Downton Abbey

[AmericanGent]

Not my wife- she HATED his mouth- it was all she could do to watch him talk or kiss.

Go ahead- pull up an episode and watch him talk...the way his mouth moves will make you fast forward to the car crash.

 

[whiteslashasian]

The moment I saw them racing back to Downton after the honeymoon in that new roadster said to my GF "that looks rather irresponsible and ominous"...

 

[aravenel]



The moment I saw them racing back to Downton after the honeymoon in that new roadster said to my GF "that looks rather irresponsible and ominous"...

Definitely. It was pretty clear that after an episode of rainbows and unicorns that something bad was going to happen before the end of the episode, and once he got in that car...

 

[whiteslashasian]

No one is allowed to be happy in that show. NO ONE!

 

[fwiffo]

I'm not sure about Jessica Brown Findlay (Sybil) but the Dan Stevens (Matthew Crawley) departure was well publicized in British papers. Last I read he is in NY now doing theatre and believes he has a shot at being a leading Hollywood man (yes - laugh all you want) so I'm not sure we can blame all of it on Julian Fellowes. There was a debate whether to send him abroad and hope he comes back but I guess the actor categorically ruled out even coming back for a cameo.

 

[aravenel]

Oh yeah, I definitely blame this on Dan Stevens.

Though the show was on a downward spiral anyways. I give it one more season, then Dame Maggie Smith will probably leave, and that'll be the end.

 

[FunLovinStyle]



I'm not sure about Jessica Brown Findlay (Sybil) but the Dan Stevens (Matthew Crawley) departure was well publicized in British papers. Last I read he is in NY now doing theatre and believes he has a shot at being a leading Hollywood man (yes - laugh all you want) so I'm not sure we can blame all of it on Julian Fellowes. There was a debate whether to send him abroad and hope he comes back but I guess the actor categorically ruled out even coming back for a cameo.

I read somewhere that he wants to be the next Bond. Ugh.

 

[foodguy]



I read somewhere that he wants to be the next Bond. Ugh.

actually, i can kind of see that, in a very subversive way.

 

[aravenel]



I read somewhere that he wants to be the next Bond. Ugh.

No way

 

[fwiffo]

Series 4 starts September 22 at 9:00 PM GMT!

Pictures and Trailer

O'Brien is gone. And somehow that maid who got fired is back.

 

[Connemara]



Series 4 starts September 22 at 9:00 PM GMT!

Pictures and Trailer

O'Brien is gone. And somehow that maid who got fired is back.

At least it's back.

 

[FunLovinStyle]

The premiere is Jan 5 in the US... unless you're a dirty, stinking, filthy pirate.

I really have no idea why, in this modern age of instant worldwide communication, there need be such a gap between the UK and US premiere.

 

[Connemara]



The premiere is Jan 5 in the US... unless you're a dirty, stinking, filthy pirate.

I really have no idea why, in this modern age of instant worldwide communication, there need be such a gap between the UK and US premiere.

I don't get it. Is there some contractual hindrance? Otherwise, why wouldn't PBS show it at the same time?

 

[Cary Grant]



I don't get it. Is there some contractual hindrance? Otherwise, why wouldn't PBS show it at the same time?

Several reasons...

(In full disclosure - my previous career was 27 years in broadcasting public media and the last two years of it managing a distribution relationship -not TV- between the US and the BBC)

This summary is my edit from comments made earlier in the year by "...Denise Martin of Vulture reported on why PBS waits so long to air its most popular show, which is a co-production of the British Carnival Films and PBS's Masterpiece. While PBS programming chief Beth Hoppe told Martin that execs were "absolutely considering" a simultaneous airing, she made it even more clear that the delay wouldn't end any time soon. Why? 1) People still watched; 2) the fall is already crowded with all the other networks' new shows, making it harder for PBS to compete for attention, and 3) PBS has to edit the UK version because ITV is a commercial network—and doing that more quickly would cost more money that public broadcasting probably doesn't have to spend in the first place."

Now, speaking as a former "somewhat" insider - this is all true. The biggest issue being the editing and repackaging for the US broadcast (for time, content, LANGUAGE etc etc). It's not a quick nor inexpensive process. Additionally- all the edits must then be approved by the original producers.
The competitive Fall season does matter- and with serial/long-form gaining traction (like Breaking Bad) slotting is very important. Downton plays very well in the Winter slot that is otherwise neglected by many networks.


Trust me- as global as you may think we are... broadcast rights in the digital age are a very, very long, lugubrious, difficult, expensive and not all that thankful of a process.

 

[Cary Grant]

And I will just add- your comments are exactly what I started preaching in the industry more than a decade ago when digital began to show its potential: audiences want:

1) what they want
2) when they want
3) wherever they are


Getting to that, however, is frought with rights issues, traditional business practices.. oh, and that tiny little matter that monetizing TV/Film-quality productions via direct digital is only just now sniffing the potential for revenue that the old model once paid for. So while traditional broadcast revenues dry up, digital is nowhere near generating comparable revenue.... yet, or anytime soon.