Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey
GenreHistorical period drama
Created byJulian Fellowes
Written by
  • Julian Fellowes
  • Shelagh Stephenson
  • Tina Pepler
Starring
Opening theme"Did I Make the Most of Loving You?"
ComposerJohn Lunn
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series6
No. of episodes52 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Julian Fellowes
  • Gareth Neame
  • Rebecca Eaton
Producers
  • Liz Trubridge
  • Nigel Marchant
Production locationHighclere Castle
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time47–93 minutes
Production company
Original release
NetworkITV
Release26 September 2010 (2010-09-26) –
25 December 2015 (2015-12-25)

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

Further reading

  • Coberly, Daniel (2019). Sovereigns, Dynasties, and Nobility: A Modern Guide to Noble and Royal Titles. Italian Heritage Press. ISBN 978-1733945813. OCLC 1031996794.
  • Fellowes, Jessica; Sturgis, Matthew (2012). The Chronicles of Downton Abbey. Foreword by Julian Fellowes, photography by Joss Barratt, Nick Briggs, and Giles Keyte. 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.
  • —— (2011). The World of Downton Abbey. Foreword by Julian Fellowes, photography by Nick Briggs. 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 (2013). Downton Abbey: The Complete Scripts: Season One. New York: William Morrow. ISBN 978-0-06-223831-3. OCLC 795761131.
  • —— (2013). Downton Abbey: The Complete Scripts: Season Two. New York: William Morrow. ISBN 978-0-06-224135-1. OCLC 828844711.
  • —— (2014). Downton Abbey: The Complete Scripts: Season Three. New York: William Morrow. ISBN 978-0-06-224137-5. OCLC 870982733.
  • Pötzsch, Janelle (2023). "Reframing the Dowager: Nostalgia in 'Downton Abbey'". Journal of Popular Film and Television. 52 (3): 146–154. doi:10.1080/01956051.2023.2263141.
  • MacColl, Gail; Wallace, Carol McD. (1989). To Marry an English Lord or, How Anglomania Really Got Started. 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:
  • Rowley, Emma (2013). Behind the Scenes at Downton Abbey. Foreword by Gareth Neame; photography by Nick Briggs. 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.

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