WOW: Downton Abbey Fans: Returning with a surprise 7th Season...(!)

[hlthe2b]

I had not even heard this rumored...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/news/downton-abbey-is-returning-with-a-surprise-new-seventh-season-more-of-the-most-impressive-tv-period-dramas/ss-BB1c9c0S?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=4a3e1dfb9d594414a69526237591e433&ei=59#image=1

Set in the early 1900s, "Downton Abbey" tells the story of England's aristocratic Crawley family and the servants who work on their sprawling estate. Starring Michelle Dockery, Dan Stevens, Maggie Smith, Elizabeth McGovern, Joanne Froggatt, Laura Carmichael (pictured) and more, the show became the most popular series ever to air on PBS, and with good reason -- the overflowing elegance was tempered with tawdry romance, betrayals, blackmail and even murder. The show was rebooted for the big screen in September 2019 with a "Downton Abbey" film -- it opened at No. 1! -- that chronicled the king and queen's visit to the family's estate. A second movie, "Downton Abbey: A New Era," hit theaters in 2022.

And now more is in store: A surprise seventh season of "Downton Abbey" -- the PBS drama that wrapped up its TV tenure in 2016 -- has quietly started filming in the U.K., DailyMail.com reported in February 2024.

"Filming has been going on for a few weeks now, it is all very, very secret. There are people working on it who have never seen secrecy like it," a source told the outlet, adding that its expected to be released at the end of 2024. "Those working on the set have been made to sign non-disclosure agreements so that they don't give the game away but there is a lot of excitement at the return of 'Downton.' It was such a huge success before and there are so many more stories to be told, it seemed such a shame not to be able to make more of it but they've made it happen."

[KarenS]

1. What a nice surprise!! n/t

[greatauntoftriplets]

2. I've always thought that a prequel to Violet's early days would be enjoyable.

Looking forward to this.

[Hekate]

3. Wouldn't it just! When she let down her hair just a little & told how she'd been tossed out of a carriage...

…in Russia in the snow by a jealous wife — well, I never!

But who could ever play a young Maggie Smith?

[greatauntoftriplets]

4. Maybe someone like Emma Watson, Carey Mulligan or Saorise Ronan.

There are lots of young British actresses who probably do it.

[Aristus]

6. I'm not sure they could ever find a young actress who could capture Dame Maggie Smith's acerbic wit.

n/t

[ificandream]

5. My wife and my son are big fans. They'll love this.

[birdographer]

7. Who will be in it?

Did they get the family all back, and how many of the servants? I don't think this info is out there, but I am SO curious. It seems we were in the extremely small group of people who never watched it when it was originally on, we only watched it all last year, all episodes and the movies. So it is all fairly recent to us. This is very cool!

[Sogo]

8. Hoorah!!!