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'Downton Abbey' gets a third season from ITV

That doesn't necessarily mean it'll air on PBS, but it presumably will

By Daniel Fienberg Thursday, Nov 3, 2011 1:11 PM

<p>The cast of "Downton Abbey" season one</p> <div id="myEventWatcherDiv" style="display:none;"> </div>

The cast of "Downton Abbey" season one

Credit: PBS
American audiences are still months away from getting to see the second season of the Emmy-winning drama "Downton Abbey," but fans can already start looking forward to a third season as well.
 
Britain's ITV announced on Thursday (Nov. 3) that it has commissioned a third "series" of "Downton Abbey," with eight new episodes [stop reading if you don't want to be spoiled on the timeframe] set in 1920-1921.
 
The renewal announcement came just days after the second season's penultimate "Downton Abbey" episode drew 10 million viewers to ITV1.
 
PBS will begin airing the second "Downton Abbey" season on American TV -- for viewers who haven't already watched episodes through a variety of illegal options -- on January 8, 2012. Note, of course, that PBS has yet to commit to airing the third "Downton Abbey" series, though it would seem to be a foregone conclusion.
 
The first "Downton Abbey" season was somewhat inexplicably treated as a Movie/Miniseries by Emmy voters and pulled off a string of upsets over HBO's prohibitively favored "Mildred Pierce," winning for Julian Fellowes' script, Brian Percival's direction and landing the big prize as Outstanding Miniseries or Made for Television Movie. 
Dan-feinberg-sm
Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor
A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.
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  • Default-avatar

    Lazycrockett

    I'm very glad to hear this news, but I hope that Julian brings more interesting plots and better writing than what the audience has had to endure thus far in season 2.

    November 3, 2011 at 1:38PM EST Reply to Comment
  • Raylan_-_copy_talkback_profile

    Jonnybon

    Great news. The second season has been just as brilliant as the first.

    November 3, 2011 at 6:58PM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    EdithKeeler

    Season 2 has been sort of hilariously bad, but I can't stop watching. They really ramp the soapy elements up to 11.

    If it continues this way, I expect in Season 3 it will be revealed Kemal the Turkish Diplomat isn't really dead but being held by his evil twin brother on a remote island because he was about to reveal Lady Violet was really Jack the Ripper.

    November 5, 2011 at 4:36AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    Austin Pearce

    I can't wait!

    March 3, 2012 at 3:12PM EST Reply to Comment

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