jane the maid? I'm absolutely fine with the pace -- I found it one of the most appealing things about Downton: things happened fast. We got a little taste of everything, and that's all we (or I) needed.

 

Yes! I'm a big believer in TV shows ending when they're supposed to. (if you don't believe my, watch the final season of HIMYM).

 

Plot twist: Mary marries Henry Talbot, who dies. Tom marries someone from America and they get one of those new-fangled divorces. Tom shows up in a car outside Mary's home in Eaton Square. You guys, it was obviously supposed to be Tom and Mary the whole time!

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helenamonster

helenamonster

Yeah, I mean, I'm not exactly clamoring for a film right now, but that's because the series hasn't ended yet (and my desire for a film will depend on how it all wraps up). But it's interesting that he mentioned spin-offs. What ever happened to that prequel about Robert and Cora's courtship? Did that just get turned into The Gilded Age?

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ZoloftBlob

ZoloftBlob

. What ever happened to that prequel about Robert and Cora's courtship? Did that just get turned into The Gilded Age?

 

I thought so... the prequel idea seemed to fade away. Or, to be fair, maybe I haven't been paying attention. The problem with prequels is that you know how it ends. Like Caprica. We all knew Caprica was going down in a blaze of nuke bombs so who really cares how Bill Adama related to his dad? Likewise Robert and Cora - we know they didn't marry for love, that Robert wanted her money and it all worked out.

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Camera One

Camera One

http://www.latinpost.com/articles/45812/20150402/downton-abbey-news-spin-offs-itv-execs-trying-saving-show-julian-fellows-talks-spin-off-set-in-70s.htm

 

ITV wanted the show to continue, with a new writer since Fellowes would be working on "The Gilded Age" soon.  But Fellowes said no.

 

Fellowes spoke of possible spinoffs.  How about this idea he mentioned:

"We could have shows just focusing on Mr. Bates and Anna. It depends on the actors," he added.
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Constantinople

Constantinople

I thought so... the prequel idea seemed to fade away. Or, to be fair, maybe I haven't been paying attention. The problem with prequels is that you know how it ends.

It's not the destination, it's the journey.

How would viewers react, for example, if they learned that Cora had a more sister more beautiful, vivacious and intelligent than her? A sister who accompanied Cora and Martha to England, and who was Robert's intended? A sister who was brutally murdered by Cora out of jealousy, and whose murder was covered-up by making it look as if Jack the Ripper was back, only this time with much more prominent victims?

That's the kind of skeleton that stays deep in the family closet.

It's no wonder we haven't heard a peep about it in 5 seasons of Downton.

And just imagine what would happen if viewers discovered that Robert had a dalliance in his youth with an actress? A dalliance that led to a son? And that evidence of a marriage between Robert and said actress has been entirely destroyed...or nearly so?

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ZoloftBlob

ZoloftBlob

Camera One - i was more horrified that that article was suggesting a sequel set in the 1970s. I mean, they'd totally lose the folks who stuck it out for the pretty costumes. Imagine a bunch of people in 1970s fashion and hair in the Abbey! Carson's ghost would be aghast!

 

Constantinaople - I like your ideas. My problem - and I admit its partly me because of my feelings towards prequels - is that if Cora secretly murdered sister and Robert's first marriage and first born son to an actress weren't significant enough to raise in the origanal show - why get invested in a story that goes no where? Robert's secret child has no signficance as he never ever shows up to swipe the Abbey from anyone and Cora's murdered prettier and smarter sister isn't on anyone's radar. Thats the problem with prequels - in order to be interesting, they bring in plots and characters that kinda sorta should have been discussed on the origanal show and aren't.

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Constantinople

Constantinople

Constantinaople - I like your ideas. My problem - and I admit its partly me because of my feelings towards prequels - is that if Cora secretly murdered sister and Robert's first marriage and first born son to an actress weren't significant enough to raise in the origanal show - why get invested in a story that goes no where? Robert's secret child has no signficance as he never ever shows up to swipe the Abbey from anyone and Cora's murdered prettier and smarter sister isn't on anyone's radar. Thats the problem with prequels - in order to be interesting, they bring in plots and characters that kinda sorta should have been discussed on the origanal show and aren't.

That will all be covered in the movie sequel, or a Season 7 made 5 or 10 years hence. Mary will murder Robert's son to protect George's inheritance, but Cora will take the fall for it. After all these years, the police will finally have arrest Cora for killing her sister (in for a penny, in for a pound). No doubt the police would have arrested Cora sooner, but they were distracted by the whole Bates/Anna string of serial killings.

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ZoloftBlob

ZoloftBlob

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/downton-abbey-bosses-wanted-show-114300403.html#7IUZBDA

 

This suggests that Fellowes might have been part of the problem in there being a season 7 and beyond.

 

ANd this

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/11517517/Downton-Abbey-fans-rejoice-as-Fellowes-hints-at-TV-return-for-a-young-dowager.html

 

Kinda makes me dread The Gilded Age. I think a lot of the Dowager's charm is Maggie Smith. Also not sure I want to see young teen Robert and child Cora.

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helenamonster

helenamonster

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/downton-abbey-bosses-wanted-show-114300403.html#7IUZBDA

 

This suggests that Fellowes might have been part of the problem in there being a season 7 and beyond.

 

ANd this

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/11517517/Downton-Abbey-fans-rejoice-as-Fellowes-hints-at-TV-return-for-a-young-dowager.html

 

Kinda makes me dread The Gilded Age. I think a lot of the Dowager's charm is Maggie Smith. Also not sure I want to see young teen Robert and child Cora.

