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Shirley MacLaine will be returning to Downton Abbey next season as Martha Levinson and six new cast members will be joining the show as well, Carnival Films and Masterpiece on PBS announced this morning. Opera star Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is joining the cast as a guest who sings in the house, as confirmed last night among three other new cast members including Tom Cullen who will play Lord Gillingham, an old family friend of the Crawleys who visits as a guest for a house party. Plus Dame Harriet Walter arrives as Lady Shackleton, an old friend of the Dowager played by Maggie Smith and Julien Ovendon comes aboard as aristocrat Charles Blake. Additions revealed in this morning’s announcement were Nigel Harman who joins the household as Green, a valet, and Joanne David who has a guest role as the Duchess of Yeovil. Downton Abbey is a Carnival/Masterpiece Co-production, created and written by Julian Fellowes. Gareth Neame and Fellowes are exec producers.
Related: Another Key ‘Downton Abbey’ Loss: Siobhan Finneran Leaving O’Brien Role
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At this point, they need all the help they can get. Without Dan Stevens, the show is in trouble.
I couldn’t agree more. He was ill advised by whomever suggested he leave the show for greener pastures in America. Who , in his right mind, would leave a global hit like DA for an uncertain future?
Especially since all the shows here in the U. S. are crap compared to Downton Abbey. I still can’t believe he left the show. Bad move.
I like Downton Abbey, but it is inferior to a lot of American cable shows. In the UK people have expressed astonishment that it can even be considered for the same awards as shows like Mad Men and Breaking Bad.
British people always shit on their own. Especially when it has to do with high-class “toffs.” You can’t trust them to actually *like* anything British. I mean, it was America that made stars out of Monty Python or Benny Hill. They have always fetishized American stuff, so it’s no surprise they value Breaking Bad or Mad Men over Downton Abbey.
I think Stevens wanted to leave on his own accord. I’m sure his reps and Fellowes tried to convince him to stay.
I never thought Dan Stevens was irreplaceable. I would have preferred they recast the role; I was just beginning to enjoy the friction between his character and Lord Grantham, but now that appears to have been foolishly thrown away by Julian Fellowes.
Of the three actors/actresses not returning, I’m going to miss Siobahn Finneran the most: she turns in a terricly understated performance as Miss O’Brien, and now Thomas will need a decent foil to work against.
Dan Stevens is not important to the show’s success, and in fact, I think this is why he left (afterall, he was the only main actor to be ignored by the Emmys last year and that had to sting)
…Michelle Dockery and Maggie Smith are the most important, as they give the best performances. And I would say Robert James Collier has done very well for himself and I expect he could enter Emmy talk this year.
You are out of your mind. Dan Stevens was the weakest actor of the weakest character on this show. The only way this show would be ‘in trouble’ was if Maggie Smith left…she’s the one actress who pulls it all together.
Otherwise, give credit where due to the beautiful character and story writing of Julian Fellowes & company.
The problem isn’t Dan Stevens, for God’s sake, he was never good. The problem as usual is the writing. Mr. Fellowes doesn’t know how to pace or plot a series. He did a terrific job putting the thing together, but he had just one season in him. Writing a pilot is not the same as writing dozens of episodes over several years.
How do they make money on this show in the U.S.? PBS has no advertisers, just pledge drives. Does the show air with commercials in the UK and other markets? This is such a huge show, they should be raking in hundreds of millions.
Sheesh, I sound like a Republican: concerned that rich people aren’t getting rich enough. I should probably just return to the basement to pitch woo to that sexy Mrs. Patmore.
“How do they make money on this show in the U.S.?”
Quality shows motivate healthy pledge drives.
And I’ve heard the show sells like hotcakes on DVD and BD, plus they added an early full season peek for download this year.
I read yesterday that Obrien dash leaving too.. I hope Thomas gets some action and love.. Happiness…. Time for some gay love on pbs. The season isn’t long enough.. Its like madmen.. Over in a jiffy and then wait a year for eight more episodes
I might be in the minority, but I was hoping Downton Abbey would be 2 seasons and be done. With a nice story arc over the two seasons and a fitting ending. (Kind of like ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’) Not this continuing soap/drama. Has greed even gripped PBS/Masterpiece Theater?
If I wanted Dallas I could watch typical crap US television.
