Will Season 4 Be The Demise Of Downton Abbey?

Could it be? Will Downton Abbey finally have a conclusion?

The 4th season just opened, fast-forwarding to six months after the tragic death of Matthew and it’s 1922, the Jazz Age. and the end of the Edwardian period. Queen Victoria had reigned for the best part of the 19th century, and the Edwardian period heralded the beginning of a new century with a new king, King Edward VII, on the throne. But his reign was to be brief, lasting a mere nine years. Following the heaviness and dark colors of the Victorian era, people were ready for lighter, brighter, cheerful colors. Wallpapers were florals of roses, lilac, wisteria, and sweet peas, with trellises, ribbons and bows. Stripes were also typical, especially for bedrooms. Dining rooms featured simple but rich patterns such as a gold damask Just think how easy it would have been to change out all those Victorian papers if Casart had been around then.

There’s a wealth of gossipy speculation on line and loads of tidbits about the characters, the actors, the costumes, the food staging, on and on. Here’s the most significant speculation about Abbey’s future. Julian Fellows, Abbey’s writer, is said to have declared, “I don’t want to see our actors with walking sticks and powder in their hair.” so I don’t think it will continue into WWII. (I read it here) However, there’s a lot of material for episodes covering the next 18-20 year period.

Here are a few of the juicier things I learned researching for this post.

The cast all have an odor about them due to the wardrobe policy that forbids washing the garments for fear of destroying their authenticity. Sophie McShera, who plays the cook’s assistance, Daisy, revealed, “They have these weird patches, which are sewn into the armpits and which they wash separately.”

PBS has a wealth of Abbey articles you can purchase from DVDs to totes and books.

Here is a link to a wonderful tongue-in-cheek piece by Fred Albert that appeared in Houzz. Downton followers will have many laughs reading it.

The Edwardians usually ate 4 meals a day: breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner. All dishes were cut in the kitchen and brought to the table on serving plates offered to each diner by servants. Downton Abbey food stylist, Lisa Heathcote, explained how a traditional Edwardian Christmas meal would comprise an eye-watering six course meal.