Ten things you might not know about Downton Abbey
The final episode of Downton Abbey airs this Christmas, so in honour of the event we’re running down our Top 10 facts about everyone’s favourite period drama.
Downton Abbey
Bake Off rises to the top of 2015's most watched shows
Over half of the top 40 TV shows of 2015 aired on BBC One, according to research compiled by the Press Association from the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board (Barb).
Despite an increase in viewers over the year, Channel 4 does not make the list, as BBC One fills 27 spots, and ITV takes the remaining 13 places.
Strictly Come Dancing appeared 13 times in the list, making it the most consistently viewed show so far this year.
RTS Student Masterclass: Sound
TV sound engineers are used to keeping a low profile. Only if something goes amiss do the people responsible for the sound emerge from the shadows. Paradoxically, minus the sound track a TV show would be unwatchable.
This point was made by the two veterans delivering an RTS Craft Skills Masterclass on sound, Chris Ashworth, Production Sound Mixer, and Mike Felton, Sound Designer.
“You only get shouted at when things go wrong,” Felton observed. “Sound is a masochist’s job. Basically you do it for your own satisfaction.”
Watch: The final Downton Abbey trailer
Julian Fellowes's award-winning period drama Downton Abbey finally draws to a close this Christmas.
As Mary settles into married life with Henry, he is still scarred by his best friend's Charlie's tragic death on the race track. Meanwhile, it looks like Thomas will finally be saying goodbye to Downton.
Watch the trailer below to get a glimpse of what else is to come in Downton's finale.
Airs Christmas Day, 8.45pm on ITV
Details of Downton Abbey finale announced
The final episode of Downton Abbey will feature “all the love and loss, happiness and heartbreak” fans of the show have come to expect, ITV and Carnival Films have promised.
The final series came to an end last weekend, as viewers watched Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) wed racing driver Henry Talbot (Matthew Goode), however the show will return for a final hurrah on Christmas Day.
The special episode will follow the Crawley family and their servants as they prepare to celebrate New Year’s Eve together and welcome in 1926.
This week's best on demand TV
Downton Abbey
This Week’s Top TV: 14-20 September
Monday
Girls Can Code
BBC Three
9pm
Television and radio presenter Alice Levine finds girls who complete computer coding in a male dominant industry. She takes Ellie, Daisy, Neelam, Tolani and Arooj to meet the UK’s most powerful women in technology. The girls are given a five-day task to invent a start up piece of technology.
Tuesday
Battle of Britain: Return of the Spitfires
Channel 4
8pm
Downton Abbey unveils series finale promo
The worldwide hit TV drama based on the Crawley family and those who serve them is set to close its doors for the final time this September.
In a new promo video, this time set in 1925, of the prospect of not an entirely happy ending.
Downton Abbey is the highest rated UK television drama in the past decade, averaging 11 million viewers over the last five series.
The global phenomenon and BAFTA-winning show is produced by Carnival Films.
Amazon Prime is the first to offer offline downloads
The online provider is the first subscription service to offer these video downloads to Android and iOS devices.
In a statement Amazon announced that: ‘unlike other subscription streaming services such as Netflix, Prime members can enjoy movies and TV shows as part of their membership even when they don’t have an internet connection available.’
This is available for members in the US, UK, Germany and Austria.
ITV’s big drama: Television speaks to drama boss Steve November
On 18 September 2016, Steve November has a problem. At 9:00pm that night, the slot arrives in ITV’s schedule that would normally be filled by the season premiere of Downton Abbey.
As Director of Drama for the ITV network, November has to find a replacement – Downton is ending, with the last ever episode to air this coming Christmas Day. And, given Downton’s blockbuster ratings performance, it’s going to be a fiendishly difficult act to follow.