I suppose you are talking about the latest edition of “Upstairs Downstairs” because the ORIGINAL lasted several seasons. If you haven’t seen it I suggest you either buy it or order it from Netflix. Amazing series and it never got boring, unlike “Downton.”
I was most disappointed that Dan Stevens decided to leave. Perhaps they should have cast another actor in that role. I loved his scenes with Lord Grantham as well as witn Tom. Sybil was my favorite sister. Every time I become attached to a character, he or she is killed off. I don’t know if my constitution can take any more.
Please send my good wishes to Mathew and Sybil in whatever they plan to do.
I was surprisingly underwhelmed by Shirley MacLaine this past season.
I am not sure if it was an underdeveloped character or her acting.
I hope she is more interesting in the new season.
You’re not the only one underwhelmed. It wasn’t merely that she was underdeveloped; it was that she was essentially redundant. Her character’s point of view is covered by the character of Isobel Crawley, making Shirley MacLaine’s Martha Levinson moot. Isobel Crawley was a much better opponent for Maggie Smith’s Dowager Countess, but I guess Julian Fellowes wanted a “big name” actress to go up against Maggie Smith (as if this were Dynasty, or something) when he actually had one (Penelope Wilton) right under his nose.
The idea of a mediocre actress like MacLaine going toe-to-toe with Maggie Smith is laughable.
There are very few actresses up to that challenge.
Meryl Streep is, of course, the most obvious choice, but she could give Maggie a run for her money. Shirley vs. Maggie is like Pat Robertson vs. Richard Dawkins, an unfair balance of intellect and talent.
I concurr!! I figured that for all the hoopla, she’d have been on at least 3 times. Her delivery was really off, and the lines they gave her just so-so, plus her character wasn’t allowed to build. What was the big deal? The whole thing made me feel bad for Shirl.
More Thomas!
Preferably in a shirtless, beach volleyball scene….
I’m so excited about Julian Ovenden! He was great on Smash!!!
I thought Shirley was way out of her depth with her cartoonish portrayal.
She seemed better suited to community theater.
Agree Shirley had a very one-note mantra about how the English are so uptight about everything and behind the times. Kind of like the Ugly American we’re embarrased to admit to and a stereotype I thought this show would try to avoid.
When I heard Shirley McLaine was joining “Downton” I thought she was going to have a multi-episode arc and was disappointed when she appeared only in the first episode. Why didn’t she come back when Sybil died or when Mary had the baby? It didn’t make sense. Her character was under-developed and ridiculous. Perhaps this time Julian will create a full character and make us care about her.
She didn’t just appear in one episode. That’s PBS editing for you. The “first episode” was actually two episodes. I don’t know that that makes it much better, but it does mean something. Anybody who just saw it on PBS thinks they flew from Sybil to Matthew for instance, and they didn’t. There were a few episodes from one to the other and then months before the Christmas episode (set one year later on the show) aired.
I think it’d be interesting to see Martha go a different direction than you’d expect on Edith’s situation, maybe talk some sense into Edith that she wasn’t expecting.
PBS may have just announced, but Shirley MacLaine told the Chicago Sun-Times two weeks ago. http://bit.ly/133RcfJ
We all think Dan Stevens has Left…But you know, Viewers did not see him take his last breath. Maybe they’ll send his character away for rehab from his injuries. While Dan takes a break from the show. there will be a surprising scene for this upcoming seasons finale, maybe his return will be the cliffhanger.
With all those ladies leaving, Maybe they will give Ms. MacLaine more to do across several Episodes this time around.
Pretty sure that wide-eyed death stare was a giveaway.
Any possibley if season 4 would premire along the week Brits get it HELLO
Dan Stevens ‘ future is hardly uncertain! He’s currently on Broadway. I think people, Americans particularly, forget most Brits are classically trained & actually prefer being a “real” actor of the stage.
DA should cast Mickey Dolenz as Shirley’s wayward musician son.
I can just hear Maggie Smith now “That rascallian is nothing but an overgrown American primate!”
Harriet Walter is a great addition. I’m still reeling from the loss of Harry & Leo in ‘Silent Witness’ series 16 & 17; losing Sibyl, Matthew & Miss O’Brien in the context of long-running episodic UK telly is therefore not so very awful.