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Downton Abbey: Series 2

by Carnival Films

Synopsis

The second series of Downton Abbey, Carnival Films’ immensely popular period drama, begins with a bang. Even before the title sequence of the first episode, we are plunged into the muddy hell of the Battle of the Somme.

Matthew Crawley, the heir to Lord Grantham at Downton, is now an officer fighting on the Western Front. It is quite a contrast to the beautifully manicured gardens, exquisite outfits and even more exquisite manners of the first series.

Soon, however, the War enters the doors of Downton Abbey. The stately home is converted into a convalescent hospital for wounded officers, and everyone, both upstairs and down, has to play their part in the War effort. This backdrop immediately raises the stakes and invests proceedings with an inevitable poignancy. Almost a century after it happened, that most cataclysmic of wars continues to haunt. The delicacy of this finely executed period drama is all about what is not said and what lies under the surface. A remedy for the naked exhibitionism of today’s world.

Reviews

The Great War is looking like it’s going to cast a very serious pall indeed over Downton Abbey, as of course it must. And Fellowes’s decision to concentrate on those at home rather than the soldiers at the front is proving an excellent one, giving the viewer some genuine insight into the helpless anxiety of those who were left behind . . . Iain Glen, who plays Sir Richard Carlisle (Lady Mary’s new beau), is a subtle, clever actor, and can do nasty with the best of them when the moment truly requires it.

– The Independent

Pure Class from top to toe.

– Time Out

Sumptuous. Instantly riveting.

– The Telegraph

Awards

Downton Abbey entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the ‘most critically acclaimed television show’ of the year, becoming the first British show to win the award.

The series has won or been nominated in all the major TV awards both sides of the Atlantic including:

BAFTA Best Drama Series
Emmy for Outstanding Mini-Series
Golden Globe for Best Mini-Series

2013 Screen Actors Guild Awards:
Won Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

Credits

Hugh Bonneville
Robert Crawley
Michelle Dockery
Lady Mary Crawley
Maggie Smith
Violet Crawley
Dan Stevens
Matthew Crawley
Elizabeth McGovern
Cora Crawley
Laura Carmichael
Lady Edith Crawley
Penelope Wilton
Isobel Crawley
Jessica Brown Findlay
Lady Sybil Crawley
Jim Carter
Mr. Carson
Brendan Coyle
John Bates
Siobhan Finneran
Sarah O’Brien
Joanne Froggatt
Anna Smith
Rob James-Collier
Thomas Barrow
Phyllis Logan
Mrs. Hughes
Sophie McShera
Daisy Robinson
Lesley Nicol
Mrs. Patmore
Thomas Howes
William Mason
Allen Leech
Tom Branson
David Robb
Dr. Clarkson
Iain Glen
Sir Richard Carlisle
Kevin Doyle
Joseph Molesley
Amy Nuttall
Ethel Parks
Rose Leslie
Gwen Dawson
Zoe Boyle
Lavinia Swire
Robert Bathurst
Sir Anthony Strallan
Samantha Bond
Lady Rosamund Painswick
Clare Calbraith
Jane Moorsum
Lionel Guyett
Taylor
Paul Copley
Mr. Mason
Daniel Pirrie
Major Charles Bryant
Jonathan Coy
George Murray
Michael Cochrane
Reverend Travis
Christine Lohr
Mrs. Bird
Maria Doyle Kennedy
Vera Bates
Julian Fellows
Writer
Liz Trubridge
Producer
Gareth Neame
Exec Producer
Brian Percival & Various
Directors


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Iain Glen, who plays Sir Richard Carlisle (Lady Mary’s new beau), is a subtle, clever actor, and can do nasty with the best of them when the moment truly requires it.