We knew it would be sometime in January, but now it’s official: Downton Abbey returns to PBS on Jan. 6, 2013.
In a recent press conference, creator Julian Fellowes dished on some spoilers for season 3.
Do not click if you don’t want to know!
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Money: Cora, Lady Grantham’s, money is almost all gone. Remember the money that persuaded Lord Grantham to marry the American in the first place? What will happen to the Granthams’ way of life if there’s no cash?
Mom: This season sees the introduction of Cora’s mother, played by the redoubtable Shirley MacLaine, and apparently Cora’s American upbringing is important in the new season. Fellowessays, “Cora’s upbringing was not the same as Robert’s...but as things start to change and the plates are shifting, and we are reminded what Cora’s comes from. If anyone understands the world that is coming, it’s Cora.”
Marrieds: Lady Sybil and Branson return to Downton. Sparks fly, of course, because now the Irish chauffeur is sitting down at the family’s dining table, as though he belonged there! Impudent fellow.
Modernism: Fellowes says Downton will proceed through the 1920s and specific storylines in a post-war world. “The twenties are a more nebulous time,” he explains. “In the third series you see the impact on this family of the Irish Troubles...at the time [it] was actually much more the headline than the suffragettes or the other things. The Irish Problem seems to be a yawning difficulty for Britain and the British Empire.”
Married? Mary and Matthew are engaged, but not yet married. And there’s going to be some rocky times for our favorite pair of M&Ms, Fellowes promises.
What are you most looking forward to in Downton Abbey Season 3?
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