Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey is a British and American historical drama television series set in the early 20th century. It was created and co-written by Julian Fellowes.

Downton Abbey
Genre	Historical period drama
Created by	Julian Fellowes
Written by	Julian Fellowes Shelagh Stephenson Tina Pepler
Starring	Hugh Bonneville Jessica Brown Findlay Laura Carmichael Jim Carter Brendan Coyle Michelle Dockery Siobhan Finneran Joanne Froggatt Phyllis Logan Thomas Howes Rob James-Collier Rose Leslie Elizabeth McGovern Sophie McShera Lesley Nicol Maggie Smith Dan Stevens Penelope Wilton Amy Nuttall Kevin Doyle Allen Leech Matt Milne Ed Speleers Lily James David Robb Cara Theobold Raquel Cassidy Tom Cullen Julian Ovenden Michael Fox Matthew Goode Harry Hadden-Paton
Composer	John Lunn
Country of origin	United Kingdom United States
Original language	English
No. of episodes	(list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Julian Fellowes Gareth Neame Rebecca Eaton
Producers	Liz Trubridge Nigel Marchant
Production location	United Kingdom
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	47–93 minutes
Original release
Release	25 December 2015 (2015-12-25)

The series is a Carnival Films/Masterpiece co-production in association with NBCUniversal.

The series first aired on ITV in the United Kingdom on 26 September 2010, and in the United States on PBS on 9 January 2011.

On 26 March 2015, Carnival Films and ITV announced that the sixth series would be the last. It aired on ITV between 20 September 2015 and 8 November 2015. The final episode, serving as the annual Christmas special, was broadcast on 25 December 2015.

A movie version was released in the United Kingdom on 13 September 2019, and in the United States on 20 September 2019.

A second movie, Downton Abbey: A New Era, opened in the U.S. on May 18, 2022.

The original series won several United States Primetime Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards. Foreign-produced shows can be entered for both awards if they are the result of a creative and financial co-production with a United States partner.

Further reading

• Coberly, Daniel. Sovereigns, Dynasties, and Nobility: A Modern Guide to Noble and Royal Titles (2019)Italian Heritage Press. ISBN 978-1733945813. OCLC 1031996794.
• Fellowes, Jessica. The Chronicles of Downton Abbey (2012). London, UK: Collins. ISBN 978-0-00-745325-2. OCLC 811576487. The companion book covering the characters, through the early part of the third series.
• Fellowes, Jessica. The World of Downton Abbey (2011). New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-1-250-00634-9. OCLC 727704121. Retrieved 25 October 2015. The companion book to the first and second series. Includes an extensive further reading section.
• Fellowes, Julian. Downton Abbey: The Complete Scripts: Season One (2013). New York: William Morrow. ISBN 978-0-06-223831-3. OCLC 795761131.
• Fellowes, Julian. Downton Abbey: The Complete Scripts: Season Two (2013). New York: William Morrow. ISBN 978-0-06-224135-1. OCLC 828844711.
• Fellowes, Julian. Downton Abbey: The Complete Scripts: Season Three (2014). New York: William Morrow. ISBN 978-0-06-224137-5. OCLC 870982733.
• Pötzsch, Janelle. Reframing the Dowager: Nostalgia in 'Downton Abbey'. Journal of Popular Film and Television 52 (3) (2023). p. 146-154. doi:10.1080/01956051.2023.2263141.
• MacColl, Gail. To Marry an English Lord or, How Anglomania Really Got Started (1989). New York: Workman Publishing. ISBN 978-0-89480-939-2. OCLC 243431665. Gives a background on the preceding period, especially for Cora, Countess of Grantham, who is one of the "Buccaneers". Reprinted as:
  • MacColl, Gail. To Marry an English Lord: Tales of Wealth and Marriage, Sex and Snobbery (2012). New York: Workman Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-7611-7195-9. OCLC 779399305. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
• Rowley, Emma. Behind the Scenes at Downton Abbey (2013). New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-1-250-04790-8. OCLC 862880131. The official companion book to series 1–4. Two different subtitles are used, depending upon the edition: The Official Backstage Pass to the Set, the Actors and the Drama and The Official Companion to All Four Series.

Downton Abbey Media

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  Michelle Dockery plays Lady Mary Crawley, the eldest Grantham daughter.

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  Dan Stevens plays Matthew Crawley.

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  Allen Leech plays Tom Branson, the chauffeur who marries into the Crawley family.

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  Highclere Castle as Downton Abbey

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  Penelope Wilton (left) plays Isobel Crawley; Jim Carter plays the butler, Mr Carson.

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  Robert James-Collier plays the footman turned under-butler, Mr Thomas Barrow.

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  Fictional coat of arms of the Earl of Grantham, as depicted above the "Grantham Arms" pub. Inspired by the alliance crest of Herbert-Molyneux-Howard.

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  Highclere Castle

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  Byfleet Manor House (geograph 3492825) (cropped and squared up)

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  Bampton Post Office - geograph.org.uk - 319636

Other websites

• DA CS ITV Official Press Pack
• Downton Abbey at Emmys.com
• Downton Abbey Archived 2016-12-30 at the Wayback Machine on PBS Masterpiece
• Downton Abbey on IMDb