The Playlist

Diddy Joins ‘Downton Abbey’ (For A Funny Or Die Video, Anyway)

By Diana Drumm
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May 16, 2013 7:22 PM
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2 Comments

News

Yesterday, Diddy tweeted some “big news” – the actor-mogul-rapper would now be a series regular on “Downton Abbey.” That announcement, combined with a few more Downton-related tweets, a twitter background bearing the “Downton Abbey” logo and Highclere House as Diddy’s cover photo, left the twitter-verse a bit befuddled. We knew that earlier this month PBS had announced that the upcoming season of the massive hit series would feature ‘Downton’’s first black character (played by English actor Gary Carr, not Diddy), but for how much we loved Diddy in “Get Him To The Greek” and all of the rave reviews for his turns on Broadway and television in “A Raisin in the Sun,” we felt something was up, especially after a PBS spokesman flat out denied it.

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Maid O'Brien Is Leaving 'Downton Abbey,' But 6 New Actors Are Joining The Show

By Edward Davis
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March 3, 2013 10:21 AM
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1 Comment

Television

People are dropping like flies on PBS' popular period drama, "Downton Abbey." At the end of season 3 (massive spoiler alert if you haven't gone this far yet), Dan Stevens' character Matthew Crawley died in a tragic (and rather ridiculous) car accident just moments after his first son was born (he was seemingly so elated he was driving while pleasantly looking up at the clouds without a care in the world). The reason for this hasty writing-him-out of-the-turn was because Stevens, appearing next in the WikiLeaks drama "The Fifth Estate," evidently feels like Hollywood is calling and he better strike while the iron is hot.

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'Downton Abbey' Writer & Star To Reunite On 'The Chaperone,' From 'My Week With Marilyn' Director Simon Curtis

By Joe Cunningham
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February 4, 2013 11:20 AM
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0 Comments

News

With the principal cast of “Downton Abbey” already beginning to break up as they (particularly its younger stars) look for the next step up career-wise, you can forgive Julian Fellowes and some of his older cast-members for also pursuing other projects and setting themselves up for a life after 'Downton,' whenever that may come. And last week brought news that screenwriter Fellowes, who created the show, will reunite with Lady Grantham herself, Elizabeth McGovern, on the Fox Searchlight pic “The Chaperone.”

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Jeremy Irons Says 'Downton Abbey' Is Like A Ford Fiesta

By Kevin Jagernauth
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January 16, 2013 4:56 PM
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9 Comments

Television

It's quiet out there as everyone in Hollywood is en route to the Sundance Film Festival, so here's something that should perk up your eyeballs a little bit. The always awesome Jeremy Irons has weighed in on "Downton Abbey," and if you think the show is the height of writing and drama, Irons has some news for you.

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'Downton Abbey' Star Dan Stevens Will Not Return For The Series' Fourth Season

By Charlie Schmidlin
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December 27, 2012 10:46 AM
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1 Comment

News

The minor disadvantage to starring in one of the most popular TV shows around sits with the major career opportunities it brings, and whether to stay with the project that made your name or leave for more ambitious endeavors. Since taking in part in the mass ensemble that is PBS' wildly popular early 20th century drama “Downton Abbey,” star Dan Stevens has dealt directly with the question as of late, and it now seems he's picked the thrill of uncharted waters. *Major, major spoilers below*.

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'Downton Abbey' Star Dan Stevens Joins That WikiLeaks Movie Starring Benedict Cumberbatch

By Kevin Jagernauth
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December 20, 2012 5:24 PM
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3 Comments

News

With the participation of "Downton Abbey" star Dan Stevens for the fourth season of the hit show currently up in the air, he's busy getting ready to make his Hollywood debut in a film that is bringing together an impressive amount of talent, to tell the tale of one of the world's most intriguing newsmakers.

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'Downton Abbey' Hired For Season 4, 'Boss' Fired After Two Seasons

By Cain Rodriguez
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November 26, 2012 9:45 AM
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1 Comment

Television

This morning we have some news about everyone’s favorite soap opera, the cancellation of another cable drama series, and a pirate show.

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Holy Tea & Crumpets! Julian Fellowes Considering A 'Downton Abbey' Prequel

By Joe Cunningham
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October 1, 2012 10:19 AM
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1 Comment

Television

When he’s not busy writing reports to assist David Cameron in his attempts to balls up the UK film industry by only supporting “mainstream films,” Julian Fellowes is quietly going about penning one of the most successful dramas on television right now. “Downton Abbey” is now in its third season and its popularity shows no signs of waning (last night’s episode pulling in nearly 10m live viewers in the U.K.) – so appropriately BAFTA selected the Oscar-winning writer Fellowes (“Gosford Park”) to kick off their 2012 series of annual screenwriters lectures.

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Watch: Two New Trailers For Season 3 Of 'Downton Abbey'

By Joe Cunningham
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September 6, 2012 12:18 PM
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0 Comments

News

Sure, you might be enjoying/still eagerly anticipating Benedict Cumberbatch in “Parade’s End,” but there’s no denying that it’s still little more than the pretender to the crown. The real blockbuster British period drama remains “Downton Abbey,” and it won’t be long until the third season of the acclaimed show returns to our screens. In fact, the premiere episode will debut in just 10 days over in its native U.K., while U.S audiences will see in return on January 6th, 2013 on PBS.

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Watch: Two Clips From Season 3 Of 'Downton Abbey,' Including New Addition Shirley MacLaine

By Oliver Lyttelton
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August 22, 2012 12:06 PM
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2 Comments

News

After the hugely disappointing second season of the show, which crossed over from trashily entertaining to just plain dull, we were wondering if there was anything that could win us back to the third season of smash-hit costume drama "Downton Abbey." And then creator Julian Fellowes went and cast Shirley MacLaine. The 78-year-old veteran Hollywood star, famous for films like "The Apartment" and "Terms of Endearment" among many, many others, is joining the show's cast as the mother of Elizabeth McGovern's Countess of Grantham, and the potential to watch her trade barbs with Maggie Smith is certainly enough to have us setting the DVR for new episodes.

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