 

As to the first one, that was pretty much known for awhile, right? JF was willing to do The Gilded Age and Downton because he didn't want the latter to go on without him. But if ITV really wanted to continue the show, don't they have the ultimate say and could have fired and replaced him? If they do have that kind of power, it's hard to blame everything on JF. Also, I thought the other part of the problem is that several cast members didn't want to re-sign for a seventh season. Despite the show's success, I feel like ITV has to know that people wouldn't necessarily tune into a show with a bunch of new characters that just had the Downton name slapped on it.

 

For the second one, I don't necessarily hate the idea of Downton and The Gilded Age existing in the same universe with the occasional appearance of or reference to our beloved Crawleys. But who owns the rights to the characters, JF or ITV? I suppose technically they're JF's intellectual property since he created them, but if ITV owns Downton, wouldn't they have to approve of the characters being used on another show, on another (foreign) network?

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ZoloftBlob

ZoloftBlob

But if ITV really wanted to continue the show, don't they have the ultimate say and could have fired and replaced him? If they do have that kind of power, it's hard to blame everything on JF. Also, I thought the other part of the problem is that several cast members didn't want to re-sign for a seventh season.

 

Oh I don't blame everything on JF - I just think he's part of the problem. My curiousity is over how it seems like no, JF can't simply be fired from writing Downton. As in, unlike other shows, that the channel can't just oust the writer is an unusual situation. I firmly agree a large part of the problem is a cast exodus.

 

As for the prequel/maybe prequel - like I said, I am biased in that I don't like prequels. I will likely give it a try, but I think "a young Dowager" would be an incredibly difficult role to play or cast.

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TheGreenKnight

TheGreenKnight

(edited)

I agree, it would be very hard to cast someone who would fill the role Maggie Smith plays now--the same with Carson, Patmore, and Hughes' actors? And some of the dowager's spark would be lost without a worthy adversary like Isobel to play off. To be honest, I might enjoy a prequel with a young Robert and Rosamond, finally getting to see what their father was like. Maybe include Shrimpie/Susan in some capacity? A young Cora and her family, not to mention a completely new slew of downstairs characters, could also be interesting. Nothing will match Downton's cast, but I'd watch it anyway.

 

If it didn't bomb in the first season, we might even see Mary, Edith, and Sibyl as children at some point. Perhaps how Bates and Robert met, too.

Edited by TheGreenKnight
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saki

saki

As I've said before on here, I think, while I don't know what the legal position is, it would be incredibly unusual and I can't remember it ever happening, for a British TV channel to replace the lead writer on a show without their permission/involvement.  It's just not done.  It's why the writing is often (though by no means always!) more unified/tighter on British shows but also why they have fewer episodes.

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helenamonster

helenamonster

Rob James-Collier is doing a fundraiser so that he can run the Virgin London Marathon and support people with MS. To get donations, he's making a Downton/Star Wars spoof. The first part is already up, and the second part will be put up if he raises £10,000.

 

 

The first part has Bates, Anna, Thomas, and Carson. It's definitely amateur (they filmed the whole thing on iPhones and don't make an effort to hide the booms or anything) but it's kind of funny in a "look at the cast goofing off together" way. There's some definite self-awareness about Anna/Bates and Bates/Thomas. Idk, it's all in good fun and for a good cause.

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Hanahope

Hanahope

Fellowes spoke of possible spinoffs.  How about this idea he mentioned:

Quote

    "We could have shows just focusing on Mr. Bates and Anna. It depends on the actors," he added.

 

Oh please no.

 

Collier sure looks different with bangs and glasses.  The spoof was cute, I hope we get to see part 2.

 

Frankly, I'd prefer a completely different set of characters for The Gilded Age and no reference to the Crawleys.

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Badger

Badger

The marathon was on April 26 and yes, he made his target.  He's actually gone past it to slightly under 15, 800 pounds.  He finished the race in 3:43:34 time. 

 

You can still donate if you want as the site will be open until 6 months after the race.  

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helenamonster

helenamonster

Whoo JoFro! Supporting Actress in a Drama always seems like a close race, and I still don't know if this is her year. I could see Christina Hendricks edging her out since it's the last chance Mad Men has at the Emmys, and I think I'd be ok with that (I haven't finished the second half of S7 yet though so idk if she deserves it, but she's been awesome for the first six-and-a-half seasons so I don't see that changing). But I'd like to see JoFro finally take one home since she's my favorite actor on the show. She does still have a chance in 2016, though.

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Tetraneutron

Tetraneutron

Why would they be forced to sell it? The timeline puts this in the mid-late 20s. The mass selling and demolishing of country houses didn't really pick up until after WW2. Besides, is Robert going to lose all his money AGAIN? I know Fellowes likes to recycle plots but that's just sad. 

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Kirsty

Kirsty

(edited)

And here's the PBS Masterpiece trailer for season 6:

 

 

I wonder if all these clips are from the opening episode.

 

Edited to add: Oops! Previously.tv posted this trailer as I was writing this post.

Edited by Kirsty
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caligirl50

caligirl50

Hi All,

I live in the states so I have not been reading this thread for the past few weeks but wanted to ask if you noticed on the main page of Previously TV today. Dancing with the Stars did a tv theme music challenge last night and one was Downton Abbey - Mary and Matthew's love story.  HA!  Look at it if you want a giggle.

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