Downton Abbey executive producer Gareth Neame has confirmed that the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley will be back in season four of Downton Abbey to lord over all those peons who pretend they could be as good as her. Pish.
The return of Dame Maggie Smith to Downton wasn’t a sure thing before now; last summer showrunner Julian Fellowes admitted “I can’t tell you, ‘Oh, yes, she’s definitely contracted [for Season 4] — because she isn’t. It’s entirely up to her when she stays and when she goes,” adding “With Maggie, you never know, Other [actors] sign on for the next series and they sign for this and they sign for that, but she doesn’t. She stays her own person.”
That’s right. Because Dame Maggie is a legend.
Downton‘s always been a Masterpiece Theater soap opera, but as of late it’s gotten so overblown and dramatic (ugh, another Matthew-Mary relationship drama subplot? And can we wrap up this Bates thing already? I’m getting sick of him and Anna being all noble and stoic and lovey-dovey at each other across a table) that the chance to see the Dowager Countess sling verbal barbs at everyone who crosses her path is the only conceivable reason I have to keep watching.
Hold on a sec… did a British show just do something to make me happy? I’m not used to this. Wait, but Downton Abbey‘s made by ITV, not the BBC. That explains it.
(via: TV Line)
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Published: Jan 17, 2013 12:30 pm