‘Downton Abbey’ season 3 notes: Christmas special, Julian Fellowes, PBS

“Downton Abbey” season 3 may be done in Great Britain, but there is still a Christmas special to look forward to. In addition to that, we do also have some more news about the series’ creator Julian Fellowes, and a reminder for all American viewers hoping to catch the show on PBS early next year.

We’ll begin with the Christmas special which is something that we outlined pretty thoroughly in our recent article about what we would like to see unfold during the episode. ITV has set up a page on Facebook as a reminder to fans about when this special will come on the air; and while it will be on a different day, the time is still the same: 9:00 for those in Great Britain.

This episode is of course written by Julian Fellowes, who will be speaking out alongside his niece Jessica Fellowes, star Allen Leech (Tom Branson), and executive producer Gareth Neame at Cadogan Hall a week from Tuesday. The event will feature a book signing along with a lively discussion about the series, including behind-the-scenes details. We also have a feeling that for the first time, some substantial details about the Christmas special will be released.

PBS viewers will be able to catch this episode at the tail end of “Downton Abbey” season 3 following its premiere on January 6, and just in case you want to take a look back at the trailer released by Masterpiece. Of course, viewers in Britain (and those who could not wait to actually watch the show on television) already know what happened, but it’s worth thirty seconds of your time regardless.