‘Downton Abbey’ season 4: Julian Fellowes, more talk Dan Stevens in new PBS video
Here is something that we have not had that many opportunities to see at this point: A “Downton Abbey” video that really everyone can enjoy! There are no limitations placed on this one courtesy of what country you are in, since the subject matter is really spoiler-free.
So what do some of you international readers who have already watched season 4 get out of this? So long as you can view the video below, it’s an opportunity to actually hear from creator Julian Fellowes’ lips what he really thought about Dan Stevens leaving the show earlier this year. This was one of the most shocking decisions of scripted TV in the past few years, since you basically had a beloved character checking out while the show was still at the top of its game.
But at the same time, Fellowes does have a rather nice point in the video in that while we are sad to see Stevens gone from the show, the death of Matthew allows for a much more exciting story to be told from the Mary point of view. This is no longer going to be a tale of a woman who just cuddles with Matthew and figures out what they want to do for the day; instead, it’s a tale all about how she tries to move forward, and if she can find love again. Fellowes does not even begrudge Dan for his decision, reminding us that the man is taking off to do a multitude of films. The big reason that this remains a shock to many is just because in America, actors traditionally sign contracts for the first six seasons of a show if they are to be regulars; they are exceptions (see Josh Charles on “The Good Wife”), but six seasons is the norm. In Britain, however, the contracts are for a much smaller span of time. This is what enabled Stevens and his co-star Jessica Brown Findlay to each want to bail during season 3, and while we will not spoil anything here for American viewers, we will say that season 4 so far does keep most of the story going in the right direction. There is only one major problem with it, and it has nothing to do with either of these characters.
If you want to read some more “Downton Abbey” scoop, including spoilers on this season, just be sure to click here.
Photo: ITV