Downton Abbey creator’s The Gilded Age may finally happen in 2019

We’re not sure that there has ever been a network TV project in gestation for as long as The Gilded Age over at NBC. This is a series that was first announced a good six or so years ago, but because of Julian Fellowes’ work on Downton Abbey at the time, it remained in development. Then, there was the Downton Abbey movie.

Now, it does finally seem as though we’re finally getting closer to something happen … though it does still seem like the show is taking longer to premiere than we first anticipated. Earlier this year, our hope was that this could be a midseason entry. Now, The Gilded Age (which is a series all about the money barons and the industrial revolution) is looking more like a late 2019 launch, with production on the series starting in the spring of 2019.

According to Deadline, Downton Abbey alum Michael Engler is reuniting with the creative team of Fellowes and also Gareth Neame on the series, and is going to direct the two-hour premiere of the series. He will be an executive producer on the project to go along with it. Hopefully, some casting starts to happen by the end of this year.

The Gilded Age is going to be an ambitious and likely-expensive experiment for NBC. If it can generate in America the sort of ratings that Downton Abbey did over in the UK, it will be a big hit for them. The question is whether or not American viewers are going to be completely on board with the idea of a period piece that isn’t reliant on any sort of gimmicks. It’s mostly going to be the reputation of the creative team that sells it.

Once there is some more news to report on when it comes to the new series, we will let you know — for now, be sure to head over here for more about the upcoming Downton Abbey movie.

What do you think about The Gilded Age being on the air in 2019, and are you excited to finally see it? Share below.

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