Downton Abbey 2 ~ Christmas 2021

How many times a year does Christmas come to this fucking Great House? Is that what rich people did back then, celebrate Christmas every few months to justify lavish gift giving to each other and laugh at what little the poors had?

They need to do something more dramatic this time. The last film just felt like an extended version of the TV show.

I imagine this film will see the death of the Dowager Countess. Maggie might even get another Oscar nomination out of it.

If whichever Lily girl (Depp, Collins, James, Allen, etc) is’t this one, I am absolutely not going to see it. And they better give her a big ABBA number too, not just in the end credits.

Grandmama dies, the family moves to a flat in London.. End of story. I'm sure Mags could do a death bed for two hours. She needs that last Oscar!

Could She-Who-Will-Not-Be-Named, be persuaded to leave CA in order to join the cast? I hear Julian has written a new character into the cast... an interloper. An uncouth and devious American who has her eyes on Tom Branson who has settled down.

This is the one thing the sisters will not allow! Edith and Mary unite to destroy the visitor from across the pond.

I would love to see Shirley MacLaine act, again. I thought she was dead.

They should reignite the Mary/Edith feud. That was one of the highlights of the show for me.

I like Shirley MacLaine, but she wasn't great in the role of Cora's mother.

I would be interested in a Downton "prequel" going back to Cora as a young American debutante and her meeting / being courted by Lord Grantham. I think that trend of "poor" British aristocracy taking rich American wives for their dowry is fascinating.

Let me guess "Times are changing, Downton is in danger."

“Sounds like watching the sunset on white peoples as a whole!”

Now pushed back until March. But no doubt the Oscar worthy script and performances will endure until the '22 nominations.

Though given the state of the Oscars these days, Downton Abbey probably is Oscar worthy.

[quote]I bet Maggie didn't see this coming.

Throughout rehearsals for the final scene with Mary, Maggie changed her line from "I do not have long to live" to "I MAY not have long to live."

She didn't just leave the door ajar. She ripped it off the hinges and used a sledgehammer to enlarge the opening.

The last movie was terrible. The downstairs staff cook up a scheme worthy of I Love Lucy so they get to wait on royalty.

I'm excited to read that New Edition is reuniting for a role in this!

I think this new one will centre around Tom Branson's remarriage to that rich-to-be maid.

Weddings are as big as royalty for the Masterpiece and soft food crowd.

Winthorpe Manor is the American Downton Abbey.

They're going to be doing a cross over.

In this movie, a visiting dignitary dies in Edith's bed, and everyone refuses to help her move the body. The scene of Edith dragging the dead body along the landing will guarantee this movie a Best Comedy Bafta.

Can I add, the dignitary had a heart attack because when Edith was blowing him she cut off an artery with pressure from her enormous schnozz.

R19, I adore that you thought up everyone refusing to help. So Edith.

I would love for Thomas’ budding romance with Richard to have a happy ending. Given the period, I'm not asking for a public romance culminating in a lavish gay wedding, just avoid more heartache and sadness.

at least let barrow get laid

R22 et al

For those unaware Christmas specials are something unique to British television, have been from the start of BBC broadcasts on that medium.

Keep in mind the differences between British television programming and American means a show may not be "on" during Christmas absent any sort of special.

A typical American show on a network channel has 20-24 episodes per season with a three month hiatus in between. Average British television show has roughly 6–8 episodes in a season with an 11 month hiatus.

When Masterpiece broadcasts say "Inspector Morse" in USA, Americans will get to see all 6 or whatever episodes weekly one after each other at once. In UK that same season series might be stretched out a bit. This is where those UK Christmas specials can come in handy.

Since the Victorian period (if not before) Christmas has held a very special place in UK. It isn't an accident that the Sovereign makes an annual broadcast (first radio now television), on that holiday.

The TV show was too slow going but I watched it for the few highlights. I can't imagine how they would want to stretch this borefest out any longer.

[quote]R23 Keep in mind the differences between British television programming and American means…

Why don’t you stop telling us what to do?

Julian Fellowes and others including much of DA cast seem intent on milking this franchise for all they can get.

Original Upstairs/Downstairs knew when to pack it in, and the second incarnation (mercifully) had a very short life.

Maggie Smith must be thrilled. She shows up, doesn't do much but sit or stand in "X" spot, speak some withering comment or whatever, then is done. For this she's likely paid very well, at least by British standards anyway.

Am waiting for British "inclusion" mandates to hit Downton Abbey.

Will we see blacks hired as servants at DA? Will there be one or to peers who are POC? There will have to be a trans and non-binary person in the mix as well.

[quote] “I think this new one will centre around Tom Branson's remarriage to that rich-to-be maid…”

Tom and the maid were married to each other before, were they, R17?

Having identified and pounced at that level of insignificant, R17, I'm curious, do you feel sated or aroused?

[quote]“I think this new one will centre around Tom Branson's remarriage to that rich-to-be maid…”

Since Imelda Staunton is listed as starring, it's very probable that the romance will be central to the story.

What would be consistent with the overall theme of the show would be if Tom Branson and Henry Talbot's car business really takes off and HE become the true wealth of the family. One of the key themes was the decline of that aristocratic way of life and rise of new money and social standing of formerly disenfranchised people, like Tom.

What I'd actually like to see is the movie to be a massive flashback where Mary and Matthew's son, George, who would be the Earl of Grantham, is talking to his grandchildren and telling them what it was like to grow up at Downton. He was born in 1921, so would be 80 in 2001. We'd get to find out what happens to all of them.