'Downton Abbey' breaks US television record Published Tuesday, Mar 19 2013, 3:29pm EDT | By Leah Simpson (DIGITAL SPY)

Downton Abbey broke a record with its season three finale in the United States.

The episode - which aired on Sunday, February 17 - beat all broadcast and cable competition to become the highest-rated show on American television that evening. 

© ITV

Downton Abbey's Lady Mary and baby George

The Carnival Films show, which airs on Masterpiece on PBS in the country, reached an average of 12.3 million viewers, with the entire third series averaging 11.5 million viewers.

It has become the highest-rating TV drama in PBS's history, and has reached over 24 million viewers overall.

The numbers for the program - written by Julian Fellowes and executive produced by Gareth Neame, Liz Trubridge and Julian Fellowes - see a seven million increase on the US ratings for series two.

Over the course of the three series, Downton Abbey has won nine Emmys, three Golden Globes and, most recently, the SAG Award for 'Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Drama Series'.


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Julian Fellowes to quit writing 'Downton Abbey'? Published Tuesday, Feb 19 2013, 12:13pm EST | By Morgan Jeffery (DIGITAL SPY)

Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes has hinted that the hit period drama could continue without him.

Fellowes told The New York Times that his commitment to US pilot The Gilded Age could force him to abandon his Downton commitments.


"If I'm doing a series at NBC, I would not be able to write all of Downton and all of that series at the same time," he reasoned. "I would hope that by the time all the hurdles have been cleared, the timing makes it so I can then concentrate on the new series.

"If Downton goes on - of course, that's not my decision - then it would be with other writers. Perhaps with me supervising, but with other writers."


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Captain Peacock (Frank Thornton in Are You Being Served) in classic comedy dies aged 92 (MAIL ON LINE)

By MARK DUELL
PUBLISHED: 06:56 EST, 18 March 2013 | UPDATED: 09:37 EST, 18 March 2013

Are You Being Served? actor Frank Thornton has died aged 92, it emerged today.

Thornton, who played Captain Peacock in the BBC comedy and also starred as Truly in Last Of The Summer Wine, died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, his agent David Daly said.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Beryl, his daughter Jane and their three grandchildren.


He specialised in comedy and took roles in many popular TV shows including Hancock's Half-Hour, Sykes and Steptoe And Son, as well as movie spin-off Steptoe And Son Ride Again.

Thornton also appeared in a number of saucy British movie romps including No Sex Please, We're British and Up The Chastity Belt.

In 2001 he was among the cast for the Julian Fellowes-scripted period drama Gosford Park. His last credit was in the poorly-received film Run For Your Wife, with Richard Briers, who died last month.

Mr Daly said: 'Ninety-two-year-old Frank Thornton died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday.



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Hugh Bonneville opposes David Cameron's press proposals (THE TELEGRAPH)

Hugh Bonneville, the Downton Abby star, is pre-occupied with legislation for the press and a rude word used by Rowan Atkinson

Hugh Bonneville as the Earl of Grantham in Downton Abbey Photo: Nick Briggs / Carnival Films

By Tim Walker7:30
AM GMT 18 Mar 2013

Filming may be getting under way on the new Downton Abbey, but Hugh Bonneville’s mind was on other matters over the weekend: legislation to control the press and “shagging”.

The 49-year-old actor, who plays the Earl of Grantham in the series, has been vociferously supporting the Hacked Off campaigners. He has written to his local MP to get him to vote against David Cameron’s alternative proposal for a Royal Charter to regulate the press, and urged his 100,000-odd followers on a social networking site to follow suit.

Mandrake can think of at least two people who are unlikely to have heeded his call. Julian Fellowes, the creator of Downton Abbey, is a staunch Conservative who was made a peer by the Prime Minister. He was unavailable for comment, but he will be mindful that today’s Commons vote on press regulation is now being seen as a test of Cameron’s authority.

READ MORE: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/downton-abbey/9936048/Hugh-Bonneville-opposes-David-Camerons-press-proposals.html

DOWNTON ABBEY: First images of Downton Abbey series four focus on Matthew Crawley’s memorial ((METRO) By Caroline Westbrook

Dame Maggie Smith is among those Downton characters who was spotted filming scenes of Matthew Crawley’s funeral (Picture: Rex Features)

The first photos have emerged from the fourth series of Downton Abbey, offering a sneak preview of key characters as they attend Matthew Crawley’s memorial.

Dame Maggie Smith, Joanne Froggatt and Brendan Coyle are among those seen in the snaps as they gather at Matthew’s graveside – with another shot showing his headstone, where he is described as a ‘loving husband and father’.

And the photos would suggest that Matthew – who was killed off in a shocking car accident during the Christmas special – will be buried next to Lady Mary’s sister Sybil, who also made a shock exit last series when she died soon after giving birth.

The much-loved character – played by Dan Stevens – met his maker after the actor quit the show, crashing his car just moments after meeting his newborn son for the first time.

Despite a huge backlash from viewers, creator Julian Fellowes defended the storyline, saying he was left with no choice but to kill the character due to Stevens’ decision to quit the show.


‘We always tried to persuade him to stay. He had done fantastically well for the series and his creation of Matthew was terrific,’ Fellowes said.

‘But this is life. Dan felt that this was right thing for him, and the right moment to move on to different areas.’

READ MORE: http://metro.co.uk/2013/03/01/first-images-of-downton-abbey-series-four-focus-on-matthew-crawleys-memorial-3522178/